March Madness is in full swing in the NCAA, but it pales in comparison to the period of lunacy the NBA is going through at the moment.

Injuries are wreaking havoc on the league’s stars and therefore your fantasy teams.

Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant were already on the shelf prior to last week, but LeBron James and Steph Curry are now in the infirmary, while LaMelo Ball’s impressive rookie campaign is over thanks to a fractured wrist.

The vultures in your leagues are probably already circling for replacements, so act swiftly before you completely miss out on advantageous pickups. 

SG, SF: Talen Horton-Tucker, Lakers (15.1 per cent)

King James is out for the foreseeable future with a high ankle sprain, and Horton-Tucker is a natural replacement to help fill that void. THT’s minutes were already heading in a positive direction even with a healthy James, so the Lakers injury crisis (Anthony Davis is also out indefinitely) will only compound his value. If his line against Phoenix on Sunday is a sign of what he will provide, owners will be satisfied: 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 28 minutes is a well-rounded performance, and he will be asked to do as much as possible on a nightly basis.

C: Nicolas Claxton, Nets (6.3 per cent)

A target in deeper leagues, Claxton has been providing late round value in the wake of KD's absence. A long and athletic young centre, Claxton has impressed head coach Steve Nash with his work ethic and defensive ability. Over the past month, he's averaging 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.6 blocks on 64.2 per cent shooting in only 18 minutes a night. It's also interesting to note that Blake Griffin made his Nets debut on Sunday against the Wizards but cut into DeAndre Jordan's minutes as opposed to Claxton's.

SG: Malik Monk, Hornets (8.6 per cent)

Ball's injury is a heartbreaker for fantasy owners and anyone who's interested in watching fun basketball. His exciting skillset was producing eye-popping numbers and has the Hornets in the playoff picture. Devonte Graham is the like-for-like replacement for Ball but is probably already rostered in your league. If so, scooping up Monk might be wise. He's flat-lined lately, but his minutes should stabilize in the mid-20s now as he's asked to fill some of the scoring void left by Ball.

SG: Jordan Poole, Warriors (20.8 per cent)

Poole isn't just splashing these days, he's filling up the entire body of water (I'll see myself out). All jokes aside, he's not rostered as much as he should be, and is lighting it up with or without Curry in the lineup. His numbers over the past seven games (two without Curry): 20.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 3.3 triples on 54.5 per cent from the floor and 88.2 per cent from the stripe. Even when Chef Curry returns, Poole is carving a spot out for significant minutes in head coach Steve Kerr's rotation.

SG: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Pelicans (3.1 per cent)

The Canadian did an admirable job of filling in for Lonzo Ball on Sunday, with Ball out due to a hip injury. Alexander-Walker had a well-rounded line of 20 points, three rebounds, one steal and two blocks on 53.3 per cent shooting. The NBA trade deadline is on March 25, and Ball is a name that's constantly mentioned in rumours. Stash him now, because if the Pels do move on from Lonzo, expect Alexander-Walker's role to expand.