Mar 1, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) looks on against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Sixers' Paul George Among Fantasy Basketball Players to Avoid

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 9:30 AM ET

Coming off an All-Star campaign with the LA Clippers, the Philadelphia 76ers landed the biggest name on the market when they signed Paul George last offseason. Despite still being considered one of the league's top wings, his fantasy basketball stock has taken a hit ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Joining forces with a pair of All-Stars in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, George was viewed as the final piece that could potentially get the Sixers over the hump. That didn't end up being the case, as the veteran forward's unfortunate injury luck followed him to Philadelphia.

Constantly being in and out of the lineup, George's first season with the Sixers fell short of expectations. Across the 41 games he appeared in, he averaged 16.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 4.3 APG.

Despite having an extended period to get his body right, PG still isn't out of the woods when it comes to injury. The Sixers star had to undergo surgery back in July to address a knee ailment he suffered during his offseason training.

With the regular season roughly a month away, fantasy basketball managers are gearing up for their drafts. As users game plan for how they want to fill out their roster, the people at ESPN broke down a series of sleeper and bust candidates.

When it came to players who could underwhelm in 2026, George was among those cited.

George is still a big name in fantasy drafts, but he carries serious bust potential heading into 2025. He just underwent another knee procedure and has played fewer than 60 games in five of the last six seasons. At 35, George's durability is a major concern, and his scoring dropped to 16.2 PPG last season, his lowest in a decade. Even if George is healthy to start camp, expecting him to hold up over 70-plus games is a risky proposition. Add in that he'll be sharing usage with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, and George's upside simply doesn't justify his likely draft cost.

Health issues aside, George is likely to still go through some growing pains in his second season with the Sixers. Seeing that him, Embiid, and Maxey spent limited time on the floor together, they still need to figure out how to co-exist with one another.

PG's production could see an uptick in 2026, but it's unclear by how much as the Sixers' third option. Nonetheless, as an All-Star caliber wing who fills the stat sheet, a case can be made to target him as it pertains to fantasy basketball.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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