Nobody is happy about New Orleans Pelicans PF Zion Williamson potentially missing the entire 2021-22 season with his foot injury, though we really should not be so surprised, either. You knew there was incredible risk here, especially with a ridiculous third-round ADP. We advocated in this space trading Williamson in redraft formats all season, and now, well, sorry to say it may be too late.
As for other Pelicans, however, there always was and continues to be value here. You know about C Jonas Valanciunas and SF/PF Brandon Ingram, universally rostered and eminently productive.
Then there is SG/SF Josh Hart, the Villanova product who tends to fall under the radar. He is averaging more than 30 MPG and doing something nice with them, with a pair of double-doubles over the weekend, a surprising bounty of assists and excellent shooting percentages. Hart is a well-rounded player in fantasy, not a scoring star or 3-point specialist, but reliable. Hart caught my eye in preseason drafts when I continually needed a small forward -- not exactly a deep position -- that could rebound. At 6-foot-5, he uniquely crashes the boards.
However, the increase in minutes and opportunity has aided him in other ways, and not just scoring. Only 53 qualified players average more than his 4.1 APG, and of that crew, a mere four of them average more than his 6.8 RPG, 11.3 PPG and shoot better than 51% from the field (Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, Domantas Sabonis, Giannis Antetokounmpo). Nice crowd, eh! Hart is the one available in more than 75% of ESPN standard leagues, and in three December games, he has put up 13 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 5.7 APG and 16-of-24 on field goals (66%). That certainly works!
Look, you know that Williamson was always a risk not just for his health, but I think statistically as well. Oh, he can bully his way into scoring at will and there was a path to him averaging double-digit rebounds (easily) with assists as well, but he also has no outside range and is a drag from the free throw line. I thought fantasy managers overrated him in drafts, for now and later (dynasty), even if he returned to the court around Thanksgiving. He did not. The Pelicans are terrible, guards Devonte' Graham and Nickeil Alexander-Walker cannot shoot (36% each) and someone else has to aid fantasy managers. Valanciunas and Ingram have help. They have Hart.
OK, here is the latest edition of the Trade Index, a mid-December version! Trade talk in real life runs rampant, but the wise fantasy manager knows they should be making moves well before the trade deadline. Make those deals now! We hope we can help.