RADIO
RotoBaller has assembled NBA injury updates and advice on various injury situations throughout the NBA to prepare for your daily lineups on March 4, 2016. Understanding the injury landscape, and who plans to benefit instead, is critical for setting your fantasy basketball lineups daily.
Here we will focus on the important questions: Who is injured? When are they coming back? Should you stash an injured player on your roster? Who is getting an opportunity in the mean time?
This injury analysis should assist in setting your daily lineups for both DFS formats and seasonal leagues. Consider this your one-stop overview of fantasy-relevant injuries in the NBA.
NBA Daily Lineup Injury News and Updates for 3/4/16
Returning from Injury
Jimmy Butler (SG/SF, CHI): Butler will play on Saturday against the Rockets without restrictions. E'Twaun Moore and Doug McDermott will see their minutes and usage drastically slashed as Butler takes over his team again.
Evan Fournier (SG/SF, ORL): Fournier is probable for Friday's game. He had been dealing with a wrist injury, but is poised to return to the starting lineup. Mario Hezonja has been starting in Fournier's place and playing well, but will return to the bench.
Questionable To Play
Tony Allen (SG/SF, MEM): Allen has missed a good chunk of games with a sore knee, and is considered questionable for tonight's game against Utah. If he sits again, P.J. Hairston would continue to play a big role for the Grizzlies.
Kobe Bryant (SG, LAL): Kobe, who sat out Tuesday's game and only played 11 minutes on Wednesday, is questionable for tonight's game against the Hawks. D'Angelo Russell was been playing well with Kobe limited, while the unheralded rookie Anthony Brown has been seeing extended run in Kobe's place.
Jordan Clarkson (PG/SG, LAL): Clarkson is questionable for tonight's game against the Hawks with a strained knee. If he sits, 32-year-old Brazilian rookie Marcelo Huertas would play a lot in his place, and could be a surprise source of assists (7.7 per 36 on the season). Note that even with both Kobe limited, Clarkson banged up, and Lou Williams out, the Lakers still barely played Nick Young.
Michael Carter-Williams (PG, MIL): Carter-Williams has sat out the last few games with knee tendinitis, and is doubtful for tonight's game against Minnesota. Jerryd Bayless is a solid fantasy option in MCW's absence.
Taj Gibson (PF/C, CHI): Gibson is considered day-to-day with a hamstring injury that kept him out of Wednesday's game against Orlando. Bobby Portis and Cameron Bairstow played power forward in his absence. The Bulls also featured more small-ball lineups than normal, with Doug McDermott playing a team-high 33 minutes off the bench.
Jahlil Okafor (PF/C, PHI): Okafor has missed two games with a shin injury and is questionable tonight against the Heat. With Nerlens Noel very questionable as well, Jerami Grant will start and veteran Carl Landry will get a chance to contribute off the bench.
Out Short Term
Omer Asik (C, NO): Asik is out with a right ankle sprain. With Alexis Ajinca also now out, the Pelicans have been starting -- wait for it -- Kendrick Perkins. Please try to hold back your laughter.
Stanley Johnson (SG/SF, DET): Johnson has been ruled out for the next two games so he will miss Saturday and Sunday. Jodie Meeks is cleared to return now so he could handle some of Johnson's minutes until he's ready to come back.
Kevin Love (PF/C, CLE): Love will be rested for tonight's game. Channing Frye will get an opportunity to fill in as stretch 4 in the Cavs offense.
C.J. Miles (SG/SF, IND): Miles has been missed the past few games with a calf injury and will miss tonight's game against Charlotte as well. Solomon Hill has been seeing more action in his absence.
Lou Williams (PG/SG, LAL): Williams suffered a hamstring injury Tuesday night and is out until sometime next week. Williams was already losing playing time on the tanking Lakers in favor of younger players, and likely won't be rushed back.
No Timetable to Return
Spencer Hawes (PF/C, CHA): Hawes is dealing with a back injury and is at least a week away from a return. Cody Zeller, Al Jefferson, and Frank Kaminsky will likely eat up all the big man minutes for Charlotte even when Hawes returns to action.
John Henson (PF/C, MIL): Henson has been out since January 26th with a bad back and is still unable to even practice. Miles Plumlee and Greg Monroe have picked up the slack in his absence.
Brandon Knight (PG/SG, PHO): Knight has been out since January 19th with a groin injury, and is out for at least the current road-trip for the Suns. Interim coach Earl Watson is optimistic Knight could return soon after, but the timetable for his return remains murky. Ronnie Price and Archie Goodwin will shoulder the load at point guard in the mean time.
Gary Neal (PG/SG, WAS): Neal will miss the Wizards game in Cleveland tonight with soreness in his thigh. He's already missed ten games, and there's no indication when he'll return. In the meantime, Ramon Sessions and Garrett Temple will be the primary complements to John Wall and Bradley Beal.
On the Mend
Alec Burks (PG/SG, UTA): Burks is expected back very soon for for the Jazz.. His return could cut into the minutes of Shelvin Mack and Rodney Hood, while further relegating Trey Burke into irrelevancy.
