Antetokounmpo’s appearances this season may be limited, while Clingan tops the league in rebounding.

Every week in the NBA tells its own tale, filled with both unexpected developments and disappointments, compelling fantasy basketball managers to discern what to trust as they move forward. Perhaps we can provide some assistance. If any of these predictions materialize … don’t be taken aback.

Don’t be surprised if … Portland Trail Blazers C Donovan Clingan tops the league in rebounds

Clingan, 21, is having a remarkable second season in the NBA, posting averages of 11.3 PPG and 11.2 RPG over 27.5 MPG, and it appears there is significant potential still to be tapped. Surprisingly, he remains available in over 30% of ESPN standard leagues, having averaged 12.4 PPG and 13 RPG in January while attempting 9.5 field goals per game. Even with the impressive SF/PF Deni Avdija (back) on the court, Clingan continues to excel. The only reason his field goal percentage isn’t at 60% is his desire to shoot 3-pointers, which he successfully converted at a rate of 52.2% in December, though January has seen a decline to 25.0%.

Nonetheless, Clingan is a reliable center still mastering the timing and technique of shooting from beyond a few feet of the basket. While he accumulates rebounds (he recorded 20 on Tuesday!), he has the potential to be a more significant presence in shot-blocking, having blocked five shots against the Boston Celtics two games ago. His selection in the 2024 draft came just two picks ahead of current Memphis Grizzlies C Zach Edey. Although Edey is expected to be a strong player, he has struggled to remain healthy due to recurring ankle injuries. Clingan has missed four games this season. Portland’s decision to pursue large Yang Hansen in the 2025 draft raises questions about their strategy, which will unfold in time.

With three-time rebounding champion Domantas Sabonis (knee) seeing his impressive streak come to an end this season as he will not reach 65 games played, and current leader Nikola Jokic (knee) also sidelined, the competition for the top rebounder is wide open. Former Timberwolves teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert are among the frontrunners alongside Clingan. Other players averaging double-digit rebounds include LA Clippers C Ivica Zubac, Detroit Pistons C Jalen Duren, Atlanta Hawks’ versatile Jalen Johnson, and (unexpectedly) Utah Jazz C Jusuf Nurkic. It’s shaping up to be an exciting contest!

Don’t be surprised if … we see little of Milwaukee Bucks PF/C Giannis Antetokounmpo for the remainder of the season

Transitioning from optimism to caution, the situation surrounding Giannis may unfortunately resemble that of newly acquired Washington Wizards PG Trae Young. The Wizards brought in Young earlier in January at a favorable price, aiming for a playoff push next season while intentionally losing games this season to protect their valuable lottery pick. If the Wizards secure too many wins, that pick will go to the Knicks. Consequently, Young, who could likely play through his knee injury under normal circumstances, is sidelined. His debut for the Wizards could occur in March, but that remains uncertain.

In a similar vein, the Bucks are not contending this season. They aim to avoid victories to secure a better draft position. While Antetokounmpo (calf) is genuinely injured, it is not to the extent that he cannot return this season. However, the Bucks may opt to limit his playing time or use him sporadically in the final stretch of the regular season. Fantasy managers considering trades for Antetokounmpo, Young, and Memphis Grizzlies PG Ja Morant in redraft formats should proceed with caution. If the trade cost is exceptionally low, it may be worth considering, but even that might not suffice. Teams that are not in contention often lack the motivation to utilize their star players.

What complicates this scenario is the possibility of the Bucks trading Antetokounmpo before the February 5 deadline. This could happen or it might not. If he is traded to a contending team, he may be integrated into their lineup immediately. Conversely, if he lands with a non-contender, it could mirror the situation with Trae Young. In redraft formats, trading Antetokounmpo before the NBA trade deadline could be a prudent move.

Meanwhile, the Bucks allowed 139 points to the inconsistent Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday (Philly managed only 93 points against Charlotte on Monday), but there remains fantasy potential within the Giannis-less roster. SG/PG Ryan Rollins averages just under 20 PPG when Giannis is absent, and his usage was notably high on Tuesday. Rollins, who averages 35.7 ESPN fantasy points this season and is rostered in 87.2% of leagues, could emerge as a top 50 fantasy scorer moving forward. PF Bobby Portis, while starting in Giannis’s absence and averaging 16.5 PPG with increased usage, may not reach that level but is still a valuable fantasy addition, available in 50% of leagues.

Other thoughts:

• The announcement that Cleveland Cavaliers PF/C Evan Mobley (calf) will be sidelined for at least a week, possibly three (likely through the All-Star break), is concerning. Mobley entered Wednesday ranked 19th in fantasy points this season and 39th on the Player Rater. Did I have higher expectations? Certainly, I had previously expressed hopes for Mobley to average 20 PPG and 10 RPG, along with solid blocked shots and shooting percentages. Mobley recently scored 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds (and 72 fantasy points!) against the struggling Kings, which was exciting. However, in the following two games, he totaled 33 points, 16 rebounds, and 60 fantasy points against the defensively sound Orlando Magic. Mobley is currently averaging 17.9 PPG and 8.8 RPG this season, a slight decline from 18.5 PPG and 9.3 RPG last season. While this is acceptable, the 20 and 10 mark seems out of reach. It could certainly be worse.

• Many NBA enthusiasts are aware that 76ers PG/SG Tyrese Maxey logs an impressive 39.1 minutes per game, while young Houston Rockets SF/SG/PF Amen Thompson entered Wednesday night second at 37.4 MPG. Few would expect that his Rockets teammate PF/SF Kevin Durant, one of the oldest qualified players in the league, ranks third at 36.9 MPG. Nevertheless, Durant achieved similar numbers last season in Phoenix, averaging 37.2 MPG in 2023-24, and few believe his injuries stem from overuse. Durant missed the last seven games of last season due to an ankle sprain, but the Suns seemed unconcerned as they focused on the lottery. Durant is a unique talent. He is not typical. While Maxey has not performed as well recently, possibly due to his heavy minutes, Durant is excelling. He has averaged 47 fantasy points per game over the past 30 days, ranking 10th in the league. Maintain confidence.

• Regarding the Suns, last week I highlighted SG Jalen Green, who returned from a two-month absence due to a right hamstring injury, and certainly encouraged fantasy managers to invest. Unfortunately, Green re-injured the hamstring just four minutes into his second game. He may return soon and fulfill his statistical potential, but there is a concern that this could turn into a lost season for Green.

• While Houston’s Amen Thompson excels on both ends of the court (18.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 39 FPG), his twin brother Ausar Thompson, SF/PF for the Detroit Pistons, is struggling (10.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 28.1 FPG). These siblings were selected Nos. 4 and 5 in the 2023 NBA draft, and it raises the question of whether fantasy managers are holding onto Ausar in hopes of a similar breakout. These are distinct teams with varying needs, and while Ausar contributes steals for fantasy rosters, his overall impact is limited. He is taking more shots than last season but averages five fewer field goal attempts per game than his brother. Neither has a strong outside shooting game. Ausar has averaged only 9.1 PPG in January. The Pistons do not require Ausar to score. In summary, there is little fantasy comparison between the brothers this season, and fantasy managers with Ausar (70.7%) may want to consider moving on.