2024-25 Fantasy Basketball: Draft strategy for Ben Simmons, other players returning from injury

An injury can destroy your season in the NBA — both in real life and fantasy. This happens in every sport, but in a game with only five starters and where the superstar power is at its peak, this is particularly true in the NBA. The usage rates are through the roof, so losing a key player could effectively be the reason why a team can miss out on a playoff spot, such as the Grizzlies last year.

Here, we'll take a look at five players who missed time during the 2023-24 season, either considerable periods or key stretches of the campaign, but should be healthy for the upcoming season. These players have the capacity to improve a team's playoff chances dramatically.

Players like Kristaps Porziņģis are not included on this list. We have decided to limit the piece to players who will be ready for the start of the regular season in October, and Porziņģis won't be ready to return to the Celtics until late November or early December in an absolute best-case scenario.

Julius Randle, New York Knicks

Randle was limited to just 46 regular-season appearances in 2023-24, a career-low mark when excluding his rookie year in which he played just one game in 2014-15. He sustained a shoulder injury that required surgery and kept him sidelined since Jan. 27. The star power forward was productive when available, though, as he averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 47.2% from the field and 31.1% from 3-point range. Those numbers are far from eye-popping, particularly with regards to his efficiency, but Randle has been one of the most consistent power forwards in the league over the last five years, averaging at least 19.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in each of those campaigns, and he averaged a double-double twice in that span.

Randle's role as the Knicks' starting power forward is all but secure, but he will have to adjust to a new lineup under head coach Tom Thibodeau. The Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges in the offseason, and the former Villanova standout should join Jalen Brunson, Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby in the starting unit. There's also a chance Randle plays at center, and if that's the case, Josh Hart or Donte DiVincenzo could move into the starting unit. The addition of Bridges will limit some of the opportunities Randle will have on offense, but that's a good thing, as New York will have another proven scoring weapon while avoiding excessive reliance on the Brunson-Randle duo.

Expect Randle to be a reliable contributor, and if he stays healthy, he should hover around the same numbers he's posted over the last few seasons, scoring around 20 points per game and approaching a double-double on a regular basis.

Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets

Simmons has dealt with several injuries over the last few years, and there's a strong chance his career in the NBA will be remembered as one of the biggest "what ifs" in the history of the league. The 27-year-old has played in only 57 regular-season games across the last three seasons, but when available, he has shown he can still be an active defender and excellent playmaker. He was limited to just 15 appearances (12 starts) in 2023-24, but his averages of 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game are nowhere near the 16/8/8 lines he used to hover around over his first three years in the league.

Simmons has yet to be cleared for full-contact practices as of early September, but he's been trending in the right direction, and according to general manager Sean Marks, the 28-year-old is expected to be fully available by the time training camp starts. Fantasy managers who haven't given up on Simmons must be cautious because a return to health doesn't mean a return to the type of player he once was in his prime with the 76ers. Don't expect Simmons to overtake the offense right away, and even if the Nets end up near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, Simmons is unlikely to be an offensive juggernaut.

That's not who he is, and that's not who he'll ever be. Simmons should be a reliable contributor across the board and should leave a mark on the court when healthy, but as a player who's had several serious injuries in a short span, he comes with sizable risk.

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

Most of the things that could've gone wrong with Morant in 2023-24 went much worse. Due to a 25-game suspension followed by a major shoulder surgery, Morant appeared in just nine games last season, during which he averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals across 35.3 minutes. When it comes to injuries, the Grizzlies were the league's most unfortunate team by a landslide, and this reflected in a 27-55 record. However, Memphis should contend for a playoff spot — at a bare minimum — now that Morant is back.

Injuries can happen to anyone, and Morant is expected to be completely healthy by the time the 2024-25 regular season begins. The biggest concern with him over the last two years has been the disciplinary side of things, but if he can get back on track, there's no doubt that Morant is one of the most electrifying players in the league — and a significant reason why the Grizzlies should be considered playoff contenders. Dillon Brooks is no longer on the roster, but Morant will be surrounded by quality players in Marcus Smart (more on him shortly), Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson and the ninth pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, Zach Edey.

Make no mistake, though. This is Morant's team, and the Grizzlies will only go as far as Morant can take them. However, as a player capable of averaging 25 points, eight assists and six boards per game, the sky's the limit for both the star point guard and the Grizzlies as a whole.

Marcus Smart, Memphis Grizzlies

Morant was not the only high-profile absence the Grizzlies had to deal with in the 2023-24 season, as they enjoyed Smart's veteran leadership for just 20 games, a period in which he averaged 14.5 points, 4.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 2.1 3-pointers and 2.1 steals in 30.3 minutes per game. Smart's last game with the Grizzlies came on Jan. 9, and his return to the Memphis lineup will be a strong addition due to the value he can bring to the table, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

Smart will do the same thing he was asked to do with the Celtics: shoot open 3s, guard the opposition's best player and make an impact on the defensive end of the floor by doing the little things that are necessary to win at the highest level. Morant and Smart played together for only six games, but the Grizzlies went 3-3 in those matchups, with two of those losses coming against the Kings and Clippers, two playoff contenders in the West. Morant will be asked to carry the load on offense, but Smart's contributions will be key to lift Memphis to victory in close contests.

If Smart stays healthy and is able to shoot the 3s with an uptick in efficiency — as he hasn't shot over 34% from deep in his last four years in the league — he could also experience a boost in fantasy solely by playing next to Morant.

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans

Williamson doesn't qualify as a player who missed an extended period of time during the 2023-24 season, as he appeared in a career-high 70 regular-season games for the Pelicans before their exit in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against Thunder. However, Williamson missed time at a critical stretch, as he was unavailable for the play-in win over the Kings and the four games against Oklahoma City after suffering a hamstring injury.

He's set to be ready for training camp, and recent footage has shown Williamson being "in the best shape of his life," so there's a strong chance he could improve on the 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and career-high 5.0 assists he averaged in 2023-24.

All the stars seem to be aligning for the 2024-25 season to be Williamson's best in the NBA by a wide margin. The Pelicans have a true point guard in Dejounte Murray, and that should alleviate the playmaking load on Williamson — though it resulted in his career-high mark in assists. Williamson can do what he does best, which is attacking the paint and bruising opposing defenses with his rare blend of athleticism and strength. He shot a career-worst 57.0% from the field last season, but if the star forward can concentrate on scoring and picking up his spots on offense, an uptick in his scoring and efficiency figures could be bound to happen, even if it means sacrificing quantity in other categories. Williamson has all the tools to be a consistent first-round pick in most fantasy drafts on a year-to-year basis, and the 2024-25 season could be the one where he puts it all together as long as he can find a way to stay healthy.