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Another week went by already? Man, time just keeps moving faster in fantasy basketball land.
Most teams have played a bit over half of their games at this point and we're reaching a bit of a lull in the season where new guys are stepping up and some of the guys we considered fantasy gold before are starting to fade. A big boon to your fantasy game can be snagging one of these guys at the right time. Get on those injury fantasy winners and win your league!
We'll just be covering the stuff that has changed since I wrote this article last week because I know you've been following and taking copious notes since we began! These players are listed in the alphabetical order of the teams for which they play.
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Short-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball
Bogdan Bogdonavic, SG/SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks - Knee
Bogdan Bogdanovic just can't seem to stay on the floor, and he's missed the last two games with knee soreness. Anyone who snagged De'Andre Hunter is likely happy and needs to hang onto him for the time being. Kevin Huerter can also be considered as a streaming option as the Hawks have four games this week.
Marcus Smart, PG/SG, Boston Celtics - Health & Safety Protocols
Marcus Smart is likely out for Monday's game, which will give Dennis Schroder another boost. He might miss Wednesday's game too if he has to return to playing condition. Josh Richardson gets a minor bump but doesn't do enough to warrant a roster spot in most leagues. Robert Williams also missed the last Celtics game for the birth of his child, but he should be back in the lineup shortly.
Nicolas Claxton, C, Brooklyn Nets - Hamstring
Nicolas Claxton is set to return any game now, and when he does you can easily jettison Day'Ron Sharpe. Nic Claxton is worth a flier as well with Kevin Durant set to miss a month. The Nets will need his offense, especially in games where Kyrie Irving can't play.
Zach LaVine, SG/SF, Chicago Bulls - Knee
Zach LaVine tweaked his knee on a non-contact play and immediately went to the locker room. There was a lot of worry among Bulls fans, but ultimately LaVine's MRI came back clean and he's truly day-to-day now. While he's out of the lineup, and without Lonzo Ball, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are both worth a roster spot. Both guys have been great in expanded roles so far, but their streaming window is pretty limited with several of Chicago's players set to return within the next week or so.
Lonzo Ball, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls - Knee
Lonzo Ball has also been playing with some discomfort in his knee for a while now, and he finally banged it up enough that it's keeping him out of games now. He is day-to-day but as mentioned above, in his absence Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are worth a roster spot. When Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso return, it will probably just be Coby White who retains any value.
Derrick Jones Jr., SG/SF, Chicago Bulls - Knee
Yep, the Chicago Bulls are dropping like flies. Derrick Jones Jr. suffered a bone bruise in his knee, which is really painful but will eventually heal. He is set to miss 2-4 weeks. With the Bulls so decimated, they've had to turn to Malcolm Hill and Alfonzo McKinnie to play big minutes. Neither guy is worth a look in fantasy leagues. Javonte Green will flirt with standard league value when he returns, and Alex Caruso should be scooped up everywhere where he is available. Both guys are on the verge of playing again.
Maxi Kleber, PF/C, Dallas Mavericks - Knee
Maxi Kleber left last night's game with a sore knee. If he's going to miss more time, it seems that Dorian Finney-Smith is going to see the bulk of his minutes. Marquese Chriss may get some run against larger teams, but he won't be worth rostering in most leagues. Go get DFS if he's available and hope he can continue to get 35+ minutes on a nightly basis.
Austin Rivers, PG/SG, Denver Nuggets - Illness
Austin Rivers will probably return soon, but should he miss another game Bones Hyland should hang onto some value. Bones is a great option for deeper leagues and a borderline stream for standard leagues. Still, Bones is someone to keep on your watch list if he can keep his recent streak of scoring.
JaMychal Green, PF/C, Denver Nuggets - Health & Safety Protocols
JaMychal Green could return anytime, but in his absence, Jeff Green has been doing enough scoring to be worth a roster spot. You're probably best off just avoiding this situation at this point, which goes for Bones Hyland too. Jeff Green and Bones might be worth a one-game stream at best.
Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, Detroit Pistons - Knee
Kelly Olynyk is nearing a return and should be rostered everywhere. He was held out for conditioning on Sunday and isn't playing on Tuesday, but the Detroit Pistons play on Wednesday and he could come back in that one. His return is going to crush Trey Lyles. You should stash Kelly O wherever he is available.
Stephen Curry, PG/SG, Golden State Warriors - Hand
Steph Curry has been dealing with hand soreness for a bit now, and he's sitting out games in the hopes that it will heal. Jordan Poole is the most obvious beneficiary, but with Draymond Green also out for at least two weeks, Jonathan Kuminga is also worth a look. Kuminga is a bit of a roll of the dice, but he should be able to provide scoring and some okay popcorn stats. Hang onto Poole for now, especially with Gary Payton II out as well.
Myles Turner, PF/C, Indiana Pacers - Foot
Myles Turner is seeking a second opinion about his sore left foot, which is never a good sign. Hopefully, he can return soon, but in his absence, Goga Bitadze and Oshae Brissett seem to be splitting his minutes. Neither guy is worth a roster spot for the time being, but the Pacers are an interesting team to keep tabs on as they are rumored to be sellers at the deadline. Myles Turner is an easy hold for now.
