RotoBaller has assembled NBA injury updates and advice on various injury situations throughout the NBA to prepare for your daily lineups on January 22, 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 Injury News for Fantasy Lineups (1/22)

No Biggie Injuries

George Hill (PG/SG, IND): For the first time in recent memory a cryptic "personal reasons" designation turned out to be something positive. Hill's mysterious absence was due to the birth of his son. He is expected to return to the Pacers lineup for Saturday's game against Sacramento.

Dwight Howard (C, HOU): D12 left the game against the Pistons with an ankle sprain after a hard foul. He was able to walk off the court under his own power, but didn't return to the game. He has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Bucks, but it was a good sign that he was able to walk on his own and shouldn't miss much time. Clint Capela will have exceptional value as a blocker and rebounder in any games missed by Howard.

Ian Mahinmi (C, IND): Mahinmi sprained his ankle on Tuesday and was already dealing with a heel issue that forced him to miss Sunday's action. He reportedly has significant swelling in his ankle and is questionable for Friday. Myles Turner has already proved a capable sub, so he should be in line for an immediate boost in minutes.

Nerlens Noel (PF/C, PHI): Noel left the game on Wednesday with a headache and blurred vision. It was reportedly a migraine and not a concussion, though, so he shouldn't miss much time if any.

Dirk Nowitzki (PF/C, DAL): The veteran for the Mavericks has been dealing with swelling in his right knee that forced him out of action on Wednesday. However, he claims to not be feeling pain anymore and should be ready to go Friday. Fantasy owners should not worry about the situation.

Victor Oladipo (PG/SG, ORL): Oladipo returned to practice on Thursday and could be able to return Friday. “What we’re going to do now is wait and see how he reacted to the running and everything and see,” coach Scott Skiles said. “If there’s no swelling, no pain and things like that, he might be able to play some.”

Dwyane Wade (PG/SG, MIA): Wade sat out on Wednesday with shoulder soreness, which has been reportedly getting worse as the season moves on. He is taking it day-by-day, though, and will attempt to power through the pain if possible. Any games he misses will lead to more opportunities for Tyler Johnson, Gerald Green, and Josh Richardson.

Hassan Whiteside (C, MIA): Whiteside suffered a strange left oblique injury and is out for Friday's game. Some of the Heat's alternatives have already been ruled out, so that means the likes of Amar'e Stoudemire, Udonis Haslem, and Jarnell Stokes could see more playing time should Whiteside miss any time.

Cody Zeller (PF/C, CHA): the big man for Charlotte exited Wednesday's game with a shoulder injury, but it isn't considered to be very serious. He should still be considered questionable in the meantime, but Frank Kaminsky is playing well so the Hornets might not rush him back into action. Kaminsky is already a solid pickup, but would gain even more value should Zeller miss more time than anticipated. If the injury is more serious than expected and Zeller has to miss game time, he becomes a drop in most leagues given his so-so production, the need to give Kaminsky more playing time, and Al Jefferson's return coming up in February.

 

Up in the Air Injuries

Derrick Favors (PF/C, UTA): Favors continues to deal with his back injury, and has missed 15 games. There's still no indication of when he'll feel up to returning to the lineup for the Jazz. Trey Lyles will continue to start in his stead.

Larry Nance, Jr. (PF, LAL): He continues to nurse an injury and is very doubtful for Friday, but even when he returns his playing time will be a question mark. Julius Randle has played very well as long as he's gotten the minutes and it will be interesting to see who Coach Byron Scott ultimately goes with.

Otto Porter (SF, WAS): Porter's hip continues to keep him sidelined and seems to be questionable every night lately. He went through practice on Friday, but was still limited and remains a game-time decision. Kelly Oubre will handle the small forward duties in the meantime.

 

On the Mend Injuries

Goran Dragic (PG, MIA): Dragic has been dealing with a calf injury that has forced him out of five straight games. The Heat have been struggling mightily without him and may be forced to rush him back into action. He's still not at 100 percent so should he miss another game, or not be able to finish the next game he plays, Tyler Johnson will see playing time.

Blake Griffin (PF/C, LAC): Kia Optima's poster boy still isn't ready to return to the hardwood, despite stating he thought he would be back for the team's road trip. Unlike the Heat though, the Clippers have been managing without Griffin and Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, and DeAndre Jordan have stepped up in his absence.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (SG/SF, CHA): The small forward for the Hornets is recovering from a torn labrum that he suffered in October, and looks to be ahead of schedule. The original timetable was six months, and the Hornets were hoping to get him back in time for the postseason. He was cleared for practice with full contact on Tuesday so he should start seeing some game action relatively soon. MKG looks like he could be back for the second half of the season and, as such, is worth stashing if you have an IR spot or bench space in a deep league.

 

Down N' Out Injuries

DeMarre Carroll (PF, TOR): Carroll had knee surgery in December, and is reportedly ahead of schedule with his recovery.  It's a long-shot he contributes anything to fantasy owners for the rest of the season. He's definitely not worth taking up a bench spot. However, there's a long-shot chance he comes back for the end of the year, so if you are in a roto league or a H2H league with April playoffs and you have an unused IR spot, stashing him there is better than nothing. In the mean time, James Johnson will continue to be the "starter" at small forward, with Terrence Ross and Patrick Patterson seeing most the boost in fantasy value created by Carroll's absence.

Eric Gordon (SG, NO): The shooting guard for the Pelicans underwent successful surgery on his finger and will be out for four-to-six weeks. This injury hurts, especially if you don't have an injured spot, but don't cut him. In the meantime, Jrue Holiday will reportedly slide into the starting lineup alongside Tyreke Evans, with reserve guard Norris Cole also in line for an uptick in minutes.

Al Jefferson (PF/C, CHA): Jefferson underwent knee surgery for a torn meniscus at the end of December and was given a timetable to return of six weeks. He is now approximately three weeks into that timetable. There have been no public updates regarding his recovery, so we can only assume he's still targeting a return in mid-to-late February. While he belongs on rosters when healthy and should be slotted into IR spots, his declining production isn't worth using up a bench spot in most H2H leagues. In the mean time, Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky will continue to pick up the slack for the big man.

 

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