Fantasy Basketball Strategy After Giannis Antetokounmpo Calf Injury
In the latest fantasy basketball news, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has landed on the NBA injury report and is out 2-4 weeks due to a strained right calf. The injury occurred during the first quarter of Wednesday's win over the Detroit Pistons mere hours after ESPN reported that the Greek Freak was evaluating his future with the franchise. So, what do we do in fantasy basketball?
Top Contributors With Giannis Off the Court
Below are the key NBA player stats from the four consecutive games this season (Nov. 20-26) in which Antetokounmpo sat out due to a groin injury, plus two other absences earlier in the campaign. During those four games, Ryan Rollins led the NBA Fantasy rankings for Milwaukee players (43.3 fantasy points per game), followed by Myles Turner (32.9), Bobby Portis (29.3) and Kyle Kuzma (25.7). Kuzma has seen the most total minutes with Antetokounmpo off the court this season (404), with Rollins getting the biggest usage bump (+12.0%). This data helps us understand the Bucks' NBA depth chart with their star sidelined.
Kevin Porter Jr.'s Impact on Bucks Usage
However, the four-game stretch occurred when Kevin Porter Jr. was still recovering from his injury. Porter has since returned and is averaging 23.0 points, 6.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals across the past three games. He's not afraid to soak up usage, which has the potential to affect the volume of stats available for players like Turner, Kuzma, Portis and Rollins. In fact, with Porter on the court and Antetokounmpo off, Rollins sees a -7.2% usage decrease (26-minute sample).
Hanging over all of this are the NBA rumors about the star's future with the Bucks. That's much more difficult to project. Who knows what Milwaukee would receive back in a trade (or give in a trade, for that matter)? We can't do much speculation in terms of players to add or drop in fantasy basketball based on a hypothetical trade that may not happen at all, even if we think it will.
So what do we do in fantasy basketball?
Best Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Adds from Milwaukee
Make sure Porter is rostered. He could lead the Bucks in points and assists for a month. Portis and Kuzma should also probably be rostered despite their inconsistency. AJ Green and Gary Trent represent fantasy basketball sleepers and should be added by fantasy managers who need three-pointers specifically -- Green being the priority. Jericho Sims is coming off a career night (15 points, 14 rebounds), but adding him is something to consider only in super-deep fantasy leagues.
Should You Trade Giannis in NBA Fantasy?
If you're rostering Antetokounmpo in fantasy basketball, put him in your IR spot. I would not be in a rush to trade him unless your team is near the bottom of the standings and you require production immediately. I would also not be too worried about him being dealt into a situation where his fantasy value declines significantly. It's possible, but not something I'd necessarily be using as a reason to trade him. It's also important to note that the Bucks do not own their first-round pick this season. Keeping Antetokounmpo and tanking by "resting" him does the franchise no good beyond theoretically preserving his health and getting an extra look at some young guys. Still, each of those things does have a chance of happening, so if that's enough sell signals for you, put him on the trade block and see what you get offered.
