Mario

West

Williams sat out Wednesday’s contest with a strained right hip. Mario West is coming off the bench again.

“We hope to have Chills back, but if not, that just gives guys like Mario West and Salim Stoudamire a chance to play,” Woodson said. “We’ve got to let Chills decide when he can come back...because it’s one of those injuries that only he can determine when he can come back from it.” Childress needs to be benched until he’s played in multiple games without incident, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be out for very long..

Mario West will start in his place tonight, but no need to think about picking him up at this point.

West, out of Georgia Tech, made the team as a training camp invitee and has quickly become a fan favorite in Atlanta. He finished with four points, three rebounds and a steal, and while he was a hot pickup in our 30-team league, there’s no reason to pay attention to him in normal-sized leagues.

Prior to Tuesday, West hadn’t played more than 14 minutes in a game this season. He probably isn’t worth picking up, even if he gets extensive minutes in Wednesday’s game at Memphis.

West was a fan favorite due to his frenetic defensive intensity, but wasn’t going to make a statistical impact in the Hawks’ crowded guard rotation. Both he and Sims could catch on elsewhere, but neither should be a consideration even in the deepest leagues.

West hasn’t had a guaranteed contract since entering the NBA, so he’s probably used to this sort of pressure. His averages last season (0.8 points, 1.1 rebounds) make it obvious why fantasy owners shouldn’t bother with him.

Marvin Williams is out with the flu and instead of flipping the entire rotation and starting Zaza Pachulia, Mike Woodson decided to go with the high-energy West, who tied his career high with seven points before the first quarter was even at the half-way point.

If hustle earns points in your fantasy league, give West a look. Otherwise, don’t count on seeing his name too much this season.

Barring numerous key injuries, West is not going to be relevant in fantasy leagues this year.