Fantasy Basketball Fallout From Shaedon Sharpe's Injury and 3 Signings

There was more notable news across the NBA the past couple days that is worth breaking down from a fantasy basketball perspective here.

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Sharpe Out Several Months

In injury news, Portland Trail Blazers' Shaedon Sharpe sustained a torn meniscus and is expected to miss roughly six months of time.

Sharpe is 23 years old and has played 234 games over his four-year NBA career. He's averaged 15.7 points, 4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.2 blocks over 28 minutes a game so far. Sharpe averaged 20.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.1 blocks over 29.4 minutes last season, so this injury is a bummer for his development.

It leaves a hole in the backcourt for Portland, but with Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson and more, the Trail Blazers can cover Sharpe's minutes/production from last season.

The injury ups the fantasy values of the players we just mentioned, plus other players in Portland, like Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III, Sidy Cissoko, Jeremy Sochan and more.

I really like what the Trail Blazers have assembled for a roster, and they are built to withstand some injuries, even to big options like Sharpe. The injury hurts Sharpe and his fantasy outlook the most.

Sharpe's ADP is sitting at pick 102.44 right now. That's dropped of late, and will continue to plummet knowing he will miss a large chunk of the upcoming season. A six-month absence brings him back in late February or early March - that maybe leaves a month or so for Sharpe to actually contribute.

Knowing that, I'd really only want to stash him in deeper fantasy leagues, as he will likely only be available for the fantasy postseason. If you can stash players in IR spots, then he could be stashed, especially as he nears a return. Don't expect much out of Sharpe in 2026-27 though.

We'll see if Portland adds anyone else this offseason, or rolls with the team they have already. Watch their players' ADPs over the next couple weeks to see who rises after the Sharpe injury news.

Williams, Niang Sign with Warriors

Golden State added a couple veterans over the past couple days. The Warriors signed guard Brandon Williams to a one-year deal worth $2.6 million. Golden State landed forward Georges Niang on a one-year deal worth $3.9 million.

Williams is a 26-year-old point guard who has 140 NBA games under his belt since 2021. He played in 66 games (15 starts) with Dallas last season, averaging 13 points, 3.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocks over 22.2 minutes a contest.

Niang is 33 years old and has logged 544 games since 2016. He didn't play in 2025-26, and averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.2 blocks over 79 games (three starts) with Cleveland and Atlanta in 2024-25.

Both are depth options for Golden State, but needed after not much offseason moves from the organization. Williams will be a depth option at point guard, where Stephen Curry will dominate the minutes/production - De'Anthony Melton is another point guard option that Williams will be battling for time with.

Melton could also be the top backup at shooting guard, so maybe Williams is the top point guard reserve. Brandin Podziemski is the projected starter at shooting guard. 

Niang could factor in at power forward, where Draymond Green is the starter. Gui Santos is at small forward, so if the Warriors want to get Niang more minutes, they could shift the lineup around a bit. With rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, Will Richard and Gary Payton II around too though, I don't see a great path to playing time for Niang.

Both Williams and Niang are just deep-league fantasy assets as a result, and I don't see either working into standard leagues unless injuries decimate the Warriors. They are a couple vets to keep in mind, at the very least.

Pelicans Land Mathurin

Bennedict Mathurin has a new home after landing a two-year contract with the New Orleans Pelicans. It's worth $16 million and has a player option attached to it.

Mathurin is just 24 years old, yet will be joining his third team already. He has 263 games under his belt since 2022, with 237 of those coming in Indianapolis before a brief run with the Clippers last year.

He's averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.2 blocks over his career, while playing 28.6 minutes a night. Mathurin should carve out a decent role for New Orleans, at the shooting guard and small forward spots.

Trey Murphy III and Saddiq Bey are the projected starters there, but I still see Mathurin playing plenty, even if it's in a reserve role. Injuries could thrust him into an even bigger role, but he should be a good deep-league option, at least, and probably be a decent standard league asset too.

Mathurin's ADP is 119 right now, and we'll have to see how that shifts now that his next team has been established. I'd view him as a depth guard/forward, but a better starter in deeper formats, especially if he's coming off the bench nightly.