This article is part of our Freshman Haze series.
When looking to play freshmen in fantasy leagues, it is wise to take their production with a grain of salt. These young guys are generally the most inconsistent players. They are still trying to figure out the college game after dominating in high school. This week's group of seven includes a number of players who have yet to show the ability to hit shots consistently. They make for potentially nice value plays in DFS leagues, but there is also a chance they will produce damaging single-digit performances.
LaQuan Lyle, guard, Ohio State Buckeyes
There's nothing like a triple-double to open up some eyes. The 6-foot-5 Lyle had 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the win over Rutgers on Wednesday, but dropped off Saturday in the blowout loss against Maryland. Inconsistency has plagued the former Oregon recruit. He has excellent passing skills, particularly for such a big guard. Lyle's shooting, however, leaves a lot to be desired: 39.5 percent from the field, 25.4 percent on three-pointers, 61.4 percent from the line. In general, Lyle makes for high-ceiling, low-floor play.
Malachi Richardson, guard, Syracuse Orange
Richardson is similar to Lyle in a number of ways: he gets plenty of minutes and he has trouble making shots. The 6-6 guard did have a hot streak in early January in which he hit 14 three-pointers in a three-game stretch (all Orange losses). Even still, he is only converting 32.2 percent from long range (and 37.3 percent from the field) and was 0-of-11
When looking to play freshmen in fantasy leagues, it is wise to take their production with a grain of salt. These young guys are generally the most inconsistent players. They are still trying to figure out the college game after dominating in high school. This week's group of seven includes a number of players who have yet to show the ability to hit shots consistently. They make for potentially nice value plays in DFS leagues, but there is also a chance they will produce damaging single-digit performances.
LaQuan Lyle, guard, Ohio State Buckeyes
There's nothing like a triple-double to open up some eyes. The 6-foot-5 Lyle had 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the win over Rutgers on Wednesday, but dropped off Saturday in the blowout loss against Maryland. Inconsistency has plagued the former Oregon recruit. He has excellent passing skills, particularly for such a big guard. Lyle's shooting, however, leaves a lot to be desired: 39.5 percent from the field, 25.4 percent on three-pointers, 61.4 percent from the line. In general, Lyle makes for high-ceiling, low-floor play.
Malachi Richardson, guard, Syracuse Orange
Richardson is similar to Lyle in a number of ways: he gets plenty of minutes and he has trouble making shots. The 6-6 guard did have a hot streak in early January in which he hit 14 three-pointers in a three-game stretch (all Orange losses). Even still, he is only converting 32.2 percent from long range (and 37.3 percent from the field) and was 0-of-11 in a Dec. 13 loss at St. John's (a loss that is looking increasingly bad). Prior to being held to five points in the win over Wake Forest on Saturday, Richardson had scored double digits in six straight games. He has plenty of room to grow.
Tres Tinkle, forward, Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State is known in fantasy circles because of the excellence of Gary Payton II (17.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.5 steals), but Tinkle represents the future of the program. The coach's son has shown some ability to fill up the hoop. Like the previous freshmen in this Haze, Tinkle is inconsistent. He has scored 20 points or more twice (including a double-double in the Dec. 21 win over Quinnipiac), but has been held to single digits seven times. Tinkle is averaging a decent 11.7 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Barry Brown, guard, Kansas State Wildcats
Before struggling mightily against Iowa State on Saturday, Brown was on quite a scoring roll. The 6-3 guard had averaged 17.3 points and had hit 11 three-pointers over a four-game stretch. He had only scored in double digits three times in his first 12 games. The hot shooting ended against the Cyclones: Brown went 1 of 10 from the field on his way to four points. Brown's minutes have been on the rise and should be a big time scorer for the Wildcats in the second half of the season.
Ryan Welage, forward, San Jose State Spartans
The Spartans have not cracked double-digit wins in the last four years and it looks like the streak will reach five seasons. The team has only won six games (and three of those wins were over Alaska Anchorage, Antelope and Life Pacific). In other words, it is time to develop young talent. Welage, a 6-9 freshman from Indiana, has been putting up some nice numbers. In his last four games, he has averaged 20.0 points and has nailed 12 three-pointers. Welage could be a nice producer for the Spartans for years to come.
Obediah Church, forward, Missouri State Tigers
When mining for freshmen, it is always good to find young players who are starting. Minutes are generally given to starters, and Church has been on the court since the beginning of the season. While the 6-8 forward struggled through December, he has played well against conference competition. In his last four games, the Springfield, Illinois native has averaged 10.5 points and 8.3 rebounds. He is learning from senior Camryn Boone and the frontcourt duo could pose some problems for some Valley opponents.
Chris Clemons, guard, Campbell Fighting Camels
Often, Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook will find a transfer for its newcomer of the year in smaller conferences. In the Big South, Clemons was a touted prospect, and the 5-9 guard has justified the hype. He is a gunner. Clemons is leading the Fighting Camels with 17.7 points, which is good for fourth in the Big South. He takes 8.5 three-pointers and converts 37.9 percent. In his last five games, Clemons has taken at least 12 three-pointers four times (19-of-57, 33.3 percent over that span). While he has been scoring in bunches, Clemons has not been filling the stat sheet with just 1.6 assists and 1.8 steals.
