Fantasy Fallout: Spurs lose Victor Wembanyama for the season - chof 360 news

The San Antonio Spurs' hopes of pushing for a postseason spot took a significant hit on Thursday, as it was announced that Victor Wembanyama would miss the remainder of the season with a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. According to the team, which believes this to be an isolated issue for the phenom, the blood clot was discovered once Wembanyama returned to San Antonio after playing in Sunday's All-Star Game. Obviously, Wemby's absence will also significantly impact fantasy basketball, so let's look at the fantasy fallout.

Beginning at the center position, the Spurs are in a rough spot. Zach Collins was traded to Chicago as part of the De'Aaron Fox deal, and Charles Bassey is currently out with a knee injury. One possibility would be to go small and move Jeremy Sochan into the starting lineup. Regardless of what interim coach Mitch Johnson decides to do, his fantasy value will increase due to San Antonio's increased need for Sochan's rebounding and defensive abilities.

Bismack Biyombo and Sandro Mamukelashvili are also in the mix for more playing time at the center position. Biyombo only played 25 seconds in his Spurs debut before the All-Star break, but he can provide rebounds and blocked shots. The offensive production will be limited, but Biyombo is a career 53.5 percent shooter from the field. As for Mamukelashvili, the hope for him is that, in extended minutes, he can perform along the lines of his 19-game run with the Spurs during the 2022-23 campaign.

During that stretch, Mamu averaged 10.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 1.2 three-pointers in 23.3 minutes, shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 69.2 percent from the foul line. Of course, that Spurs roster was not as talented as the current one. But, with more opportunities to perform, Mamukelashvili is worth a look out of necessity.

As for the offensive production lost due to Wembanyama's injury, it will impact multiple players. Fox, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, and Harrison Barnes will have more opportunities to score. The first two options are already rostered in most fantasy leagues, but Wembanyama's absence should drive up the trade values of Fox and Vassell for managers considering moving off of them. And that wouldn't be the worst idea, given the expected hit San Antonio will take and their being two games out of the final play-in spot in the West. Also, the Spurs have control of their 2025 first-round pick, and the draft class is considered to be loaded by many analysts.

If San Antonio were to use this injury as justification to punt on the rest of the season, Castle (37 percent rostered) would be more valuable than Barnes (19 percent) despite the latter being a fixture in the starting lineup. Over the past two weeks, the rookie out of UConn has provided fifth-round per-game value in nine-cat formats per Basketball Monster. Chris Paul hasn't been much of a scorer, but his assist production may take a hit with San Antonio's best player on the shelf. And while Keldon Johnson (15 percent) may also have more opportunities in a Wembanyama-less lineup, he's primarily been a fantasy disappointment this season.

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