Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 11 - Devin Booker, Domantas Sabonis, Joe Harris

December 27, 2022

Max Kulish's NBA injuries report for fantasy basketball in Week 11. He recommends NBA injury replacements to set optimal lineups for seasonal and DFS formats.

Welcome back RotoBallers, Happy Holidays! I'm here to help you stay up to date on injury news, and how it impacts your teams in case you had a busy weekend of holiday festivities and couldn't keep track of everything.

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

Devin Booker, PG/SG, Phoenix Suns - Groin

Booker played only four minutes on Christmas and then exited with a presumably re-aggravated groin injury. No update is being provided until Tuesday, so I don't have definitive answers this week. What I do know is the Suns' backcourt is depleted right now, and that Damion Lee is in a potential short-term explosion spot. I also think Torrey Craig is a decent option again as well.

Domantas Sabonis, PF/C, Sacramento Kings - Hand

Sabonis fractured a bone in his hand over the weekend, and while he is probable to play tomorrow, the doctors say this is largely a pain tolerance issue. He could miss no time at all, and typing him up would be a waste, but it's also possible this causes him to miss time ultimately. Should Sabonis miss time, Richaun Holmes would seem most likely to take his place in the starting lineup.

Joe Harris, SG/SF, Brooklyn Nets - Knee

Harris has been ruled out until at least Saturday, but it's too early to tell if that will be the full extent of things. Either way, Royce O'Neal should be an excellent streaming option this week in his absence.

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.

Week 2: The Bucks don't play again until Wednesday, so there's been no real update on Middleton since he missed the Christmas game against the Celtics. The Bucks then have games Friday and Sunday, so I'd slightly lean toward Middleton coming back for the weekend with extended rest.

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!

Week 2: Capela actually returned on Friday and played 20 minutes against the Pistons, but he's already been ruled out of Tuesday's game with a calf injury. His absence Tuesday is due to "cramping", so it's unclear if it's just a one-game absence. Okongwu continues to remain an above-average fantasy option while Capela sits.

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.

Week 3: There's been no official report of this, but it seems like Wiggins is headed for a return this week based on beat-writer reports.

Long-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Jalen Suggs, PG/SG, Orlando Magic - Ankle

I'm moving Suggs to the long-term section, it's been long enough. The Magic have said nothing about this injury, so I'm giving up. Knowing the Magic, Suggs will just appear as a GTD one day and he'll be playing. Until then he's staying right here.

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.

Update 12/24: The Warriors have said Steph is "making good progress", and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

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).

Update 12/23: The Lakers have announced Davis will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

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 12/26: Maxey could return as early as Friday at home vs the Pelicans. Given how careful the Sixers have been with him, I would expect that to be the day. He is confirmed to be on a minutes restriction upon return.

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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