Fantasy Fallout: Can Michael Beasley's Resurgence Help Replace Anthony Davis?

Anthony Davis left Saturday's game with a knee injury after playing 14 minutes in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. It was announced on Sunday that he would not play again this season. While the Pelicans were out of contention, Davis remained a fantasy stalwart. His absence raises some questions for playoff bound owners.

Daily Fantasy

Davis was one of the most expensive options at power forward in DFS and he often earned it. Prior to the Portland debacle, he had registered eight consecutive double-doubles. Every game, he teetered on the edge of returning, at worst, cash game value with occasional GPP returns like when he dropped 40 points, 13 rebounds and five assists against the Charlotte Hornets.

The price was high, but you knew you had a lock on your roster and could stand to take a few risks elsewhere. Power forward will now be a much shallower pool.

It doesn't really boost the fantasy value of any other members of the Pelicans, either, since the entire team is on the injury report, it seems. PF Ryan Anderson was also ruled out for Sunday with a groin injury.

Instead, Dante Cunningham moves to PF. He qualifies at small forward, but also comes at a bargain price for the moment. Expect it to jump quickly if he shows even a modicum of success. At PF, it's advisable to look outside New Orleans. In formats listing him at PF, DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings is the only consistently elite play. Otherwise, look to Golden State Warriors PF Draymond Green or play the matchups and go cheap.

Redraft Fantasy Leagues

Your biggest nightmare has just come to fruition. Chances are, your head-to-head leagues are either in the playoffs or about to enter them. Roto leagues are coming down the stretch and if you drafted Davis first or second overall, you're going to sweat. A lot.

He's probably the best player on any fantasy team of which he's a member. Losing him means scrambling and playing the waiver wire aggressively. You can't simply replace Davis with a single name, especially off waivers at this stage of the game. With three games this coming week lost, you're going to need a lot to go your way.

Davis' owners will need to run through a carousel of add-drops through the week and hope to strike gold based on matchups or increased usage. Even still, losing an elite first-rounder this late could easily derail everything.

Waiver Wire Targets

Owners looking to replace Davis or looking to block Davis owners from replacing him have a variety of options:

• What Rockets SF/PF Michael Beasley lacks in score sheet stability, he makes up in volume. He has four games this coming week, so he might be a solid choice in points leagues. Downside is he's got some tricky defensive matchups.

• Trail Blazers PF/C Mason Plumlee will play three times this week and could be a decent source of rebounds. He's available in just under 50 percent of leagues, so he could be available. The results haven't been great, so streaming him for a single game isn't out of the question.

• Bulls PF/C Bobby Portis tallied a double-double as recently as Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets and plays four times this coming week.

• 76ers SF/PF Jerami Grant has had two effective games since returning from a scary concussion. He also plays four games this week, though all are on the road.

• Pelicans' SF/PF Dante Cunningham is hardly owned in any fantasy leagues and should see an increase in playing time and fantasy relevance.