Malcolm Brogdon, PG/SG, Indiana Pacers - Achilles
Malcolm Brogdon just can't seem to get this Achilles injury under control and his owners are probably sweating a shutdown, which is definitely a possibility given the Pacers' record. If you're the gambling type, you can probably wrangle Brogdon away from their owner with a lowball offer. If you own Brogdon, it's annoying but he's an easy hold. Keifer Sykes sounds like a created player's name in 2k, but he can put up some nice guard stats in deeper leagues. Justin Holiday should lose a lot of his appeal when Brogdon returns, and Caris LeVert will also see a bit of a decrease in production most likely along with Domantas Sabonis.
Bam Adebayo, PF/C, Miami Heat - Thumb
I somehow left Bam Adebayo off my "Returning Players" section from last week, so just wanted to briefly cover what his return means for fantasy. Omer Yurtseven was a DNP and Dewayne Dedmon played 16 minutes. Both of those guys are easy drops. Bam played over 31 minutes in his return, which is basically a full workload for him.
Jrue Holiday, PG/SG, Milwaukee Bucks - Ankle
Jrue Holiday has been out for over a week with this ankle soreness and there hasn't been any clear indication of when he'll return. Grayson Allen and Donte DiVincenzo are the two most intriguing guys to consider streaming. I'd like Grayson as a three-point specialist, but Double D probably has more upside. Donte has been out for quite a while though and he still hasn't looked quite himself. This is probably a situation that's best avoided.
Matisse Thybulle, SG/SF, Philadelphia 76ers - Shoulder
Matisse Thybulle should miss the next week or so, and with Danny Green also on the sidelines that means we'll get more Furkan Korkmaz, Georges Niang, and Charlie Brown Jr. I'd pick them up in that order, but none of those guys are super appealing. Korkmaz can put up nice games, but he can also disappear for a stretch of games. He had six points, five assists, and two steals last night going 0-for-5 on three-pointers.
Deandre Ayton, C, Phoenix Suns - Ankle
It's just a sprained ankle, but anytime Deandre Ayton misses time JaVale McGee is a clear add. Ayton will likely be back for Monday's game, but if he's going to miss another one continue to stream McGee. Cameron Johnson's return means Jae Crowder is also an easy drop.
Tyrese Haliburton, PG/SG, Sacramento Kings - Health & Safety Protocols
Tyrese Haliburton entered the league's health and safety protocols, but there isn't much fantasy impact here. Buddy Hield and De'Aaron Fox will get bumps for a bit, but they're likely already owned. Marvin Bagley also went out with a shoulder injury, but he's just day-to-day. Richaun Holmes returned though, so the only guys who should be owned on the Kings are four of the five starters.
Khem Birch, PF/C, Toronto Raptors - Nose
Khem Birch fractured his nose, unfortunately. That opens the window for a Chris Boucher stream and he absolutely should be rostered in all leagues for the time being. Boucher has played well enough that there's no guarantee Birch finds the floor again when he does return. Gary Trent Jr. is returning soon though, which means the Raptors will choose to play some small-ball lineups at times. It's going to get dicey with Boucher but for now, just enjoy the ride.
Hassan Whiteside, PF/C, Utah Jazz - Health & Safety Protocols
Hassan Whiteside didn't get a chance to shine with Rudy Gobert out, unfortunately, and now he's in the protocols himself. Eric Paschall seems to be the biggest beneficiary but won't get enough minutes behind Gobert to make him worth a roster spot. There isn't much fantasy impact here.
Long Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball
Kevin Durant, SF/PF, Brooklyn Nets - Knee
The biggest news of the past week, of course, is the Kevin Durant injury. Bruce Brown just happened to roll into his knee, which is going to sideline KD for a month or more. Truly unfortunate for Durant owners, but of course, he's an easy hold. Cam Thomas seemed like the obvious add at the time, but Kessler Edwards saw 38ish minutes in the first game after the KD injury. It's important to note that this workload came in a losing effort, and the Nets are likely going to try different combinations to see what works. It's also important to note that Kyrie Irving played in this one, so it might look different in games where he doesn't play. If you picked up Cam Thomas, I'd hang onto him for a few games to see how everything shakes out. Kessler Edwards probably doesn't do enough to warrant a roster spot. Patty Mills should be owned if you need threes as he'll get enough volume to justify a spot as a specialist. Joe Harris is returning soon, and Nicolas Claxton should return to the lineup soon as well. Both guys make for interesting fliers as well.
Jerami Grant, SF/PF, Detroit Pistons - Thumb
We just received word that Jerami Grant has been assigned to the G-League to continue his rehab. This is a positive development, and it seems he's probably nearing a return. It's important to note though that Grant is a trade asset for the Pistons and he will likely end up in a situation that is less conducive to producing for fantasy. If you want to try to trade him, you might get someone to take him off your hands for a top-80 producer. If so, I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. The Pistons have little incentive to play him as they're sitting on ten wins and trying to develop younger guys. His return will squash the value of Saddiq Bey, Trey Lyles, and Hamidou Diallo.
CJ McCollum, PG/SG, Portland Trail Blazers - Ribs
CJ McCollum was able to suit up for the Blazers last night, so make sure you get him active if you haven't already. His return will likely kill a lot of Anfernee Simons' value. Norman Powell is also set to return any day, which will further decrease usage for Simons. I'd continue to hold Simons if you have him in any leagues as I am doing. He should have a long leash, especially with rumblings in Portland of a Lillard shutdown, which might mean the team will start to tank. If that's the case, Simons will continue to put up nice numbers. Guys like Ben McLemore and Dennis Smith Jr. are nearing the end of their streaming windows as well. It's easy to drop those guys now for someone more appealing.
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