Jan. 4 -- You have a jones. A monkey on your back. You dream about it. You feel its destructive, unpredictable power seeping through your brain, divorcing your better instincts from the base, primal, fear-driven rantings that soon begin operating for you on an everyday basis.

You begin to observe Philadelphia Eagles fans up close, thinking, “Hey, these guys really have life figured out. After the Mummer’s Parade, let’s drink a case of malt liquor and see if my car can really jump that swollen river over behind the Wawa.”

You become decidedly recalcitrant, churlish even. Then, right after Christmas, the seemingly endless supply of your life-sucking habit begins to trickle out. Suddenly, Chris Berman signs off of NFL Prime Time for the final time. It hits you.

Fantasy football is over.

Thank Jehovah. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: fantasy football is for Philistines. Come over to light, people. Those basketball teams you drafted then forgot about need you.

I find that this week marks the real beginning of the fantasy basketball season, simply because millions of roto sports enthusiasts find themselves needing a new reason to overload their office’s network server.

The fantasy trade market also starts to heat up around now, because a lot of owners really haven’t looked seriously at their teams since the first couple of weeks of the season. Don’t be like those wimpy NBA general managers. Make some deals. Shake up those mediocre squads. This is a good time to exercise one of my favorite mid-season trade strategies.

The Injured Throw-In

I made a deal last week in a public league where I had reached a stalemate with the other owner. I already was actually pleased with the terms of the deal, but intentionally stalled the negotiations in the hopes of getting one additional player: Amare Stoudemire. I got him, stashed him in my IL spot, and if Stoudamire returns this year, I now have a nice future bargaining chip for the stretch run.

When targeting trades, I like to keep an eye out for which teams have prominent players slated to return from injury. I won’t ever make a straight-up offer for a player on the IL (unless I’m in rebuilding mode in a keeper league). But I will try to get one, like Stoudemire, as a throw-in. It’s all about being willing to accept a reasonable amount of risk. For me, I won’t make a deal for a significantly injured player unless I’m first getting a healthy player in the deal.

Let’s take a look at some injured players in order of their prospective fantasy impact. Keep in mind I’m also taking their projected returns into account.

Manu Ginóbili, G, San Antonio Spurs: It may already be too late to move on Ginóbili, who still will get 30 minutes a night even while coming off the bench. It remains to be seen how his and Michael Finley’s roles will be settled, but I’d expect something close to his pre-injury numbers.

Marcus Camby, F/C, Denver Nuggets: If you read this column, you’ve noted several pleas to look into dealing Camby before the inevitable occurred. Well, the inevitable occurred. The good news is that it’s a broken finger, not a tear of some phantom body part. They’re projecting his return in two-to-four weeks. I know this may seem confusing, but now is the time to see what it would take to get Camby.

Yao Ming, C, Houston Rockets: We’re probably looking at a March return for Yao. That means at best you’ll be looking at two months of production; but he will provide a late season surge in blocks. What hurts is the fact that he’ll be back too late to make a humongous difference in two of his best areas: field goal and free throw percentage.

T.J. Ford, G, Milwaukee Bucks: Terms such as “foot strain” give me cause for concern. “Strains” often become “sprains” then “tears” then “surgeries.” In this case however, Ford’s strain is just a strain (according to reports). It’s going to be your one chance all year to get him cheap.

Amare Stoudemire F/C, Phoenix Suns: He's ahead of schedule on his recovery and represents a good roll of the dice. I think that the time to make a deal for Stoudemire is between now and the All-Star break. If he does come back (as reported) in late February, mid-February is going to be too late to pry him from owners that dutifully held onto him all season. When he does come back, I wouldn’t expect previous production levels for the rest of the season. But even a double-double would be nice from the center position.

Bonzi Wells, G, Sacramento Kings: Two things give me pause with Wells – the fact that even the sound of his injury (torn groin) make me wince, and the fact that Kevin Martin is going ballistic in Wells’ stead. But Wells was red-hot before he went down, and having an amazing year on the glass. Because he’s capable of providing gobs and gobs of steals, he’ll be a nice player to have if you need to make up some ground in a hurry.

Carlos Boozer, F, Utah Jazz: Rosy reports before the New Year have given way to a more reasonable late-January projection for Boozer. The Jazz could certainly use him up front. What gives me cause for concern is Boozer’s overall injury history. But again, he’s a reasonable risk.

Corey Maggette, G/F, Los Angeles Clippers: Maggette is marking another season as one of Roto’s biggest teases. He’s got the tools be to be a dominant fantasy force, but can’t seem to stay healthy. He’ll be back from his latest injury by February, so it’s up to you to see if he’s worth the risk.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim, F, Sacramento Kings: There hasn’t been a lot of definitive word regarding Abdur-Rahim’s jaw. It seems reasonable to expect him back by late February, so we’re only looking at stretch-run help.

Darius Miles, G/F, Portland Trail Blazers: Even though Miles is supposed to make a “full recovery,” there is still “no timetable for his return.” Avoid until further notice.

Jamaal Tinsley, G, Indiana Pacers: Another perpetual IL devotee. Tinsley’s just hurt too much of the time to be really satisfying trade bait. As a strict throw-in, he’s all right, but I wouldn’t let him make or break a deal.

John Cregan is a fantasy expert for NBA.com. His column Grand Theft Roto runs every Wednesday as part of the NBA.com Premium Scouting Report. Contact him at g5yp@TalentedMrRoto.com.

The views expressed by the TalentedMrRoto.com represent only the views of the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA team.