Every year fantasy owners stumble upon sleepers and breakout stars, but what about those players who have frustrated us to no end? Because of injuries, poor play or off the court issues, these five players have been the absolute most disappointing guards of the fantasy season.
1. Deron Williams, Brooklyn Nets
Williams is supposed to be a superstar but he really hasn’t looked the part the last two seasons. On average, fantasy owners spent a late first round pick on him (ESPN ADP of 13.7), but he hasn’t even performed like a top-20 point guard for most of the season. Williams is averaging just 14.3 points and 6.2 assists per game this season -- his lowest numbers since his rookie season. Williams is still an effective NBA point guard who's capable of huge performances, but he’s better off being a mid-round pick in future fantasy drafts.
2. Iman Shumpert, New York Knicks
Owners took a flier on Shumpert with the 111th pick in most ESPN drafts, but he hasn’t even lived up to those modest expectations. He really doesn’t look like the same player since before his ACL injury and its shown in his play this year. Shumpert is averaging 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists this year despite seeing a healthy amount of minutes. Shumpert is a low-end contributor in the steals and three-point categories, but his massive deficiencies (he’s shooting 38 percent from the field) keep him from being a viable fantasy option.
3. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
It hasn’t exactly been a secret that D-Wade has been on the decline, but for some reason fantasy owners still trusted him with a top-20 pick this year. Wade’s production hasn’t come close to matching his ADP, and he’s really hurt fantasy owners with constant injuries and DNP’s. Wade is still one of the best shooting guards in the NBA when healthy, but has been increasingly hard to rely on as he’s only played in 51 games this year. Wade has a few good years left but shouldn’t be touched in fantasy drafts until the middle rounds.
4. Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans
Gordon actually lived up to his ADP of 90.1 for most of the season, but like usual his body has given out as he’s missed plenty of games. Gordon hasn’t played since late-March, which has been a killer for owners who were relying on him down the stretch in the playoffs. Gordon is only a plus contributor in the points category, and doesn’t even provide enough scoring to make his other weaknesses worth it. Gordon averages just 3.3 assists and 2.6 rebounds, which makes him more of a bench option in fantasy leagues even when he happens to be healthy.
5. J.R. Smith, New York Knicks
Smith has looked fantastic over the past two weeks, but that doesn’t come close to making up for a completely lost season. Smith was a headcase earlier in the year as he garnered more headlines for untying opponents’ shoes than his actual game on the court. Despite his recent success, Smith ranks as the 29th highest scoring shooting guard in ESPN standard leagues which is a far cry from where he was drafted before the season started.