By Steve Alexander, FSWA Hall of Famer

In fantasy basketball, selecting a player with a history of injuries or someone expected to miss many games can quickly derail your season. Similarly, picking a high-profile player whose playing time is likely to decrease from the previous season can also lead to disappointment.

Experienced fantasy managers are skilled at identifying these problematic scenarios early, allowing them to bypass such players on draft day. Here are five significant names you might want to avoid in your upcoming fantasy drafts.

Players to Avoid:

1. Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers

Embiid`s career has been plagued by injuries, with an average of only 50 games played over nine seasons, including a mere 19 appearances last year. He has never surpassed 68 games in a single season and has only reached the 60-game mark four times. While a dominant fantasy force when healthy, recent reports regarding his health have not been encouraging. Although he could surprise everyone and play 70 games, the probability is extremely low. It`s advisable to avoid Embiid entirely, but if you must draft him, consider also drafting Adem Bona as a late-round pick to cover for Embiid`s inevitable absences.

2. Anthony Davis, PF/C, Dallas Mavericks

Similar to Embiid, Davis has a long-standing history of missing games due to injuries, a trend that continued even after his trade to the Mavericks last season. This upcoming season, Cooper Flagg is expected to take on a significant role in Dallas, and Kyrie Irving`s Achilles injury will keep him out for a substantial portion of the campaign. Given the Mavericks` anticipated struggles, it`s highly probable that Davis will be sidelined for extended periods with any injury, and an early shutdown isn`t out of the question. His 76 games played in 2023-24 were an anomaly, making him a very risky first-round selection.

3. Paul George, SF/PF, Philadelphia 76ers

The 35-year-old George had a disastrous fantasy season last year, participating in only 41 games. Following offseason knee surgery in July, his availability for the start of the season is uncertain. Game availability has always been a concern for George, and the 76ers are likely candidates for tanking to secure a high draft pick this summer. Furthermore, Embiid`s health issues cast a shadow over the team`s future. With Tyrese Maxey being shut down last season, it`s plausible the Sixers will again prioritize their draft pick. It`s best to avoid drafting George, regardless of how far he may drop.

4. Ivica Zubac, C, LA Clippers

Zubac had an outstanding previous season, averaging 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 32.8 minutes per game—all career highs—largely because the Clippers lacked adequate backup. However, with the summer signing of Brook Lopez, a seasoned starter, Zubac`s minutes are expected to significantly decrease. A reasonable estimate for Zubac`s playing time in 2025-26 is around 25 minutes per game, an eight-minute reduction. While not a true timeshare, his statistical output will almost certainly decline. In his season prior, Zubac averaged only 11.7 points and 9.2 rebounds, which is a more realistic expectation for the upcoming year.

5. Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C, Atlanta Hawks

Porzingis is a high-impact player when on the court, but his career has been marked by a consistent inability to play back-to-back games, and the Celtics often limited him to every-other-game appearances last year. Now with the Hawks, who have a promising young center in Onyeka Okongwu, it’s difficult to foresee Porzingis playing more than half the season. His game logs tell the story: 42, 57, 65, 51, 43, 57, 0, 48, 66, and 72 games. He has only played 60 or more games in three of his ten career seasons, and it would be surprising if he exceeded 55 games this season.

Fantasy Basketbol Draftlarida Chetlashish lozim bo`lgan Beshta Yirik O`yinchi (2025-26)

Stiv Aleksandr, FSWA Shon-sharaf Zali a`zosi tomonidan

Fantasy basketbol o`yinida jarohatlarga moyil bo`lgan yoki ko`plab o`yinlarni o`tkazib yuborishi kutilayotgan futbolchini tanlash sizning mavsumni tezda izdan chiqarishi mumkin. Xuddi shunday, o`yin vaqti oldingi mavsumga nisbatan qisqarishi kutilayotgan yuqori darajadagi o`yinchini tanlash ham umidsizlikka olib kelishi mumkin.

Tajribali fantasy menejerlari bunday muammoli vaziyatlarni oldindan aniqlashga qodirlar va shu tariqa draft kunida bunday o`yinchilardan uzoqroq turadilar. Quyida yaqinlashib kelayotgan fantasy draftlaringizda chetlashishni maslahat beradigan beshta muhim ism keltirilgan.

Chetlashish lozim bo`lgan o`yinchilar:

1. Joel Embiid, Markaziy hujumchi (C), Philadelphia 76ers

Embiidning faoliyati jarohatlar bilan bog`liq bo`lib, to`qqiz mavsumda o`rtacha bor-yo`g`i 50 ta o`yin o`tkazgan, shu jumladan o`tgan yili atigi 19 ta o`yinda maydonga tushgan. U birorta mavsumda 68 ta o`yindan ko`p o`ynamagan va faqat to`rt marta 60 ta o`yin chegarasiga yetgan. Sog`lom bo`lganida u kuchli fantasy o`yinchisi bo`lsa-da, uning salomatligi haqidagi so`nggi xabarlar umidbaxsh emas. Garchi u hammaga syurpriz qilib 70 ta o`yin o`tkazishi mumkin bo`lsa-da, ehtimollik juda past. Embiiddan butunlay qochish tavsiya etiladi, ammo agar uni tanlashga majbur bo`lsangiz, Embiidning muqarrar yo`qligini qoplash uchun Adem Bonani ham keyingi raundlarda tanlashni ko`rib chiqing.

