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NBA Fantasy Basketball: Is patience a virtue?

(Waiting on Nash, Dirk and Love is logical, but how about those other "serviceable" dudes?)

At some point, we ask ourselves, "Is he worth the wait?" Now you predominantly male population in the Fantasy community now know what your ladies feel like while they're waiting for you to show up at their house after receiving your tweet saying you're on your way, when in truth you just sent your 2K13 game into overtime at the buzzer. This is always the dilemma.

Now with guys like Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Love (especially in Roto), you do have to hang on and wait for them to get back on the court coz they didn't really suffer debilitating injuries and they have a definite return timetable. The same can be said about former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, although this wait could take a tad longer—which is excruciating in Head-To-Head (H2H) leagues. But as early as now some of our limping commodities are already testing our patience and with the new set of walking wounded from Week 1 adding to our woes, are we now going to resort to desperate measures?

I will remind everyone again that this is still a loooong season and we're only into Week 2, but here's a treatise into some of those on the injured list you may consider selling high—while they still have potential value and those that you should just flat out wait for, or simply sever ties with.

[RELATED: NBA Fantasy Basketball: Surprise, surprise in tip-off week!]

MUST WAIT: Andrew Bynum, Kevin Love, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Danny Granger, Derrick Rose, Jameer Nelson, Shawn Marion, Anthony Davis, Nene

MUST DROP: Channing Frye, Corey Maggette, Avery Bradley, Iman Shumpert, Tyrus Thomas, Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, Brandon Rush

WAIT OPTION (ROTO): Gerald Henderson, Grant Hill, Al Harrington, Hedo Turkoglu

ON THE FENCE:

1. Eric Gordon-SG (NOH)—(Sore Right Knee) out indefinitely, forecast-Mid to Late December: to be honest with you when you mention Eric Gordon's name to me, I still think he's with the Clippers. That's how long I've personally not experienced this former first round pick out of Indiana. Since changing zip codes in the CP3 trade, Gordon has only played a grand total of nine games for the Hornets and has never completed a season injury-free. His career numbers of 18.2 PPG including 1.8 3PG and 1.1 SPG are yummy. But you sort of lose your appetite watching him languish in your line up when that spot can be occupied by someone who could be effective garnering even half of those numbers. In Roto leagues, you may just stash him but in H2H you may want to send him to a team where the manager is accustomed to playing Roto. Greivis Vazquez has stepped up in his absence and the floor has also opened up for rookie Austin Rivers and marginal Al-Farouq Aminu to strut. Ergo: Gordon is trade bait.

Roto: Keep and Stash or Sell High by December

H2H: Trade for Cat deficiencies

2. Amar'e Stoudemire-PF/C (NYK)—(Left Knee Surgery) out 6-8 weeks, forecast-Early January: Who of you drafted Amar'e as your first rounder in 2005 only to regret the move? Well, the next season his bionic leg allowed him to suit up for all 82 games for Phoenix and bring to Fantasy owners 20.4 PPG on 57.5% FGs, 9.6 RPG, 1.0 SPG and 1.3 BPG. When he got shipped to the Knicks in 2010, those numbers even escalated and STAT became the Fantasy stud everyone knew he was capable of being. However, the injury bug followed him to the Big Apple and after only seeing action in 47 games last season (marred by the infamous "In Case of Emergency Break Glass" incident in the playoffs), we all began doubting if he would ever recapture his old form.

Well, he has yet to show that this year. Yahoo! Sports reported a week back that Stoudemire needed to undergo a "left knee debridement" which is defined as the removal of dead, damaged or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue. Yuck. For us Fantasy inhabitants, Stoudemire is weighing us down. Even Roto team managers may not even want to have anything to do with him at this point. Tyson Chandler is doing his best to do the work of two men while Carmelo Anthony has grudgingly taken on the power forward duties for New York and Steve Novak has gotten the playing time he requires to jack up many shots. The Knicks are winning without Amar'e and I believe it's time we should too.

