FortyEightMinutes is bringing you fantasy basketball rankings and content based on ESPN’s points league settings for the 2022-23 NBA season.
Damian Lillard Has Targeted Return Date
Lillard is expected to return to the court on Sunday, December 4th for a home matchup against the Pacers.
Where Lillard Ranks on the Top 300: No. 35
Lillard will return from his second extended absence of the season, joining the young Trail Blazers, who are managing to stay afloat in the competitive Western Conference. Lillard is still putting up top numbers on a per-game basis but it’s fair to speculate how much time the 32-year-old will continue to miss throughout the season as well as what will happen to the veteran guard should the team fall in the standings (Portland is 11-10 as of this writing with a negative 0.9 point differential). — CC
Karl-Anthony Towns Avoids Major Injury
Towns will miss 4-6 weeks with a calf injury, which is unfortunate, though it’s a better outcome than what initially appeared to be a season-ending ailment.
Where Towns Ranks on the Top 300: No. 46
I was slightly more bearish on Towns than others in the community before the injury (ESPN had Towns at No. 13 while I had him at No. 20). Through 21 games, his usage percentage was at a career-low (24.6) and his efficiency in his new role alongside Rudy Gobert took a hit as well (career-lows in three-point percentage at 32.5 and PER at 19.5). Still, he ranked 29th in fantasy points per game at 40.5 and that was after a sluggish start. Gone are the days for Towns as a top-5 fantasy player, yet as long as he comes back strong from injury after the new year, he should make his way near the top 20 again. — CC
