Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 10 - Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, Gary Trent Jr.

December 20, 2022

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 RotoBallers. We're finally into December and the NBA landscape is starting to take shape. As always, injuries are a big factor. I'm here to help you stay up to date on injury news, and how it impacts your teams.

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

Drop me a follow on Twitter (@Maxadelphia) for all things fantasy basketball, and nightly NBA plays. Be sure to also bookmark our awesome free NBA injuries report tool for up-to-the-minute fantasy basketball injury updates.

Short-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Gary Trent Jr, PG/SG, Toronto Raptors - Quad

Trent Jr is missing a third consecutive game on Monday due to a quad injury, and if the Raptors give him two more games off (aka the rest of their week), he wouldn't be suiting up again until next Tuesday. The Raptors are in a bit of a free-fall currently (have lost seven of eight), so it is possible they push him to return ASAP. While GTJ remains out, Malachi Flynn has been starting (but with middling production to show for it).

Khris Middleton, SF/PF, Milwaukee Bucks - Knee

Turns out the ankle injury I wrote up last week didn't keep Middleton out of any games. However, he seems to have suffered a knee injury in a game last Thursday against the Grizzlies. Middleton was held out of Saturday's game vs. the Jazz, but in a surprising twist was also ruled out of Monday's game in New Orleans. The Bucks are going on a four-game road trip, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Middleton get extended rest while the season is still relatively young. If Middleton does miss any sort of meaningful time, Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton both remain viable streaming options.

Clint Capela, C, Atlanta Hawks - Calf

Capela will be sidelined for 1-2 weeks with a calf strain, according to reports. Onyeka Okongwu moved into the starting five in his place and should remain there until his return. If you're in the 50% of leagues where Okongwu is available, stop reading and go grab him!

Andrew Wiggins, SF/PF, Golden State Warriors - Groin

The Warriors announced today that Wiggins will be held out of their Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back with the Bucks & Pacers. With their only other game this week being on Friday, I think there's a good chance they give Wiggins the whole week to recover, and there's a possibility he's rested the last four games of this road trip as well, which would leave him out through next week. The fallout has put more burden on the rest of the Warriors' key contributors, but it's worth noting Jonathan Kuminga played the most bench minutes in the two games sans Wiggins.

Week 2: Warriors coach Steve Kerr has already confirmed Wiggins will be out until the Christmas Day game against Memphis (at least). With Steph Curry also injured, Donte DiVincenzo is an elite streaming option at the moment.

Jalen Suggs, PG/SG, Orlando Magic - Ankle

Suggs has struggled with injuries at various points in the year, but thankfully for Magic fans, this isn't part of a widespread epidemic among the roster this time. If you're looking for streaming options at guard, Markelle Fultz is available in 60% of leagues still (if you play dynasty this might not apply to you).

Week 3: The Magic haven't provided an update other than last week's "remains out" about Suggs, which isn't ideal. However, Suggs had recently appeared as a GTD on the Magic injury reports, so I expect him back before the end of the week.

Long-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Steph Curry, PG/SG, Golden State Warriors - Shoulder

Curry suffered a shoulder injury last Wednesday against the Pacers and is expected to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. The good news is the injury doesn't require surgery. For now (while Andrew Wiggins is still sidelined), look at the aforementioned DiVincenzo, or if you need to dig deep, Ty Jerome has shown offensive capabilities but offers little for defense.

Anthony Davis, PF/C, Los Angeles Lakers  - Foot

Davis is out a minimum of one month due to the injury, but what makes this even tougher to swallow for Davis owners is that Shams has reported the Lakers have braced for "an indefinite absence." Not exactly what you want to hear when it comes to a guy with extensive injury history in Davis. If your league is any sort of competitive, Thomas Bryant has already been scooped off waivers. If you need to dig deep, Dennis Schroder is worth a look based on volume (albeit not exactly a clean fit).

Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C, Minnesota Timberwolves - Calf

KAT strained his calf last Monday night, and his timetable for return is 4-6 weeks. Based on usage since the injury, it looks like the Wolves starters will just take on more of the load. If you're looking for streaming options, both Jaden McDaniels and Kyle Anderson are worth evaluating.

Gordon Hayward, SF/PF, Charlotte Hornets - Shoulder

No stranger to the injury list, Hayward is now slated to be out "indefinitely" after fracturing his left shoulder. I'll provide an update whenever one comes available, but based on the language, I wouldn't expect to see Hayward until 2023. Jalen McDaniels has picked up most of Hayward's minutes traditionally when the latter has been injured. If you're in a deeper league, Kai Jones is worth a potential dart throw.

Tyrese Maxey, PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers - Foot

Maxey and Embiid getting hurt on the same night is an absolutely brutal break. I already gave streaming advice when James Harden went down, so once again look at Shake Milton, and if you need to go deeper, then Danuel House Jr.

Update 12/11: Maxey appeared to be a partial participant at a Sixers practice held last Wednesday, but coach Doc Rivers remained committed to the notion that Maxey still has no timetable to return to meaningful action.

Desmond Bane, SG/SF, Memphis Grizzlies - Toe

Update 12/7: The Grizzlies maintain that Bane's rehab is going well, but they have updated his timetable to tack on another 3-4 weeks of rehab and recovery. This would put his timetable to return into January 2023.

Cade Cunningham, PG/SG, Detroit Pistons - Shin

Cunningham is our second convert from short-term to long-term. In the last seven days, Cunningham's injury has gone from an innocuous discomfort to full-blown panic mode. Whenever the next update arrives, I'll be sure to write about it below. Killian Hayes and Cory Joseph should continue to replace him as the Pistons' PG.

Update 12/12: As I'm sitting here Monday night, I get this notification: Cunningham will undergo season-ending surgery on his shin. There goes my second-round pick this year.

Cameron Johnson, SF/PF, Phoenix Suns - Knee

Johnson tore his right meniscus in last Friday's game against the Trail Blazers. Johnson is getting surgery done this week, and recovery time is typically four weeks minimum. I wouldn't expect to see Johnson until about mid-December.

Update 12/18: Johnson hasn't returned to practice officially but has been participating in pre-game shootarounds, so expect him back before 2023.

Lonzo Ball, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls - Knee

Until Ball returns (which doesn't seem like it will be in 2022), Ayo Dosunmu is the starting PG for the Bulls. Dosunmu is off to a hot start, and he's definitely worth looking to acquire if you can find a good deal.

Update 12/3: Coach Billy Donovan said in a press conference that "it's been really slow" regarding Ball's rehabilitation, and he remains without a timetable to return. I think there is a very real chance Ball doesn't suit up this year.

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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