Roto: Trade for serviceable big (i.e. Tristan Thompson, Metta or Trevor Booker)

H2H: Drop and reacquire in late December from FA Pool (if still available)

3. John Wall-PG (WAS)—(Left Patella Fracture)-out 6-8 weeks, forecast-Late December: what was once misdiagnosed as bursitis has now led to the former overall top pick to undergo extensive rehabilitation to heal this mystery injury. Ruling out surgery, the Wizards should have Wall back in action before the New Year, but in what game condition will he be in? Wall averaged 16.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 8.0 APG, 1.4 SPG and almost a block a contest in 66 total games for Washington last season, despite Jordan Crawford threatening to eat into his playing time.

His absence to start the year has prompted Randy Wittman to start untested A.J. Price at the point and have Crawford and rookie Bradley Beal try to hold the fort. The Wizards are still winless. For us in the Fantasy realm, this is the toughest one of all—even in H2H. You know what Wall can bring to the floor and you know he will get the exposure once he returns, but are you willing to chance it? Will you trade him and have another team benefit from being more patient than you or will you hold on to him but remain unsure if he can be serviceable to you?

Roto: Stash him or trade high (i.e. for JaVale McGee, David West or Jamal Crawford)

H2H: Pray

4. Ricky Rubio-PG (MIN)—(Torn Left ACL)-out indefinitely, forecast-Late December: I remember pulling off a coup last season when I traded then rookie Kyrie Irving for Rubio straight up in one of my Roto leagues in January. Everyone thought I had lost my mind. Thing is, I was so overloaded on points and in the middle of the pack in assists that I could afford losing Irving's 18.5 PPG in exchange for Rubio's 8.2 APG. My team shot up the standings. It almost worked! But on March 9, I lost my lone source of dimes and could only muster a 4th place finish.

Those of you who drafted Rubio were going to bank on the assist numbers he'd bring to the table, especially with a healthy Kevin Love, a resurgent Brandon Roy, a decent Nikola Pekovic and a revitalized Andrei Kirilenko. Also, you know what you were getting yourselves into when you selected Rubio as your 9th-10th round sleeper: you would have to wait. But now the reality is starting to dawn on us that waiting for Rubio to hit the floor is like watching grass grow or witnessing paint dry. In H2H, is he worth it? Have you drafted enough PG scrubs that could offer you satisfactory assists total (such as Ramon Sessions, Andre Miller or Jose Calderon)?

Roto: Stash or Trade High in December

H2H: Trade Low now

5. Chauncey Billups-PG/SG (LAC)—(Torn Left Achilles Tendon)-out indefinitely, forecast-January: for those who witnessed how Billups went down last season, you'd probably think his career was over. I saw that, Baron Davis' injury, Derrick Rose's injury, etc. I still suffer from insomnia due it. However, true to Chauncey's character, he announced he would be back in a Clippers uniform this season and the forecasters declaring a January return might be spot-on. The 36-year-young ultra-veteran brings that leadership and grit to any team and with the Clippers having a legitimate title run squad brewing, Billups' presence late in the season could just provide that boost heading into the playoffs.

In Fantasy terms, what does that mean? Absolutely nothing. Jamal Crawford has shown that he can contribute in ways Billups can't in standard 9-Cat leagues. Eric Bledsoe is a Chris Paul sprain away from being a natural stat-stuffer and Willie Green is Willie Green. Contrary to schools of thought that Billups could still make a difference in the Fantasy world, well those days are over and that ship has sailed.

Billups could still garner 20-25 minutes late in the season if Los Angeles is either gunning for home court advantage in the first round or—in a worst case scenario—the Clippers would be fighting for their playoff lives. Billups is a great presence in the locker room, an inspirational leader and a gutsy warrior. None of those positive traits reflect well across the board in the Fantasy world.

Roto: Sell Low

H2H: Sell Low or Drop

Follow Noel on Twitter: @NoelZarate

Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed in this post.

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