The Fantasy Basketball Vibe Check: 2 new injuries are really messing with our modes

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Welcome to the Fantasy Vibe Check, your place to vent about the highs, lows and head-scratchers from the NBA and fantasy basketball.

Check out who I’m vibing with, and let me know in the comments or @DanTitus about what’s got you feeling a type-of-way about fantasy basketball.

😵‍💫 I’m salty that Franz Wagner will miss time

One of the best value picks in fantasy, Franz Wagner‘s ascension up the NBA ranks has been among the best developments in the game. He’s been a top 10 player in 9-cat leagues and top 20 in points leagues this season — an easy favorite for Most Improved Player after being on pace to put up career numbers in nearly every category. To see him suffer an oblique injury when he’s playing at an all-NBA level objectively sucks. What’s even more maddening is that he suffered the same oblique injury that has sidelined Paolo Banchero for the past 23 games.

The silver lining? Paolo Banchero told Marc J. Spears that he plans to return around Christmas. The team will be without its top two players for only a couple of weeks. In the meantime, we can expect to see a lot of Jalen Suggs and Goga Bitadze. Suggs and Bitadze had 33% and 26% usage rates last game, respectively, so that was just a glimpse of what to expect. Both players should be rostered in all leagues, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a good streaming option in 12+ leagues.

Since it’s NBA cup week, Wendell Carter Jr (29%), Anthony Black (5%) and Cole Anthony (6%) are options if you’re looking for more production on a lighter Tuesday slate. However, I’d choose fringe Bucks players like Gary Trent Jr. over them because I have the Bucks winning and advancing. Still, Wagner’s injury opens up more opportunities to everyone until Banchero returns.

The Magic built one of the best defensive units in basketball, so this will be an important stretch for the role players to step up in IRL and fantasy with their two stars are sidelined.

🫣 I’m cautiously optimistic about Scottie Barnes

Just as I was getting over my Franz saltiness, Scottie Barnes sustained an ankle injury midway through the third quarter in Monday night’s clash with…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/the-fantasy-basketball-vibe-check-2-new-injuries-are-really-messing-with-our-modes-161825555.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-12-10 16:18:00

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