Fantasy basketball panic meter: Jackson, Waiters, Monroe and more

If an NBA player isn’t getting consistent minutes — whether due to an injury or a change in his team’s rotation — it’s time for fantasy basketball owners to ask why that is.

For certain players — say, Greg Monroe and Kenneth Faried — they’re drawing the short end of the stick in crowded rotations. Since they don’t factor into their respective teams’ long-term plans, their head coaches aren’t prioritizing playing time for them, which is severely hampering their fantasy upside. Barring a trade or a drastic change in their respective teams’ rotations, all hope appears to be lost for both of them.

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Other players, meanwhile, are dealing with injuries that eviscerate their short-term chances of making a fantasy impact. Fantasy owners with said players on their roster must weigh where they stand in the playoff race to help determine whether they can survive rostering someone who won’t contribute anything in the coming weeks.

How much should fantasy owners be panicking over such players? Let’s dive into five roller-coaster options as of late to determine whether owners should remain patient, abandon ship and send them to the waiver wire, or be willing to sell low on the trade market for whatever they can get.

Next: 5. Rajon Rondo