I have been hearing will.i.am’s voice in my head lately. Not in a weird way—it is not like he is in my head telling me who to start for fantasy—it is just I cannot see or hear the phrase “shut it down” without hearing the lyrics to I Gotta Feeling. Maybe that makes me weird. It certainly isn’t the only thing.
I can’t really escape that phrase right now, as every day it seems another player is being shut down by his team. The good news for fantasy players—and my sanity—is not every player is shutting it down will.i.am style. Several big names are returning before the end of the season, meaning there is a ton of important fantasy news not just for next season but for the end of this season as well.
The Timberwolves shut Ricky Rubio down for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. Rubio had already missed Minnesota’s last nine games, so this is not exactly a surprise. Zach LaVine has averaged 17.4 points, 4.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in the nine games Rubio missed, and he should continue to put up nice numbers for the rest of the season. Barring a trade, LaVine’s fantasy value will be largely linked to Rubio’s health next season as well.
As for Rubio’s health going forward, he played in just 22 games this season and 202 over four NBA seasons. Rubio is just 24 years old and could still develop as a scorer, but he needs to stay healthy first. Rubio is an elite source of assists and steals, but it is impossible to project him to play more than 55 games in a season.
Al Jefferson could be shut down as well after he was held out of the second half of Charlotte’s loss to the Pacers Friday. Bismack Biyombo is a must-add for anyone needing blocks or rebounds though he would, of course, be droppable if Jefferson does play again this season.
Paul George is set to return Sunday against the Heat and play 10-15 minutes, just enough to cut into the already limited fantasy value of George Hill, Rodney Stuckey, C.J. Miles and C.J. Watson. George could see his minutes increase, especially if the Pacers stay in the playoff race, but it is probably a mistake to expect much fantasy production this season. George probably will not look like his old self right away, but if he does show some signs of being an All-NBA player again that would raise his fantasy stock tremendously for next season.
Jeff Teague played twice this week after returning from an ankle injury, averaging 8.5 points and 6.5 assists in 26.5 minutes. Teague should still be started in most leagues when he is active, but between his limited minutes and periodic rest he is droppable if you can find a strong option on waivers. I would definitely drop Teague for Zach LaVine, for instance.
Dennis Schroder will miss his second consecutive game with a toe injury Saturday. Shelvin Mack had 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal with Schroder out Monday and while Mack isn’t that good, he will have significant fantasy value on those days when both Schroder and Teague are out. Schroder should be dropped in all leagues; even if he plays again in the regular season the Hawks have no incentive to play him heavy minutes.
Jamal Crawford is targeting a Tuesday return. The Clippers are still fighting for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, so they could be inclined to throw Crawford right back into the fire with a lot of minutes. Matt Barnes will be droppable Tuesday, and while you can probably wait a day or two to do it, Crawford should definitely be picked up in 12-team leagues.
Jrue Holiday is expected to return before the end of the season, but we don’t have any idea when exactly that will be. He should be picked up right away upon his return, but probably not until then. Like all of the other players potentially returning from injury, there is a chance Holiday’s minutes are limited initially.
Jared Sullinger returned Friday for all of three minutes. He is completely healthy, but the Celtics are going to roll with Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Zeller, Brandon Bass and Jae Crowder the rest of the way. Sullinger has averaged 14.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 3PM this season, but those numbers will almost certainly go down next season unless he is traded. The Celtics seem certain to bring in multiple players in the offseason who will either take shots away from Sullinger or replace him in the rotation entirely. At least he proved this season he can produce for fantasy when given the opportunity.
Kevin Love sat out Thursday with a back injury. He practiced Saturday and has a good chance to play Sunday against the Bulls. Love missed two games in the middle of March, and while he claimed those absences had nothing to do with his back, but we have to at least consider the possibility his back is one of the reasons Love’s numbers are down across the board. On the one hand health may always be an issue for Love, but at the same time he could go back to being a monster for fantasy if he can get his back right. Either way the best thing for his fantasy value would be to move on from Cleveland after the season, but he could have some either upside no matter where he ends up.
Chandler Parsons will not play Saturday after he suffered a knee injury Thursday. The injury is considered minor and the Mavericks do not play again until Wednesday, so there is a good chance the only game he misses is Saturday. Al-Farouq Aminu emerged as a solid fantasy option when Parsons missed time in February and March, and that should be the case with Parsons out again.
Terrence Jones returned for 32 minutes Wednesday and played another 22 Thursday. If you were using Jones before his latest injury you should get him right back in your lineup. Josh Smith, on the other hand, is droppable in shallow leagues.
Kyle Lowry has missed five consecutive games with a back injury. The Raptors have said he will return before the end of the season, but there has been no word if that return will happen Saturday against the Celtics. Lowry is so good you probably have to hold onto him, but you probably shouldn’t expect him to play more than three or four games the rest of the way. Lou Williams has scored at least 13 points in seven consecutive games, and chances are he keeps that streak going until Lowry returns. Injuries have limited Lowry at various times throughout his career, and while he played 79 games last season and 66 so far in this season, fantasy players would do well to take his injury history into account when drafting him next season.