Manu Ginobili (SG/SF, SA): Ginobili had to have testicular surgery after taking a knee to the crotch from Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson. He is a little ahead of schedule, and could return as soon as this Saturday. Danny Green, Jonathan Simmons, and Patty Mills could lose value with his return.
Blake Griffin (PF/C, LAC): Griffin, who broke his hand in a fight with the team trainers, has said he is "very close" to a return. He'll still have to face a four game suspension for the fight, so it won't be tomorrow. The Clippers have been managing without Griffin and Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, and DeAndre Jordan have stepped up in his absence, and they should continue to have increased value without him. Jeff Green and Wesley Johnson will see smaller minutes once Griffin does return.
Out Multiple Weeks
Alexis Ajinca (PF/C, NO): Ajinca suffered a fractured sternum and is out for awhile. With Omer Asik also hobbled, the Pelicans will move forward with Kendrick Perkins.
Chris Bosh (PF/C, MIA): Bosh may miss the rest of the season because of blood clotting in his calf, but it's still completely up in the air. Given that Bosh has had issues with this in the past, the team will likely proceed with extreme caution and it looks like his 2016 season is over. Amar'e Stoudemire, Justise Winslow, and Josh McRoberts will all continue see a boost in playing time with Bosh out, while Luol Deng will continue to put up big numbers in scoring and rebounding in his higher profile role with the team
DeMarre Carroll (PF, TOR): Carroll had knee surgery in December, and is reportedly upping his activities in practice. There's a chance he comes back in time to have relevance at the end of the fantasy season. In the mean time, Terrence Ross and Patrick Patterson will continue to see a boost production from Carroll's absence.
Danilo Gallinari (SF, DEN): Gallinari is out until at least early April with multiple tears in his ankle, which means he's out for the season as far as most seasonal leagues. While that timetable leaves open the possibility of a return for the week or two of regular season games, the Nuggets are reportedly considering shutting him down completely. JaKarr Sampson is starting in Gallinari's place, while Will Barton shoulders a bigger and more consistent role off the bench.
Kevin Garnett (PF/C, MIN): Garnett has been dealing with a sore knee, and still hasn't practiced. Coach Sam Mitchell has said KG is at risk of missing the rest of the season. Young stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng are the future of the team and have been seeing massive minutes in Garnett's absence. There's no point in the Timberwolves rushing the veteran back this year.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (SG/SF, BKN): RHJ has been out since early December recovering from a fracture in his ankle. He is expected back later in March. When he returns, he could see a big role on the wing competing with low-tier starters Wayne Ellington and Bojan Bogdanovic.
Nikola Mirotic (SF/PF, CHI): Mirotic still appears to be a few weeks away with complications from appendix surgery, as he has reportedly not been making progress in practice. Bobby Portis will continue to see added minutes in his absence.
Kelly Olynyk (C, BOS): Olynyk has a painful shoulder injury. While it won't require surgery, he'll be out until around mid-March. Tyler Zeller, Jared Sullinger, Amir Johnson, and Jonas Jerebko could all see more run than usual in the Celtics' unpredictable frontcourt rotation.
Anthony Tolliver (SF/PF, DET): Tolliver has a right knee sprain and will be out until mid-to-late March. Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris will see extra run until he comes back.
Mo Williams (PG/SG, CLE): Williams' knee will be out until at least mid-March with a knee injury. Matthew Dellavedova has a firm grasp on the backup PG spot for Cleveland.
Brandan Wright (PF/C, MEM): Brandan Wright is out indefinitely with a sprained MCL, and likely won't return to the lineup until at least mid-March. JaMychal Green and Chris Andersen will see a boost in his absence.
Out for the Season
Bryce Dejean-Jones (PG/SG, NO): Dejean-Jones has a broken wrist. Eric Gordon has reclaimed his starting spot at shooting guard.
Tyreke Evans (PG/SG, NO): Evans will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery. Norris Cole remain starter for the rest of the year, with Jrue Holiday playing a huge role off the bench.
Marc Gasol (C, MEM): Marc Gasol has a broken foot and is out for the season. In his absence, Zach Randolph, Brandan Wright (when he returns from his own injury), JaMychal Green, and Chris Andersen will do their best to fill the void.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SF, CHA): MKG is out for the season now as he received surgery on his torn labrum. Nicolas Batum has shifted to SF with Courtney Lee, Jeremy Lin, and Jeremy Lamb filling the void at the other wing spot. Marvin Williams is also seeing more time at the SF in bigger lineups.
Beno Udrih (PG, MIA): Udrih will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a plantar plate in his right foot. Josh Richardson will see added minutes, while Dwyane Wade will play a bigger role in ball-distribution when Goran Dragic needs a breather.
T.J. Warren (SF, PHO): Warren suffered a fractured foot, and will miss the remainder of the season. P.J. Tucker will continue to see massive minutes at small forward, with Sonny Weems lurking on the bench.
