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The Golden State Warriors entered the 2022-23 season full of expectations after winning the title last season, but they are just 14-15 (2-13 on the road) and sitting in 10th in the Western Conference. Now to make matters worse, the Warriors will be without star Stephen Curry for a “few weeks” after he suffered a shoulder injury during Wednesday’s loss to the Indiana Pacers. While the Warriors are “optimistic” about his condition, Curry will nevertheless miss some time, which could negatively impact Golden State's record while also having a fantasy basketball impact.
So far, the Davidson product ranks No. 9 in fantasy leagues that use ESPN's standard head-to-head points scoring. He is currently PG3 just behind Luka Dončić and Tyrese Haliburton.
With many questions surrounding his return, fantasy basketball team owners should keep an eye on the news. How will this injury affect him for the remainder of the season? What does this mean for other Warriors as they look to step up in his absence. Here's a look at the fantasy basketball impact of this unfortunate Stephen Curry injury.
Fantasy basketball impact of Stephen Curry's injury
Despite the disappointing start of the Warriors' season, Stephen Curry was certainly the brightest spot. In 26 games, he is averaging 30.0 points, 6.8 assists and 6.6 rebounds. Additionally, he is shooting 50.0% from the field, 43.4% on his 3-point attempts and 91.9% from the free-throw line. If he keeps up with his efficient shooting splits, he would join the illustrious 50-40-90 club for the second time in his career. The first time was in 2016 when he unanimously won MVP.
His 2022-23 campaign is giving him some buzz to win MVP once again. However, this injury should certainly hurt those chances. Golden State's mediocrity isn't helping his cause either.
Regarding fantasy basketball, Curry's injury is a brutal blow to those who have him on their roster. He is currently rostered in 100% of the ESPN and Yahoo leagues, according to FantasyPros. That means owners with Curry on their rosters should keep an eye on the waiver wire to find a temporary replacement.
Some guards that could be interesting options are Indiana's Chris Duarte (rostered in 14.42% leagues), Sacramento's Malik Monk (74.31%) and Orlando's Markelle Fultz (54.13%). While it is extremely unlikely that they will replicate Curry's numbers, they could still provide some nice points.
Also, without Stephen Curry, many of Golden State's players should be affected as well. Klay Thompson should have an expanded role in the team's offense moving forward. The Splash Brother is shooting just 40.5% from the field, so more shots do not necessarily mean more points for Thompson, but he could get even more 3-point shots up than the 10.0 per game he is already attempt.
Jordan Poole will likely become a full-time starter and will not on an even larger role, giving his owners better chances to score more every night. Poole's numbers look okay this season, but he has been something of a disappointment. His 3-point shooting is well down at 31.9%, but look for him to get that number up while also taking even more attempts to make up for the loss of Curry's attempts.
Andrew Wiggins will also be relied on for a larger role when he gets healthy, and that could impact his efficiency. Wiggins has settled into an excellent role with the Warriors, but Curry's absence means more responsibility for him. Will he continue shooting 45.0% from 3-point range with Curry out? That seems ripe for regression.
Then there's Draymond Green, who has built such an amazing rapport with Curry over the years. Green is great at finding Curry open for 3-pointers, so now the veteran Swiss Army Knife will have to adapt. The assist numbers (6.7 per game) will be something to watch, though Curry's absence doesn't necessarily mean they will come down. Perhaps Green gets even more playmaking responsibilities with Curry out.
Past these main guys, it will take a full team effort to replace Curry, so keep an eye on the other Warriors role players. That includes Donte DiVincenzo and the youngsters. Plus, perhaps the Dubs make a trade and shake up their roster a bit to help make up for Curry's absence.
Overall, Curry's shoulder injury will seriously impact fantasy basketball. For those who have him on their rosters, they will miss a key scorer. For those who have his Golden State teammates, they could have better opportunities. Either way, Curry will change fantasy basketball by not playing.
