Fantasy basketball sell low candidates: Slow starts, but should you worry about Gobert, Harden and Murphy?

Not every fantasy basketball star has hit the ground running this season. From Derrick White and Trey Murphy to James Harden and Rudy Gobert, several proven producers are struggling with shooting, roles, and new lineup dynamics. Before you hit the panic button in your league, you need to know which slumps are fixable and which signal real decline. We break down 15 underperforming fantasy basketball players, including Mitchell Robinson, Myles Turner, Jalen Green and Josh Giddey, and explain whether to hold, buy low, bench or drop each one. Here is who fantasy managers should worry about and who should bounce back soon.

Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls

Giddey was rivaling the best in the all-around category and among high-scoring producers through his first couple of seasons with the Bulls, but he has not been at full steam this season. The sixth-year guard is averaging just 9.1 points on 36.9 percent shooting through seven games. On the plus side, he is still putting up decent rebound and assist numbers. The shake-up in the roster dynamic could be in part to blame, making it fair to assume he gets his shot at some point, but also that he may not reach the same heights in scoring.

Trey Murphy, New Orleans Pelicans

Murphy is coming off an excellent season, where he shined as one of the best offensive forces in the league. He has not shown the same level of consistency this season, possibly due to a different dynamic in the lineup with the return of Dejounte Murray and the presence of Jeremiah Fears in the starting lineup, who both take their fair share of shots.

James Harden, Cleveland Cavaliers

Harden has been one of the league's best stat sheet stuffers for years, but at 37 years old, it is fair that he is clearly slowing down. Averaging 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists, he remains a solid contributor, but he has shown little indication that he may still be capable of single-handedly winning weeks as in the past.

Derrick White, Boston Celtics

White is coming off back-to-back seasons averaging over 16 points per game, where he also rivaled some of the league's best category-league contributors. However, he is averaging only 11.1 points over seven games this season, while his rebound and assist numbers are also down slightly. With a new dynamic in the roster, he may not return to his highs on the offensive end.

Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls

Buzelis was a category-league hero last season, and many managers anticipated that he would pick up where he left off. However, a slow start has plagued the third-year forward, as he is averaging 13.0 points on just 40.0 percent shooting through seven games. He also has more competition within his squad on the offensive end, as Norman Powell and Caleb Wilson have been stealing the show.

Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

Gobert continues to excel on the glass, averaging 12.0 rebounds per outing, but his offensive game is off to a strikingly poor start. The big man is averaging just 7.4 points per game on 42.5 percent shooting, which is alarming considering the vast majority of his attempts come within a few feet of the basket. For that reason, it seems quite likely that he should shake off the rust and get back to finishing plays with more confidence.

Ryan Rollins, Milwaukee Bucks

Rollins stunned the league by making a major leap last season, leading many to assume there was more to come. Alternatively, he is off to a concerningly slow start, averaging 11.0 points on 34.5 percent shooting through seven games. His struggles have been such that he was removed from the starting lineup in the most recent game. Nonetheless, there is still plenty of time for the 24-year-old to rediscover his comfort zone.

Mikal Bridges, New York Knicks

Bridges has scored more than six points just twice in seven outings and is averaging 6.1 points per game on 30.8 percent shooting per game. He is also struggling to contribute across the board this season, with just 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He should find a way to pick it up from here, but it is unlikely that he delivers game-changing numbers as a fourth or fifth option for his squad.

John Collins, Detroit Pistons

Collins has done a decent job with 1.0 made threes per game on 35.0 percent shooting from deep, but his shot has struggled from everywhere else, as he is shooting just 42.4 percent from the field, while shooting only 2-for-5 from the foul line across seven games. The hope should be that he eventually settles into a better groove with his new squad.

Jalen Green, Phoenix Suns

Green is averaging 11.0 points on 41.8 percent shooting. He has yet to shoot better than 43 percent from the field for a season in his career, and there is little indication to show that trend will change this year. The additions of Miles Bridges and Dillon Brooks also challenge his role in the offensive hierarchy.

Myles Turner, Milwaukee Bucks

Turner delivered career seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24, but he has been in steady decline since, with the downturn exacerbated by his move to the Bucks last season. He is currently averaging career lows of 8.0 points on 38.6 percent shooting, along with 5.1 rebounds through seven games. With Kel'el Ware rallying behind him in the depth chart, Turner could find himself coming off the bench before too long.

Aaron Gordon, Denver Nuggets

Gordon is averaging just 11.5 points per game through six outings, which is a notable drop from his average of 15.2 points per game over the last five seasons. Now a 13-year vet at 31, it is fair to say he may not have the same agility as in his earlier days, but he is also likely to find a better rhythm, as he is shooting 35.8 percent from the field, by far a career low.

Mitchell Robinson, Boston Celtics

There were high hopes for Robinson when he joined the Celtics, as many thought he could walk into a starting role and flourish in ways he had not previously had the opportunity. However, he has been unable to stand out, has yet to tally a double-double, and it might be fair to assume that he will continue to produce around his career averages, eventually being relegated to a backup role.

Jakob Poeltl, Toronto Raptors

Poeltl is on pace for the worst season of his career unless he can find some answers. He is averaging 4.6 points, the lowest since his rookie season, when he averaged 11.6 minutes per game, compared to 20.2 minutes through five games this year. He is also shooting 52.9 percent from the field, which is a major drop from the 60-plus he has delivered over the last nine seasons, including the 70.0 percent he shot last season. There is no clear indication of his troubles, aside from a recent shoulder injury that has kept him out of the last two games. He should find a way back on track before too long.

Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers

Henderson remains in a bench role but got a bump with Shaedon Sharpe being out; more recently, the absence of Ja Morant has brought him into a starting role for the last two games. However, Henderson is averaging only 8.7 points on 34.0 percent shooting in 22.0 minutes per game this season, which is much less than expected for a former third-overall pick. He has yet to shoot better than 42 percent from the field in a season, so it is hard to imagine there is a major improvement ahead. The more reasonable hope is that he can at least improve his contribution across the board, which is also lagging at the moment.

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