Ditching your injury-prone fantasy players - and how to replace them

Injuries are inevitable, but no single injury should be enough to completely derail a fantasy team. Losing a first-rounder is more gut-wrenching than a mid-round selection, but patchwork is often a necessity. Anthony Davis owners know this better than anybody.

With some players, it's impossible to predict. Memphis Grizzlies C Marc Gasol has been relatively stable for most of his career and a freak foot injury came out of nowhere in 2015-16. He poses a risk this season because of his enhanced risk. The following five players have handcuffs worth monitoring in case the worst happens.

PG Derrick Rose, New York Knicks

Potential handcuff: Brandon Jennings

Rose's 66 games played in 2015-16 were the most he's managed since playing 81 in 2010-11 and the first time he's eclipsed 60 in that time. It hasn't been only 20 games he's been missing. Rose played only 10 games in 2013-14 and is now perceived as damaged goods. The former future face of the NBA is quite possibly headed to the "what could have been" hall of fame.

Jennings, too, has struggled to stay on the court, playing fewer than 50 games in each of the past two seasons. He's somewhat of an afterthought, but prior to his decline in favor with the Detroit Pistons, he averaged between 15.5 and 19.1 points per game in his first six seasons. He also showcased solid playmaking abilities, topping out at 7.6 assists per game in 2013-14.

Rose owners forego the option of complaining if/when he misses time. All they can do is be ready to pull the trigger on Jennings on the waiver wire. Jennings is a proven talent and is the Knicks' insurance policy should Rose struggle to remain healthy. Even before that, to temper the stress on Rose's body, Jennings could see heavy bench minutes against second units.

SG Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards

Potential handcuffs: Trey Burke, Marcus Thornton

Entering his fifth NBA season, Beal has only managed to play 70 games once and recently entered the NBA's concussion protocol. The odds are stacked against Beal to play a full season, but unless the Wizards make a trade or a flash signing, the reserve backcourt options are limited.

Beal has incredible talent, but any sense that he's going to miss an extended amount of time means he needs to be cut loose. While neither Burke nor Thornton are especially appealing, they can do in a pinch, especially if the matchup calls for it. Burke was the personification of missed chances in Utah, so maybe the change of scenery will do him good.

Thornton is a career role player, never really providing extended returns of fantasy relevance. He will primarily be a low-cost DFS option if Beal suffers a prolonged absence. In season-long, the waiver wire will provide alternate options. Consider Thornton and Burke only in deeper leagues or if they show skills above their collective resumes suggest.

SF DeMarre Carroll, Toronto Raptors

Potential handcuffs: Norman Powell, Terrence Ross, Bruno Caboclo

Carroll may be damaged goods, as he still isn't 100 percent entering his second season with the Toronto Raptors. He only became a full-time starter in 2013-14 in his first season with the Atlanta Hawks at age 27.

He's been a workhorse ever since, as long as he stays on the court. While his 26 games a season ago may be anomalous, he is 30 and his durability could come into question.

The Raptors found ways around Carroll's absence - and that included minutes for Powell, who spent time in the D-League as well. Powell doesn't qualify as a small forward, but Ross is so inconsistent that he'll drive anyone mad who decides to roster him in fantasy.

The money tied to Ross may mean he'll get first crack at playing SF if Carroll is gone for an extended period, but Caboclo is the deep sleeper.

PF/C Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans

Potential handcuff: Terrence Jones

The Pelicans' roster is thin from top to bottom, but losing Davis again would cost them and fantasy owners dearly. Of all players being selected in the first three rounds of most drafts, no one has an injury risk comparable to Davis. Pacers SF Paul George showed last season he's healthy, and shouldn't be a concern and Cavaliers PG Kyrie Irving should be fresher, too.

Davis has never played 70 games in a season. On the bright side, he's also never played fewer than 61. That's still a large swath of games to lose, especially if it's at the end of the season like in 2015-16. Losing Davis meant playoff disaster in head-to-head formats.

The newly acquired Jones is not expected to be a starter, but around 27 minutes per game in the two seasons prior to 2015-16. He does not offer the same skill set as Davis, but the Pelicans won't have much choice than to turn to Jones in the event that Davis goes down. He's not on anyone's radar, but opportunity could turn into success down the road.

C Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies

Potential handcuffs: JaMychal Green & Brandan Wright

Gasol does not have an extended history of injuries, but the severity behind his fractured foot from 2015-16 is worth concern, especially since he remains a top-50 draft pick in most formats. Green saw his minutes climb in March, occasionally bordering on 40 minutes, so his 18.5 season average doesn't tell the whole story. He had six double-doubles after his minutes hiked.

Wright has a bit more seasoning on him, but also battled a knee injury that forced him to miss a lot of time in his first season with the Grizzlies. Green will be the better choice if Gasol either misses time, is occasionally rested, or sees his minutes reduced to preserve his health. He has relative youth and hasn't been exposed to a full season of work yet.

If Green's minutes increase, he will be a points and boards contributor with limited upside.