With regular fantasy basketball play about to commence, keepers and would-be owners alike will be in the thick of a busy draft season. Yet, as alluded to above, a handful of marquee athletes have had caution lights flashing because of injury concerns and lack of dependability on the court. Perhaps the most prominent examples of these are Joel Embiid, Paul George, Anthony Davis and Ivica Zubac.
Joel Embiid, perhaps the most dominant force in the league when on the court, has been a career-long victim of injury woes. Over the last nine seasons, he’s averaged a paltry 50 games played per season. Last year was worse still as Embiid was able to play just 19 games amidst continuing health issues. He had knee surgery in July. This introduces even more uncertainty regarding his availability for the regular season’s start to next season. Few would argue with his ability to lift fantasy rosters this season. With how often he’s not available, they’re too gunshy to make the pick.
Just like Paul George, he is a dangerous weapon for fantasy basketball players. The 35-year-old small forward only appeared in 41 games last year and has a long and heralded history with injuries. His age along with an injury history that includes a long list of games missed makes it fair to question his durability as he ages further. Managers may find it challenging to justify a high draft pick on a player who has experienced significant time away from the court.
Anthony Davis is another name that raises red flags for fantasy owners. Known for his significant talent, Davis has a lengthy history of injuries that have limited his game participation over the years. He got dealt to the Mavericks at the end of last season. This decision introduces a further layer of uncertainty as he’ll be getting used to a new team personnel. First, general managers will have to consider what his contributions would be versus the lost value due to games missed from injury.
While Ivica Zubac had his best season last year. He averaged 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in only 32.8 minutes per contest. His track record does not inspire confidence. Zubac has never played +68 games in a season, having only crossed the 60-game mark four times in his decade-spanning career. He’s projected to average ~25 mpg this year. Due to this, his numbers will almost undoubtedly drop significantly, making him a less appealing option in drafts.
The uniting theme across all of these big players is their difficult injury pasts and inconsistent game presence. It is now upon fantasy managers to evaluate the level of risk they are willing to take when drafting these marquee players. When healthy, their one-two combination can bring overwhelming fantasy firepower. Based on their track record, it would be prudent to seek out alternatives.
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