Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 10 - Karl-Anthony Towns, Deandre Ayton, Gabe Vincent

December 26, 2023

Max Kulish's NBA injuries report for fantasy basketball in Week 10. He recommends NBA injury replacements to set optimal lineups for seasonal and DFS formats.

Welcome back to another season, RotoBallers! I hope everyone is having a great holiday season, filled win fantasy basketball triumphs! I'm here to help you stay up to date on injury news, and how it impacts your teams.

I'm writing this on Monday for release Tuesday morning, so any news that drops late Monday night won't be covered. I'll just cover what has changed since last week.

Drop me a follow on Twitter/X (@Maxadelphia) for all things fantasy basketball and nightly NBA plays.

Short-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Deandre Ayton, C, Portland Trail Blazers - Knee

Ayton was a surprise "questionable" add to the Blazers' injury report on Monday night. He missed three games in early December due to knee issues, and as we all know, knee injuries are not to be taken lightly with big men. This write-up is mostly precautionary, but if Ayton does miss time, Duop Reath should slide into the starting five.

Josh Giddey, SG/SF, Oklahoma City Thunder - Ankle

Giddey suffered an ankle injury in the Thunder's win on December 21 against the Clippers and then missed their following game two days later against the Lakers. As of the time of writing, it's unknown if he'll miss additional games, as he's listed as questionable for Tuesday's game against the West-leading Timberwolves. Cason Wallace got the start against the Lakers and is a solid streamer if the Aussie continues to miss time.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves - Knee

KAT's situation is practically a carbon copy of Giddey's. He left Thursday's game early, missed the team's next game on December 23, and is currently listed as questionable for the Tuesday showdown of two of the West's best. If he does continue to miss time, Kyle Anderson is a solid, if unexciting, streaming option.

Bradley Beal, SG, Phoenix Suns - Ankle

Beal has been a regular here in the weekly injury update article, and boy, he just can't catch a break. Five minutes into the second game with Phoenix's big three playing together, Beal landed awkwardly on a foot after attempting a three and twisted his ankle. The Suns have announced that he'll be reevaluated at the start of January.

Keyonte George, PG, and Talen Horton-Tucker, SG - Utah Jazz

After missing five straight games, George finally made a positive step towards a return by being upgraded from "out" to "questionable" ahead of tonight's game in San Antonio. He should be back in the Jazz lineup before the end of the week, likely with a minutes restriction of some kind. Horton-Tucker is in danger of missing his third straight game with a foot injury. He was listed as questionable leading into their game on December 23 against the Raptors before ultimately being ruled out. He should also return within the week, but until both return, Collin Sexton and Kris Dunn remain quality streaming options.

Derrick Rose, PG, Memphis Grizzlies - Hamstring

Rose left last Friday's game against the Rockets in the first half, and on Sunday was deemed to have a hamstring strain. The team listed him as "week-to-week". Given the former MVP's history of injury, this may be more than a one-week injury.

Ben Simmons, PG/PF, Brooklyn Nets - Hip

Stop me if you've heard this one before. The Nets announced on December 20 that Simmons is progressing well and will be reevaluated in two weeks.

Long-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Mitchell Robinson, C, New York Knicks - Ankle

One week after undergoing surgery, Robinson's recovery timeline has drastically changed. Initially only slated to miss around two months, an update on December 20 announced Robinson's 2023-24 campaign has ended due to this injury. Isaiah Hartenstein has taken over the starting role and with Jericho Sims scheduled to return at the beginning of 2024, Tom Thibodeau favorite Taj Gibson will be in the Knicks' rotation.

Gabe Vincent, PG/SG, Los Angeles Lakers - Knee

After missing nearly two months with a knee issue, Vincent returned to the Lakers' lineup for one whole game. He hurt the same left knee that's been bothering him all year, and the team announced he'll undergo surgery this week. He's expected to miss six to eight weeks minimum, but due to the recurring nature of this injury, I wouldn't be surprised if his absence is longer than that. It seems most likely that rookie Max Christie will rejoin the rotation in his wake.

Draymond Green, PF/C, Golden State Warriors - Anger Management

If you follow the NBA at all, you've seen Green's latest antics and the resulting indefinite suspension. A report came out yesterday (December 25) that he's begun counseling, and could return in as soon as three weeks. For as long as he remains out, Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski should benefit the most.

Evan Mobley, C, Cleveland Cavaliers - Knee

Mobley was initially ruled day-by-day but on one of those days, the decision was made that arthroscopic surgery was the best course of action. Mobley underwent surgery on December 15 and is out for six to eight weeks as a result. The Cavs don't really have anyone else to replicate their twin towers lineup, but Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro are likely candidates to see increased minutes.

Darius Garland, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers - Jaw

When it rains it pours, as the Cavs are finding out. On the same day the team announced Mobley's surgery, Garland fractured his jaw against the Celtics. He is expected to miss "a few weeks", which to me sounds like it will line up perfectly with the mini-break all teams get around New Year's Day. If you're desperate to fill his roster spot, Craig Porter should enter fantasy relevance, but won't be high on the pecking order without more injuries.

Kyrie Irving, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks - Heel

Irving suffered a heel contusion after a teammate landed on his right foot during last Friday's win over the Trail Blazers. He still hasn't been given a timetable to return, so we'll err on the side of caution and put him in the long-term section.

Zach LaVine, SG/SF, Chicago Bulls - Foot

LaVine also got hurt Thursday, missed a game on Saturday, and was initially diagnosed to miss a week. He could return as early as Friday night, which would only result in that single game missed. However, LaVine has been a popular name in trade talks all year, and you can't trade an injured player, so the Bulls may very well exercise caution and not rush him back. With Alex Caruso also dealing with a potential injury, Ayo Dosunmu could be an excellent streaming option.

Update 12/7: LaVine had a PRP injection in his foot and will be reevaluated in three to four weeks.

Jalen Johnson, SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks - Wrist

Johnson fractured his wrist last Monday night, and the team's initial announcement was that he would be reevaluated in three to four weeks. That would put his reevaluation right around the holidays, so I would expect him back at the start of 2024. In the meantime, Saddiq Bey has rejoined the Hawks' starting five after losing that spot to Johnson earlier in the season.

The Tank Corner 

Closed until later in the season. We'll get here when teams start trotting out G-Leaguers none of us have ever heard of.

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