RADIO
RotoBaller has assembled NBA injury updates and advice on various injury situations throughout the NBA to prepare for your daily lineups on January 29, 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 (1/29)
Short Term Injuries
Carmelo Anthony (SF/PF, NYK): Anthony sat out Thursday's game with a sore knee. He has said it is not serious, but there's definitely some concern here. Derrick Williams and Lance Thomas would stand to benefit the most in his absence.
Anthony Davis (PF/C, NO): Davis missed Thursday's game and is still going through the league's concussion protocol. If he's forced to miss more time, Omer Asik will start in his place.
Goran Dragic (PG, MIA): Dragic is likely to return on Friday against Milwaukee. Beno Udrih and Tyler Johnson have been manning the point for the Heat.
Rudy Gay (SF/PF, SAC): Gay missed Thursday's game with a left eye corneal abrasion, and is listed day-to-day. Omri Casspi has taken his starting spot, though his minutes have increased only marginally, with the rest of Gay's minutes being spread around the Kings bench.
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 way ahead of schedule. The original timetable was six months, but he is reportedly returning tonight against Portland. He will likely be eased back into action, but this is big news and he should be added in fantasy leagues.
Jeremy Lin (PG/SG, CHA): Lin is out for Friday's game with an ankle injury. Lin is considered day-to-day, but his role is likely to be reduced with the return of Kidd-Gilchrist, so he may be a drop candidate.
Jahlil Okafor (PF/C, PHI): The big man has missed the last two games with an illness, but practiced on Friday and should return for Saturday's game.
Zaza Pachulia (C, DAL): Pachulia is probable to play in Friday's game after missing the last three contests with inflammation in his achilles. Salah Mejri and Dwight Powell have been picking up the slack while Zaza has been out.
Hassan Whiteside (C, MIA): Whiteside couldn't make it through practice on Thursday, and is doubtful for Friday's game against Milwaukee. The injury still isn't considered long-term, but it's starting to get annoying for fantasy owners. Amar'e Stoudemire has been starting in his absence, though he has hardly had fantasy relevance.
Up in the Air Injuries
Tim Duncan (PF/C, SA): The veteran for the Spurs has been out since Monday sore knee. He's had an MRI and there's no timetable for his return. David West, Boris Diaw, and Boban Marjanovic will see more minutes in the interim.
Tyreke Evans (PG/SG, NO): Evans was dealing with pain in his surgically repaired right knee, and sat out Thursday's game. Jrue Holiday, Norris Cole, and Bryce Dejean-Jones played the bulk of the backcourt minutes for the Pelicans, much to the chagrin of fantasy owners who added Toney Douglas.
John Henson (PF/C, MIL): Henson is dealing with a back injury and is questionable for tonight's game against Miami. Miles Plumlee and Greg Monroe would pick up the slack if he is ruled out.
Brandon Knight (PG/SG, PHO): Knight has been ruled for the entire four-game road trip starting on Tuesday. Archie Goodwin and Devin Booker will shoulder the load until Knight is ready to go.
Jameer Nelson (PG, DEN): Nelson seems toe be dealing with a fairly severe wrist sprain that has kept him out for five straight contests. Emmanuel Mudiay will continue to see significant minutes, and Randy Foye and Sean Kilpatrick will see modest increases as well.
Cody Zeller (PF/C, CHA): Zeller is out with a shoulder injury that will keep him out for at least a few more games. He's not worth hanging onto in most leagues. Frank Kaminsky is playing well in his absence, and Al Jefferson is projected to return in less than a month.
On the Mend Injuries
Alec Burks (PG/SG, UTA): Burks has shed his walking boot, and could return shortly after the All-Star Break. His return could cut into the minutes of Trey Burke, Rodney Hood, and Raul Neto.
Mike Dunleavy (SG/SF, CHI): Dunleavy is set to do some contact drills in practice on Tuesday. There is still no timetable for his return, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.
Rodney Stuckey (PG/SG, IND): Stuckey is out again on Tuesday with an ankle sprain. He's missed seven games with the ailment and doesn't look like he's close to returning. Monta Ellis and George Hill will handle most of the backcourt duties in the meantime.
Down N' Out Injuries
DeMarre Carroll (PF, TOR): Carroll had knee surgery in December, and is reportedly ahead of schedule with his recovery. There's a long-shot chance he comes back for the end of the year, so if 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 another three-to-five weeks. This injury hurts, especially if you don't have an injured spot, but don't cut him. In the meantime, Jrue Holiday, Norris Cole, and Bryce Dejean-Jones will see increased minutes.
Blake Griffin (PF/C, LAC): Griffin, who had been hoping to return soon from a quadriceps injury, has broke his hand in a fight with a team employee in a Toronto restaurant. Wonderful. It will reportedly keep him out for "a matter of weeks, not days." 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.
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 four weeks into that timetable. Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes will continue to pick up the slack for the big man in the absence of Cody Zeller.
Nikola Mirotic (SF/PF, CHI): Mirotic is out until after the All-Star Break after undergoing an appendectomy. Bobby Portis will pick up more minutes off the bench behind starters Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson.
