Fantasy Basketball: Eric Bledsoe Injury Impact

The Suns will be without starting guard Eric Bledsoe for the next week with a sprained knee. Bledsoe has been having a very profitable season for his owners this year averaging 18 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. All those numbers are career high’s as he’s gotten much more playing time since moving to Phoenix.

The injury isn’t expected to be long-term, but he will miss this week. See if you can snag him at a good price if his owner in your league can’t carry him on his bench or is selling at a low price.

The other players on the Suns will be impacted by Bledsoe’s absence, and Phoenix could be in for a rough stretch since the’r 3-4 without Bledsoe heading into Saturday’s action. Here’s a quick look at how the rest of the Suns will be affected by his absence and what it means to you for fantasy basketball.

Goran Dragic- Dragic will get more touches and should be lined up for a huge week. If you’re in salary-based leagues, take a look at him for the coming week based on how he has played without Bledsoe so far this season. On Thursday, Dragic dropped 33 points to go with seven assists, three steals, and three rebounds, and his points and assists should be high as long as Bledsoe is sidelined since Dragic will have the ball on a more full-time basis.

Gerald Green- Green steps into the starting lineup with Bledsoe is out and definitely gets more regular minutes. However, he’s still a risky pickup since he can be subject to streaky shooting. He’s definitely in our Top Ten to Pickup this week, but he still carries some serious risk since he runs hot and cold.

Ish Smith- Although he didn’t have much to show for it, Smith played 20 minutes Thursday and could see more time on the court in Coach Jeff Hornacek’s new backcourt rotation. Keep an eye on him, but know he’s getting time for bargain-basement daily league purchases or if you desperately need help for the short-term in deep leagues.