Breaking news coming out of the NBA today as it is being reported that Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden will miss at least the next month with a foot tendon strain as being reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Of course, this is a major blow for the 76ers and those fantasy basketball managers who were enjoying a breakout season from Harden through the first nine games of the NBA season. With Harden now out of the lineup let's take a look at who will likely be stepping up in his place in the Philadelphia 76ers starting lineup and who will see their fantasy basketball value increase while Harden is sidelined.

 

What Does the James Harden Injury Update Mean for the Philadelphia 76ers & Fantasy Basketball?

James Harden was averaging 22.0 points, 10.0 assists, 7.0 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks per game for the 76ers this season while shooting 44.1% from the floor and 33.3% from three-point range. When it comes to fantasy basketball player rankings for the season Harden was among the top 10 in scoring as of this injury news. 

Of the current starters, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid are the most obvious candidates to  see usage rate increases with Harden off the floor. In fact, this season, with Harden off the floor Maxey has seen a 9% usage rate increase and leads the team with a 35.1% usage rate. Embiid clocks in with a 34% usage rate, both of which are elite numbers.

So, with Harden out of the lineup what does the 76ers starting lineup look like? Who will be worth adding off the fantasy basketball waiver wire?

De'Anthony Melton, PG/SG

Let's address the current 76ers lineup. With Harden out the team could go one of two ways. First, we could see De'Anthony Melton enter the starting lineup. Melton started two games ago when Joel Embiid was ruled out and the 76ers went with a small ball lineup that saw Tobias Harris and P.J. Tucker as their primary front court duo to start the game. Melton is averaging close to a fantasy point per minute this season when James Harden is off floor over a 58 minute sample size. Melton has always been a high output player and in the two games where he started and played over 30-minutes he is averaging 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists an 3.5 steals per game. Melton should be an immediate add if he is still available in your league's fantasy basketball waiver wire.

Georges Niang,  SF/PF

Niang has played the second most minutes on the 76es roster with James Harden off the floor this season. He is an offensive first wing that can knock down the three-point shot. The 76ers play a bit of a big lineup right now with Tobias Harris at small forward so maybe Niang doesn't exactly fit as a straight up replacement for Harden given his size but he is no stranger to breaking into the 76ers starting lineup as we saw him last season. Niang played 27 minutes against the Wizards on Tuesday and finished with 13 points, three rebounds and one block while shooting 3-of-6 from three-point range.

Danuel House Jr, SF/SG

If the 76ers wanted to add a little more size and defense to their lineup then they could look towards Daniel House here. House has been a role player off the bench for the 76ers this season but has past starting experience from his time with the Rockets and Jazz. This season House isn't exactly lighting up the scoreboard but we did just see him get extended run in the 76ers most recent game, playing a season high 24 minutes. In that game he finished with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal.

Shake Milton, SG/PG

Milton is a bit of a forgotten soul on this 76ers roster after being a key piece and occasional starter for the team over the past few seasons. With Melton now in town and the starting backcourt of Harden and Maxey there just hasn't bene many minutes for Milton who is averaging just 9.0 minutes per game this season after averaging over 20-minutes a night for the past three seasons. With Harden now out for a month we should see Milton move into the backup guard role off the bench OR maybe the 76ers keep Melton in his 6th man role and move Milton into the starting lineup. Milton saw his most extensive playing time on Tuesday, playing 15 minutes and finishing with five points, two rebounds and two assists.

 

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