• Last Updated on July 15, 2020 7:07 pm by Steve Vidovich | Published: July 15, 2020

    Elfrid Payton
    PG, New York Knicks

    Elfrid Payton was able to produce 99/125 per-game value in 8/9-cat leagues due to his high assist (7.2) and steal (1.6) numbers.

    At the beginning of the season, it was unclear who the starting point guard would be for the Knicks. They have three young guards in Payton, Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr., who was the key piece of the Kristaps Porziņģis trade. After returning from a hamstring injury that cost Payton 17 consecutive games, it became clear by mid-December that he was the starting point guard and he started every game that he was healthy from December 21 on. Payton struggles to help in other categories outside of assists and steals as he averaged 10.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.4 blocks, 0.3 threes and 2.1 turnovers in 27.7 mpg on .439 shooting from the field, a horrendous .203 from long range and an awful .570 from the charity stripe. The Knicks have a $7M option on Payton for the 2020-21 season ($1M guaranteed) and it seems likely that they will bring him back as either the starter or as a primary back-up. Until he proves that he can become a more efficient player on the offensive end, Payton will remain as a standard-league specialist and figures to remain around the same value we have seen over the past three seasons.

    July 15, 2020, 5:56 pm