While the Philadelphia 76ers have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games, the team appeared to be headed in the right direction with Paul George and Joel Embiid consistently available. Both underwent offseason knee surgery, and it took some time for the veterans to reach a point where their availability (and production) wasn’t an issue. Unfortunately, the 76ers won’t have one of those veterans for the foreseeable future, as the NBA announced on Saturday that George has been suspended for 25 games for violating the terms of the league’s Anti-Drug Program.
Having appeared in 27 games, George is averaging 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.4 three-pointers in 30.5 minutes, shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 85.5 percent from the foul line. Even with his taking a back seat offensively to Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the versatile forward has been a top-50 player in nine-cat formats. Here’s a look at how George’s suspension affects fantasy basketball and the 76ers’ rotation.
NBA: Philadelphia 76ers at Toronto Raptors
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Many fantasy managers have already begun stashing players for the “silly season,” and some have value now.
Who will replace Paul George in the starting lineup?
This appears to be a simple question to answer. Dominick Barlow (two percent rostered, Yahoo!) began the season as the fifth starter before an injury sidelined him for a few weeks, and he would be a fixture in the lineup during a two-month stretch that began in late November. Barlow has come off the bench in four of the last five games, with the one start coming in a January 26 loss to the Hornets, for which George was not available.
However, there are some concerns fantasy managers should consider. Barlow has barely been a top-200 fantasy player, and he’s still on a two-way contract. Barlow has appeared in 37 games; per NBA rules, two-way contract players can only be active for 50 regular-season games. He may be George’s replacement in the starting lineup for the short term, and the 76ers can always upgrade Barlow to a standard contract before he hits the 50-game limit. That said, George’s suspension adds another storyline that will likely affect the February 5 trade deadline.
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Whose fantasy value receives a boost with George suspended?
Maxey and Embiid were already first in line to “eat,” and that won’t change in the aftermath of Saturday’s news. What does change is who will have opportunities to supplement the 76ers’ two stars. VJ Edgecombe (66 percent) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (26 percent) should offer higher fantasy ceilings, with the latter still available in many 12-team leagues. Edgecombe was on a roll early in the season when George was sidelined; the 76ers will hope that the rookie can get back to that form in the games before the All-Star break.
Beyond Edgecombe and Oubre, Quentin Grimes (24 percent) has a more straightforward path to offering reliable value in deeper fantasy leagues. Jared McCain (five percent) and Trendon Watford (one percent) can be considered wild cards in this conversation. Availability was an issue for both players earlier this season, and neither has done enough to generate confidence among fantasy managers. But they’ll have the opportunity to change that, especially if the 76ers don’t look to make a move before the trade deadline.