Fantasy Basketball Impact: Giannis Antetokounmpo Out 2-4 Weeks with Calf Strain

The Giannis news continues on. Earlier this week it was reported that he had requested a trade prior to the season. This now makes Giannis a hot name on the market that will lead up until the February Trade Deadline. Now, today, Giannis has been listed out for 2-4 weeks with a right calf strain. This will lower his value in both trade rumors and our main focus, Fantasy Basketball. That will be our discussion today.

Fantasy Basketball Impact

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to be sidelined for approximately 2 to 4 weeks with a right calf strain, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/k5TyjEo6Eh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 4, 2025

Giannis had been drafted in Fantasy Basketball at an ADP of 4th Overall. You have him as your premier player, and now he is out. He has been performing as the 6th best player in Fantasy Basketball, so the loss is tremendous.

As Giannis is out, this will moderately increase the value of many Bucks players. Kyle Kuzma may be the biggest beneficiary. Kuzma is averaging (12.6) Points per Game, (4.4) Rebounds per Game, and (2.3) Assists per Game. He should see a minutes increase and he will also become a top-two usage player when on the court. We can quickly see Kuzma perform with Top-50 upside.

Ryan Rollins has been the 2nd leading scorer on the Bucks. He is the 62nd player overall. I am not sure how much better that Rollins can play, and the absence of Giannis could actually hurt him as more attention comes his way.

Myles Turner currently stand 227th in usage rate. This is very well below what he can achieve without Giannis. Turner may quickly jump into being a Top-100 player in usage-rate, as well as his overall Fantasy Basketball ranking.

Buy, Sell, or Hold

Giannis is a player that stands above many. It will be very difficult to ever trade him away. I would hold on to Giannis, especially this early in the season. If you trade him away, you must get a haul and I doubt it can easily come your way, especially with the recent trade rumors.

Kuzma could be a buy-low player. Especially if Giannis is traded away by the deadline, Kuzma could maintain a role that will be much increased here. This same will go for Turner.

Ryan Rollins is a sell-high player. He is playing well above expectations right now. If you can sell him off at his current playing value, it may not be a terrible idea. How much higher of a ceiling can he reach?

Waiver Wire Options

No player can replace Giannis. Unlike Fantasy Football, upside is much more limited in Basketball. Nonetheless, we can explore players worth a look.

Dillon Brooks is playing at 29.1% usage rate as a Phoenix Sun. I would buy that for short-term aid. It is rare to find a Top-100 player with Top-50 upside on waivers.

Jason Kidd on Ryan Nembhard:

"He knows who he is & that's kind of refreshing, that a kid understands who he is & plays the game at the level that he plays. I think he's one to have 10 assists as an undrafted rookie, that's special, especially for this group. He took the shots…
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) December 2, 2025

Ryan Nembhard is rostered under 30%, yet he has tremendous upside as a rookie. Jason Kidd has sung his praises as being a player that know his role. Nembhard is shooting over 55% from the field and he only trends upwards in usage as the team become impatient with D'Angelo Russell and Kyrie Irving is out.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is Out 2-4 Weeks

A calf strain is an injury that carries volatility. These NBA players have unique bodies that recovery much differently. The calf is vital to the success of an NBA player and so reaggrivation can be quite likely. Giannis is expected to be out 2-4 weeks, but it could be longer if things do not go as planned.

The Bucks are 9-13 and Giannis is a trade rumor. This injury could compound in becoming a safety net for the trade value of Giannis, limiting any injury risk that would damage his stock.