Fantasy basketball roundtable – Top tips for making a late-season push

As the NBA exits the All-Star break and resumes to action, our team of fantasy experts — Eric Karabell, Andre Snelllings, Eric Moody and John Cregan — got together to provide their top tips for making a late-season push to the playoffs.

Karabell: Injuries certainly mess things up for fantasy managers. Waiting and expecting big results from injured players that may not return to active duty this season is nearly always a mistake. Do not trade for them, and if you are stuck with them, see if someone else will. It is not just Zion Williamson, Kawhi Leonard and Jamal Murray, each unlikely to play any regular season minutes at all (move on), but look at so many top picks currently absent. Damian Lillard, Paul George and Anthony Davis may not play again this season, their teams unwilling to push things. Perhaps we see Draymond Green, Malcolm Brogdon and Lonzo Ball — among others — in the next few weeks, but then again, their teams should be patient, whether they are playoff bound or not. If you can move an injured player for a healthy one, even a lesser one statistically, consider it while you still can.

Snellings: Follow the motivation when it comes to roster and lineup decisions. The NBA season is a marathon with distinct phases, and each phase is conducive to different types of fantasy producers. We just concluded what many players and analysts consider the Dog Days of the season, the months of January and February before the All-Star break when the season seems to stretch forever. Injuries and wear and tear pile up, and you can get production from unexpected sources who simply play hard when given the opportunity.

Down the stretch is different. Veteran players on teams jostling for postseason position are fresh and likely to ramp up their production down the stretch (at least until the team position is settled). Veterans on less competitive and/or younger teams are more likely to be shut down altogether (see Kemba Walker this week; Al Horford and John…