What do you do if you have Yao in a dynasty league? The best idea is to hold onto him. No one is going to give you a fair deal right now and selling low is usually a losing strategy in fantasy basketball.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a player who had years of trouble with his feet but was able to eventually return to action and has become a durable option as of late. Perhaps Yao can go down that same path and bounce back from his feet trouble. It might be unlikely but there’s definitely still hope.

In a redraft, Yao isn’t draftable unless it sounds as if he’ll return at some point. Keep an eye on the Yao Ming news.

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During the 2009 playoffs, Yao has averaged 17.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 assists per game in 35.8 minutes. Earlier in the season, the Rockets lost Tracy McGrady due to microfracture knee surgery. Earlier in these playoffs, center Dikembe Mutombo was lost for the rest of the playoffs due to a knee injury.

If you have Yao on your fantasy basketball team, this is obviously devastating news. He was playing well and was undoubtedly helping your team.

For those looking for a sleeper to emerge due to this Yao injury news, the most likely player is Carl Landry. In the last two games against the Lakers, Landry has scored in double figures — including a 21-point and 10-rebound performance in Game 2. Pick up Landry off the waiver wire if he’s available and hope he can put up Yao-like numbers the rest of the way.

Yao Ming Injury Update - Fantasy Basketball (Image: Newscom)

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Yao Ming, Houston Rockets (Image: Flickr)

Despite Yao’s optimism, any news regarding a foot injury is scary news. He has missed a lot of time in recent years with foot and leg injuries and with the playoffs starting on April 18th, the Rockets can’t afford to have him sidelined for too long.

In the fantasy basketball world, one interesting name that is relevant if Yao misses a game is Dikembe Mutombo. The 43-year-old filled in for Yao against the Warriors and had a very impressive outing. In 35 minutes, Mutuombo had ten points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Luis Scola is another player who would get increased touches with Yao out. Versus Golden State, Scola finished with 28 points, nine rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes of play.

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This is a devastating blow to the Rockets, who thought their trio of McGrady, Yao Ming and Ron Artest could win a championship. Now Houston will have to scramble to replace McGrady.

The person most likely to step into a bigger role is Artest. He may be asked to shoot a lot more and also become the team’s main playemaker. Yao should also see an increase in touches.

Von Wafer has had some success filling in for McGrady at points this season and that could very well continue. Wafer is an explosive scorer who can get hot at any given time.

To replace McGrady, the Rockets may end up considering the thought of trading for Vince Carter. If the Rockets could get Carter without giving up Artest or Yao, their championship hopes could be revived.

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Obviously, the two biggest names in this potential trade are Carl Landry and Charlie Villanueva. If Landry lands with the Bucks, he will probably get to play more minutes. In Houston, Landry was stuck behind a lot of players who play at the same position. According to Landry’s per minute numbers, he could do some major damage if given extended minutes. For fantasy basketball purposes, watch to see if Landry’s minutes increase following this potential trade.

Villanueva could also see his value rise. He isn’t a great fit with the Bucks and also has the problem of duplicate talent at his position. On the Rockets, he could see some minutes at power forward to help spread the court for Yao Ming.

All in all, this trade would be good for both of the big names involved. All the role players involved would likely remain irrelevant in the fantasy basketball world.

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In the video, Roy puts the Blazers up by two points by hitting a shot over Ron Artest of the Rockets. Yao Ming responds with an impressive three-point play to put the Rockets up by one. With 0.8 seconds left on the clock, Roy catches the ball from about 35 feet and drains the long bomb. The Brandon Roy video is certainly worth watching.

If you have Roy on your fantasy basketball team, you should be happy that he’s coming up with big plays at the end of games this year. While his stats haven’t been great so far, he’s improving on a game by game basis. The best news is that he’s the undisputed top dog in Portland right now so you can expect the offense to run through him.

If Roy can stay healthy, there’s no reason why he can’t finish the season as a top 10-15 fantasy basketball player.

Here is the video of Brandon Roy hitting the game-winner against the Rockets:

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2. Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant and company will once again try to win the Western Conference. Adding Andrew Bynum to a team that almost won it all without him is a scary thought.

3. San Antonio Spurs
It’s easy to forget about the San Antonio Spurs but when it is all said and done, the Spurs are seemingly always there in the end giving it their best shot.

4. New Orleans Hornets
The addition of James Posey makes the New Orleans Hornets a team that is very capable of winning the West and going on and taking home a title.

5. Houston Rockets
On paper, the Rockets might be the best team of them all. Ron Artest could be a force if he stays sane and the Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming duo should be better than ever.

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Artest is seen as the missing piece that could turn the Rockets from pretenders into contenders. With a new Big 3 of Artest, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, the Rockets will undoubtedly be a very formidable team during the 2008-09 NBA season.

Fantasy basketball wise, Artest should see his points dip a little bit but see a rise in rebounds, steals, blocked shots and field goal percentage. Here is the Ron Artest video:

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The Kings did the trade because in return they get a young player in Greene who shined in the Vegas Summer League, an expiring contract in Jackson (who just happens to be a fan favorite in Sacramento) and a future pick. For the Kings, they get a couple of young pieces without having to add salaries to the books.

The Rockets did the trade to try to win a championship. With a Big Three of Artest, Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, the Rockets will now be true championship contenders as long as they remain healthy. In addition to the Big Three, the Rockets have solid role players in Rafer Alston, Shane Battier, Brent Barry and Luis Scola.

Artest personally should have a very good season in Houston. The Rockets will let him score as much as he can. Defensively, his rebounding and blocks could go up because he’s likely to see a lot of time at power forward. Artest has played for Rick Adelman in the past and had good fantasy basketball success.

All around, this a good trade for the Kings, Rockets and Artest’s value in fantasy basketball.

Here is a video with more on the Ron Artest trade:

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