The two biggest names people are waiting for in fantasy circles are Derrick Rose and Andrew Bynum, and it looks like they’re both farther away than was anticipated. Bynum felt pain in his knees after back to back workouts, while Rose said he was about 20-30% away (actually, he said he was feeling 85% on a scale of 110%, so hopefully he has an accountant do his taxes). Neither one is coming back in February. I don’t know that for fact, but I’m telling you based on the fact February is almost over. Will we see them back by mid-March? I doubt it. I do think they will likely show their faces this season, Rose to join the Bulls in any playoff run, and Bynum to enhance his free agency bid, but I’m not optimistic either will help your fantasy team.
Both players will see limited minutes when they return. Rose getting 35 minutes per night? Not a chance. I figure Rose starts out with 12-15 minute runs, followed by working his way up to 25 minutes, interspersed with the occasional day off. Bynum should see more time sooner, but he will also regularly sit out entire games to avoid swelling in his knees. He has arthritis in his knees, and his durability will be weaker than a pair of “Nake Air Jortan” Chinese sneakers.
My overly optimistic projections, for when they actually return:
Bynum – .545 FG%/.695 FT%/12.5 PTS/9.4 REB/1.1 AST/0.3 STL/1.4 BLK/2.1 TOV
Rose – .432 FG%/.795 FT%/15.3 PTS/2.2 REB/6.3 AST/0.5 STL/0.3 BLK/2.4 TOV
