First of all, that four week prognosis may be a bit optimistic. High ankle sprains usually take longer to heal, so don’t be surprised to see Smith out for about six weeks. Then again, Smith is young so he may be able to heal faster.

When he returns, you should keep a close eye on him. So much of his game is dependent on his unbelievable athleticism that if he doesn’t return at 100%, you could see his numbers dip substantially. However, at some point this season, you can expect Smith to get back to 100%.

With Smith sidelined, it appears as if the Hawks will elevate Zaza Pachulia into the starting lineup. Pachulia is a candidate to pickup off of a fantasy basketball waiver wire because he has a history of producing when given sufficient minutes. Playing next to Al Horford up front, don’t be surprised to see Pachulia rack up double-doubles while Smith is sidelined.

Last season, Josh Childress would have stepped up and taken some of Smith’s minutes. But with Childress now playing in Greece, those extra minutes will likely be taken by Maurice Evans and Solomon Jones. Evans is a small forward who can put up decent stats if given time, although he’s not too much of an exciting fantasy basketball prospect.

Jones, on the other hand is interesting. He’s a third-year player who is very much unknown, however in his last two games he’s averaging 9.5 rebounds per game. A power forward, Jones could see 20 to 25 minutes per game with Smith out if he continues to provide rebounding and a bit of scoring. If you want to find the sleeper that may emerge due to the Smith injury, look no further than Solomon Jones.

Until Smith is able to return, you can get your high flying fix by watching this Josh Smith mixtape video:

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2. Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
Rookies don’t come much more solid than Al Horford. He walked into the NBA and was a very good player from day 1. If he can become even better offensively, he could become a franchise player. The Hawks have to be very excited with their pick.

3. Al Thornton, Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers didn’t have many things to be excited about this year, but Al Thornton was one of the few bright spots. He’s a multi-positional forward who can score, rebound and is as tough as they come. Going forward, he has a chance to be a very good fantasy player.

4. Jamario Moon, Toronto Raptors
Jamario Moon started most of the season and was helpful in fantasy basketball in a number of areas. He can score a bit, shoot a bit, rebound, block shots and get steals. If he remains in the starting lineup, he could have a huge amount of fantasy potential next season.

5. Luis Scola, Houston Rockets
Once Yao Ming went down injured, Luis Scola stepped up and became the best bigman on the Rockets. The overseas veteran was an NBA rookie who made a very successful transition. Scola should be an even better player next season.

Photo: Newscom

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Sean Williams, New Jersey Nets
Although Sean Williams had off court issues clouding his draft stock, he has shown to be a very good basketball player on the court. He’s extremely athletic and has very good timing. If he can stay on the straight and narrow, he looks to be a great find for New Jersey.

Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
If the Bulls continue to slip down the Eastern Conference standings, expect Joakim Noah to become a big part of their rotation in the second half of the season. He has shown good potential and there’s no reason to believe that he won’t become a solid starter in the league.

Spencer Hawes, Sacramento Kings
Although he hasn’t shown much to date, Spencer Hawes has had a few flashes of brilliance. While those flashes have been few and far between, he’s a legitimate center prospect. If something were to happen to Brad Miller, Hawes is the next in line for big minutes.

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Ford was injured when Al Horford hit him in the face when Ford was going up for a layup. Ford has been sidelined since then, with speculation being that Ford could even decide to retire.

However, with this latest piece of good news, Ford will begin training in Houston with John Lucas and is expected to return to the court at some point this season. While an exact date hasn’t been specified, this is very good news for TJ Ford fantasy owners.

Until Ford is able to play, Jose Calderon is a very nice fantasy option. Even Juan Dixon, who is backing up Calderon at point guard, has become a decent fantasy option in recent weeks.

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The good news is that later reports indicated that Ford had feeling and movement in his extremities. However, with as violent a hit he took and his history, there’s a good chance Ford will be sidelined for a substantial amount of time. There’s also a chance that Ford may be held out for the rest of the season. If Ford suffered any further damage to his neck, Ford might even have to think about retirement.

Obviously, in the cold world of fantasy basketball, this is horrible news for Ford owners. He’s going to be out a while – if not for the rest of the season. If Jose Calderon is available, pick him up as he’s next in line to be the Raptors’ point guard. While it’s premature to think about dropping Ford from your fantasy team, keep an eye out for updates about his condition.

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Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings
Martin was inconsistent last season, leading some fantasy players to wonder how he’d perform this year. So far in preseason, Martin has looked better than ever. On Thursday, Martin had 25 points in 24 minutes of action. While he doesn’t do much in the rebounding or assist department, Martin is a great scorer who should be able to build upon what he did last year.

Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
Horford had an outstanding game against the Bobcats. In 34 minutes of action, the rookie had 22 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. Those are superstar numbers. That said, Horford is a bit of a fantasy enigma. He has great potential, however he’s likely going to be coming off the bench. The bench isn’t a place you want your fantasy player living. However, if Horford starts, as he will eventually, he’s definitely a very nice fantasy prospect.

Gerald Wallace, Charlotte Bobcats
Wallace showed fantasy owners a bit of a reminder of what he’s capable of on Thursday. He scored 34 points, grabbed ten rebounds, got two steals and blocked two shots. That type of production makes Wallace a very good fantasy player who could end up being one of the best fantasy players in the NBA.

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Here are the top five rookie fantasy players:

Kevin Durant, Seattle Supersonics
Durant was born to play basketball. He’s a silky smooth athlete that makes the game of basketball look easy. While he’s young and doesn’t have great players around him in Seattle, he’s so good that it’s tough to tell what he’s capable of doing this upcoming season. His hype might push him higher on the draft board than he should be selected but if he falls, don’t hesitate to snag him.

Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
Horford is a bigman who is read to play in the NBA. He has a low post game, a face up game and can rebound the ball. He should also be able to block some shots and was a good passer at the college level. It’s difficult to project Horford’s stats this season, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see him average somewhere around 15 points and eight rebounds.

Corey Brewer, Minnesota Timberwolves
Brewer is another player who is capable of stepping in and playing right away. While his offensive game is still coming around, he should be a beast defensively. With steals, rebounds and even some blocked shots, Brewer will fill up the stat sheet. The question is whether his offense will be good enough to make him a quality fantasy player.

Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies
Conley would be higher on this list if it were clear he had a starting gig with the Grizzlies. As it stands, he could very well be coming off the bench, which would severely limit his fantasy value for this season. However, if Conley starts, he should put up stats that will allow him to be a backup fantasy point guard.

Marco Belinelli, Golden State Warriors
Belinelli has a good chance to put up a ton of points in Don Nelson’s offense. It’s sounding as if he’ll start at shooting guard for the Warriors. With Nelson using a run and gun style, Belinelli could easily average around 18 points per game this upcoming season.

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