Recap of Last Week in Fantasy Basketball: More Shut-Downs, Records Broken

With the season drawing close to an end, it is unsurprising that the list of players categorized as "out for season" continues to grow, with Cam Thomas and De'Aaron Fox being two of the latest to enter that category. On the other hand, it is also a time where records are more likely to be broken, as players have had enough time to accumulate significant stats across a majority of the season's games played. In this article, we will review the fallout of a handful of recent injury updates, as well as the incredible performances of a number of the league's most exciting players. 

Injury News

After reaching the 30-point mark for an 11th time on the season with 32 in a win over the Mavericks on Wednesday, it was announced on Thursday that De'Aaron Fox would undergo season-ending surgery to address the lingering issue of ligament damage in his left pinkie finger. He had been dealing with the injury through most of the season, though it was not something that seemed to be limiting his play. However, with the Spurs' playoff hopes being all but crushed after Victor Wembanyama was shut down for the year, Fox decided it would be best to get a jump on the recovery process by opting to address the injury sooner, rather than later. As a result of his absence, Stephon Castle and Julian Champagnie are in line for increased opportunity the rest of the way. 

Cam Thomas has been hampered by a hamstring injury that initially sent him to the sidelines in late-November and kept him out for the vast majority of time until late-February. He was able to play in six of the Nets' eight games between February 28 and March 13, where he averaged 21.7 points on 41.0 percent shooting. However, it was announced on Saturday that he would miss the rest of the season due to the nagging hamstring strain. Considering he was highly anticipated to be one of the league's most effective scorers coming into the season, it was certainly a major loss for fantasy managers and fans alike to miss out on his production for most of the year. In his absence, Tyrese Martin and Keon Johnson should continue to see more playing time. 

Jalen Brunson suffered an ankle injury back on March 6 in a loss to the Lakers, and it was announced on the 7th that he would be sidelined for a couple of weeks. He missed three games last week, and the Knicks provided an update on Saturday indicating that he would be out for another one-to-two weeks. In his absence, Miles McBride got the call to step up and averaged 14.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.8 steals over four consecutive starts. McBride should continue to make the most of the increased role and stands out as a great streaming option for fantasy managers still in the race. 

Amen Thompson suffered an ankle injury on Saturday, March 8th, resulting in him missing all of last week's action. He is expected to remain out through this week as well. Tari Eason has seen an increase in playing time in Thompson's absence and should continue to shine while his fellow wing-stopper remains out. Eason dropped 30 points in his last outing, before missing the Rockets' most recent game, but he is expected to be back in action on Monday. Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith are also in line to step up, especially if Eason ends up missing another game due to his on-and-off lower-leg issues. 

Stand-Out Performers

Stephen Curry further solidified himself as the best shooter in NBA history, as he became the first player to knock down a career total of 4,000 three-pointers, reaching the milestone in Friday's win over the Kings. The Warriors have been rolling since the arrival of Jimmy Butler, with Curry specifically benefiting from the All-Star-caliber support, as he is averaging 28.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.0 steals since Butler's arrival. 

Alex Sarr continues to struggle with his efficiency, shooting just 38.2 percent from the field over four games last week. However, he also knocked down 44.0 percent from deep with 11 three-pointers made over that span, including going 5-for-9 from deep on his way to a career-high 34 points in a shocking win over the Nuggets on Saturday. Sarr has had a relatively underwhelming rookie season for a No. 2 pick. However, his campaign must be seen in the context of a brutal season for the Wizards, as the squad has not been able to formulate any consistency, giving the rookie very little to work with. Sarr will continue to have the green light to work on his game through the rest of the season and should hopefully pick up with better results in his sophomore year. 

Payton Pritchard became the first player in NBA history to hit 220 three-pointers off the bench. He broke the record, previously held by Wayne Ellington of the Miami Heat (2017-18), as he knocked down his 219th three of the season in a win over the Nets on Saturday. Pritchard went 5-for-8 from deep in the game, pushing his season total to 220 three-pointers. He is working on a career-best campaign, averaging 14.1 points on 47.1 percent shooting, including 41.8 percent from deep, which helps bolster his case a strong candidate to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Pritchard is likely to keep rolling and should continue to play a key role for the Celtics as they pursue a second straight championship.   

With a 41-point effort in the Timberwolves' last outing, Anthony Edwards secured his seventh 40-point game of the campaign, setting the franchise record for the most 40-point games in a season, while also moving his way up as the franchise's third all-time leading scorer. At just 23 years old, he already holds the record for most 40-point games in franchise history, as he continues to lead the way for the squad, including delivering an average 32.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists over three games last week. Edwards has a good squad around him and is in an ideal position to continue to rise as one of the league's top young stars. 

Quentin Grimes continues to shine, making the most of his opportunity to showcase his abilities for a wayward 76ers squad. He has scored at least 25 points in four consecutive appearances and averaged 30.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.0 blocks over three games played last week. Grimes has certainly drawn a lot of attention with his recent play and will surely be a target for many teams to pursue during the offseason, as well as a popular target for fantasy managers in future drafts. 

Aside from a dismal seven-point performance in a 35-point loss in the Hornets' last outing, Miles Bridges has been rolling. He entered Sunday's outing having topped the 20-point mark in seven consecutive games, and he averaged 29.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.3 blocks over three games last week, prior to Sunday. Despite his squad being all but eliminated from playoff contention, Bridges has been using the home stretch of the season to make sure that his abilities are on full display. He should continue to stuff the stat sheet the rest of the way and will pose a significant threat to opponents next season, where the Hornets could take on a significantly different outlook assuming a healthy roster.