Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 18 - Trae Young, Tyler Herro, Deni Avdija

February 27, 2024

Max Kulish's NBA injuries report for fantasy basketball in Week 18. He recommends NBA injury replacements to set optimal lineups for seasonal and DFS formats.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We're heading into the home stretch of the fantasy season! I'm here to help you stay up to date on injury news, and how it impacts your teams.

I'm writing this the day before you'll see it; information is accurate as of Monday, February 26, at night. 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

Terry Rozier, PG/SG - Knee, Josh Richardson, PG/SG - Back, and Tyler Herro, PG/SG - Knee Miami Heat

Rozier and Richardson continue to miss games, although Rozier has resumed practicing and should return soon. The plot thickened for the Heat when Tyler Herro was ruled out for Sunday's game in Sacramento after having two full days to rest. Herro's injury was officially diagnosed as a hyperextension, but an MRI revealed no structural damage so it doesn't seem like he'll be out too long. The Heat have been mega popular on the streaming side for the last few weeks, but if Delon Wright is still available in your league he seems to be the next man up in Miami.

Deni Avdija, SF, Washington Wizards - Heel

It appears Avdija will miss his third straight game on Tuesday night against the Warriors due to a heel injury. Avdija's injury comes at a poor time because he had the best month of his NBA career in February. In his absence, Landry Shamet has been starting for the Wiz.

Onyeka Okongwu, C, Atlanta Hawks - Toe

Okongwu has actually been injured since pre-ASB, but the injury was initially expected to be resolved by the time the team returned to action. However, the Hawks provided an update on 2/24 that Okongwu was now in a walking boot and will be reevaluated in two weeks. While he's out, Bruno Fernando has taken over the backup Center role and is worth a look for streaming purposes.

Jonathan Isaac, PF, Orlando Magic - Knee

Isaac took an awkward fall during Sunday's game in Atlanta, and has been officially tagged with a "knee strain". It's currently unknown how serious the injury is, but given Isaac's history, I'd err on the side of caution.

Scoot Henderson, PG/SG, Portland Trailblazers - Adductor

Henderson was another player expected to return post-ASB, but the 2023 #3 pick is still dealing with an injury. He was ruled out in advance of the Blazers' game on Tuesday against the Heat, which will be his fourth missed game in a row. The Blazers regularly use most/all of their bench, so there aren't any reliable streaming options.

Khris Middleton, SF, Milwaukee Bucks - Ankle

Middleton played only eight minutes last Tuesday against the Suns before exiting. After Friday's comfortable victory in Charlotte, coach Doc Rivers said that Middleton will be out "a minute", which according to Rivers equates to a couple of games. Given Middleton's recent injury history, I'd be surprised if he played before the All-Star break. Jae Crowder has entered fantasy relevance as a result and is worth a look.

Update 2/25: Coach Doc Rivers said Middleton is "getting closer" to suiting up again. Given that he was only supposed to miss a few games initially, I'm staying wary of Middleton's status moving forward.

Malcolm Brogdon, PG, Portland Trailblazers - Knee

Brogdon continues to miss time due to his knee injury, and the team announced on February 11 that he won't be reevaluated for two more weeks. Matisse Thybulle will likely continue to start in his place, although he's only useful for defensive stats.

Long-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Trae Young, PG, Atlanta Hawks - Finger

After injuring his finger on Saturday 2/24 against the Raptors, the Hawks announced on Sunday that Young would undergo surgery on Tuesday. He won't be reevaluated for four weeks, so his fantasy season is likely finished.

Patrick Williams, SF/PF, Chicago Bulls - Foot

Williams has been out since 1/25, but much like his teammate Zach LaVine healing naturally did not work out for him. On 2/23 the Bulls announced he would undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the season.

OG Anunoby, SF, New York Knicks - Elbow

Anunoby's elbow injury wasn't initially feared to be anything serious, which is why he wasn't included in this article last week, but when a guy misses four straight games something is up. Anunoby could very well return for tonight's game against the battered Grizzlies. However, considering that he's been ruled out for "inflammation" for two games in a row, I would expect this injury to be monitored closely with the All-Star break approaching.

Update February 8: Anunoby underwent surgery to remove a loose bone fragment in his elbow and will be reevaluated in three weeks.

Julius Randle, PF, New York Knicks - Shoulder

Randle suffered a dislocated shoulder against the Heat on Sunday, and while the Knicks are hopeful the severity of the injury is "measured in weeks, not months", that's nothing more than wishful thinking until his MRI later this week. If Josh Hart is still available in your league, he's pegged as the most likely candidate to join the starting lineup according to NY media, but Precious Achiuwa will probably see a little bump in minutes as well.

Update February 1: The Knicks announced that Randle will be reevaluated in two to three weeks.

Desmond Bane, SG/SF - Ankle and Marcus Smart, PG/SG - Finger, Memphis Grizzlies

If the season-ending injury to Ja Morant didn't end the Grizzlies' season, surely this pair of injuries will. Bane and Smart suffered their injuries in back-to-back games, and both are expected to be reevaluated in six weeks, which puts their timeline at the end of February. I'd be shocked if the Grizzlies weren't thinking more about their lottery odds at that point, and you should consider both of these injuries as essentially season-ending ones.

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 place.

The Tank Corner 

OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

The Grizzlies may not have the worst record in the league (would you believe they only have one fewer loss than the Warriors?) but it seems inevitable that the plug will be pulled soon. During their game on January 29 in Sacramento, they had 11 players ruled out. This does include guys who have been lost for the season and injured for a long time, but that doesn't change the fact that they're working with scraps. If Jaren Jackson Jr. picks up any sort of significant injury (real or fake), the floodgates will undoubtedly open for the Grizzlies to have the least recognizable roster in the NBA. For the time being, consider them a one-stop shop for all fantasy and DFS dart throws.

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