2. Anthony Davis, Og`ir hujumchi / Markaziy hujumchi (PF/C), Dallas Mavericks

Embiid kabi, Devis ham jarohatlar tufayli ko`p o`yinlarni o`tkazib yuborish bo`yicha uzoq tarixga ega, va bu tendensiya o`tgan mavsumda «Mavericks»ga o`tganidan keyin ham davom etdi. Kelgusi mavsumda Cooper Flagg Dallasda muhim rol o`ynashi kutilmoqda, va Kyrie Irvingning Axill payi jarohati uni mavsumning katta qismida maydondan chetda qoldiradi. «Mavericks»ning qiyinchiliklarga duch kelishi kutilayotganini hisobga olsak, Devis har qanday jarohat tufayli uzoq vaqtga safdan chiqishi juda ehtimol, va hatto mavsum oxirida muddatidan oldin dam olishi ham istisno emas. Uning 2023-24 mavsumida o`ynagan 76 ta o`yini noyob holat bo`lib, uni birinchi raund tanlovi uchun juda xavfli qilib qo`yadi.

3. Paul George, Yengil hujumchi / Og`ir hujumchi (SF/PF), Philadelphia 76ers

35 yoshli Jorj o`tgan mavsumda bor-yo`g`i 41 ta o`yinda ishtirok etib, fantasy uchun falokatli mavsum o`tkazdi. Iyul oyida tizzasidan operatsiya qilinganidan so`ng, uning mavsum boshida maydonga tushishi noaniq. O`yinlarda ishtirok etishi Jorj uchun doim muammo bo`lgan, va «Sixers» bu yozda yuqori draft tanlovini ta`minlash maqsadida «tanking» (ataylab yutqazish) qilishga moyil bo`lishi mumkin. Bundan tashqari, Embiidning sog`liq muammolari jamoaning kelajagiga soya soladi. O`tgan mavsumda Tyrese Maxeyga dam berilganini hisobga olsak, «Sixers» bu mavsumda ham o`z draft tanlovini himoya qilishga urinishi mumkin. Jorj qanchalik pastga tushmasin, men uni draft qilmayman.

4. Ivica Zubac, Markaziy hujumchi (C), LA Clippers

Zubac o`tgan mavsumda ajoyib o`yin ko`rsatib, 32.8 daqiqada o`rtacha 16.8 ochko, 12.6 ribaund va 1.1 blokni qayd etdi – bularning barchasi uning faoliyatidagi eng yuqori ko`rsatkichlar edi, chunki «Clippers»da uning o`rnini bosuvchi yetarli o`yinchi yo`q edi. Biroq, yozda tajribali markaziy hujumchi Brook Lopezning imzolanishi bilan Zubacning o`yin vaqti sezilarli darajada kamayishi kutilmoqda. 2025-26 mavsumida Zubacning o`rtacha 25 daqiqa o`ynashi kutilmoqda, bu sakkiz daqiqalik qisqarishni anglatadi. Garchi bu ikki o`yinchi o`rtasida to`liq o`yin vaqti taqsimoti bo`lmasa-da, uning statistik ko`rsatkichlari deyarli pasayishi aniq. Undan oldingi mavsumda Zubac o`rtacha bor-yo`g`i 11.7 ochko va 9.2 ribaund to`plagan, bu kelgusi yil uchun ko`proq realistik kutishdir.

5. Kristaps Porzingis, Og`ir hujumchi / Markaziy hujumchi (PF/C), Atlanta Hawks

Porzingis maydonda bo`lganida juda samarali o`yinchi, ammo uning faoliyati ketma-ket o`yinlarda maydonga tusha olmaslik bilan bog`liq bo`lgan, va «Celtics» o`tgan yili uni ko`pincha har ikkinchi o`yinda ishlatgan. Endi u «Hawks» tarkibida, bu jamoada Onyeka Okongwu ismli umidli yosh markaziy hujumchi bor. Porzingisning mavsumning yarmidan ko`prog`ida o`ynashini tasavvur qilish qiyin. Uning o`yinlar ro`yxati o`zi uchun gapiradi: 42, 57, 65, 51, 43, 57, 0, 48, 66 va 72 o`yin. U o`zining o`n yillik faoliyatida atigi uch marta 60 yoki undan ko`p o`yinlarda ishtirok etgan va bu mavsumda 55 ta o`yindan oshishi ajablanarli bo`ladi.