The fantasy basketball playoffs kicked off this week for most fantasy managers, but what about those with Kevin Durant and/or Ja Morant on the roster?
Is it to be hoped that they will return in time to gain momentum in the coming weeks? Or is it time to move on and broadcast their open roster spots?
Here’s Andre Snellings, Eric Carabelle, Jim McCormick and Steve Alexander to explain what they’ll be doing.
McCormick
Suns general manager James Jones, in a recent conversation with reporters, seemed a little more optimistic about Durant’s potential return, perhaps in six or so games this season. That doesn’t leave much room for fantasy managers given how vague the timeline is and how many leagues don’t play in the last week of the season.
I’d be willing to give Durant another week to get any positive feedback, but it’s also potentially smart to just switch to Jabari Smith Jr. or Jalen Williams due to the need for immediate production.
As for Morant, I’m ready to move on. It seems unlikely that he will return very soon, given the current circumstances and the obvious long-term solution that the team and Morant are looking for. Get Tyus Jones or even Talen Horton-Tucker to make up for Morant’s absence.
Snellings
I would prefer to leave both players on the bench or, even better, on the injured list. If I was in a league without an injured list, with particularly shallow benches to score, I would be the first to consider dropping Durant. He was due for re-evaluation in three weeks, as of last Thursday, meaning he would be cleared to play Thursday in the Fantasy Hoop Playoff Final at best. And, in fact, it is unlikely that Duran will be immediately acquitted and returned to action on the same day, even if the news is good. So, of the two, I’d say Durant is unlikely to contribute again this season.
For Morant… that’s too much of an unknown. There’s a chance he won’t play again this season, but we just don’t know, so until I know for sure, I’m not likely to cut him unless I’m in a desperate situation.
Alexander
I’m ruling out Durant as he won’t be repriced until around March 30th. Even if he is cleared immediately, he will only have five or six opportunities to play to finish the regular season, which is not enough.
As for Jah, he signed up for a counseling program and can return anytime, depending on how his examination goes. Even if he misses the rest of this week, the Grizzlies will play four games in each of the last three weeks, which gives me enough hope to try to hold on.
Karabel
Of course, it’s unlikely that the Suns and Grizzlies will bring Durant and Morant back to their regular season roster anytime soon, if at all. Yes, it’s time to move into fantasy remastered formats and make better use of the bench spots by streaming weekly lineups to take advantage of the players with the most games. The Suns and Grizzles boast experienced playoff teams, and they know it won’t take long for either Durant or Morant to get back into the game.
Source: www.espn.com
