Luka Doncic

The West is deep this season and quality players are going to get snubbed. I say Luka Doncic should be one of them.

Injured during Friday's win over Oklahoma City, Hardy will miss at least one complete game. Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie, already ahead of Hardy in the rotation, can absorb his minutes. Both are worth considering, with Luka Doncic (calf) out of the lineup.

Irving returned Friday after just a one-game absence with a back injury. The 32-year-old point guard had one of his better games. Without Luka Doncic, Irving had no trouble leading the Mavericks in points and shot attempts. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also out of the Thunder, Irving's 25 points were enough to be a game-high and the Mavericks pulled out an eight-point victory. Irving even played 39 minutes, which suggests he might not need to miss more games to rest his back in the future.

Washington has been a very reliable option with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving each missing their share of games this season. The 26-year-old power forward isn't an elite fantasy option, but he's steady. With Doncic out again Friday, Washington had 16 points on eight shots, seven rebounds, five assists and chipped in with a steal and a block on defense. He does a little bit of everything, which has led to Washington providing 10th-round fantasy value over the last two weeks.

Gafford's minutes curiously didn't increase in Tuesday's game against the Nuggets after Dereck Lively II sprained his right ankle. With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving also out Wednesday, the 26-year-old center started, played 30 minutes and had 27 points in the loss to the Pelicans. Gafford left no doubt that he'll be the primary beneficiary of Lively II's injury Wednesday.