Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 15 - Lauri Markkanen, Domantas Sabonis, Kyle Lowry, Anthony Edwards, Mitchell Robinson, Alex Caruso, Lonzo Ball, Anthony Davis

January 25, 2022

Keith Cork's NBA injuries report for fantasy basketball in Week 15. He recommends NBA injury replacements to set optimal lineups for seasonal and DFS formats.

Just a heads up that I'm writing this mostly before the games on Monday, so please confirm my information here before you click that "add" button real quick. That due diligence will save you from making a costly mistake.

A couple of big Bulls injuries happened this week, which is unfortunate for this Bulls fan in particular. Make sure Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White aren't on your league's wire. Both guys should be able to hang onto some standard league value for a few months now.

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.

Short-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Gordon Hayward, SG/SF, Charlotte Hornets - Foot

It's just some discomfort in his foot, so he's truly day-to-day. If he misses more time, or either of their back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday, Cody Martin and Kelly Oubre Jr. are the biggest beneficiaries. Both guys are worth a roster spot, with Cody probably being the only one available in your league. Cody Martin is a nice stream for threes and steals.

Lauri Markkanen, SF/PF/C, Cleveland Cavaliers - Ankle

Lauri Markkanen sprained his ankle pretty badly and is likely looking at a multi-game absence here. He's a seven-footer, so an ankle injury could take a while to come back from. In his absence, Kevin Love should be scooped up in all leagues. Dean Wade is someone to keep an eye on in case the Cavs decide to look for more shooting, but I would also keep an eye on Isaac Okoro who was coming on before he went down with an injury. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen owners can enjoy the minor boost.

Jarrett Allen, C, Cleveland Cavaliers - Illness

Jarrett Allen unfortunately popped up as ill as I was writing this. Ed Davis looks to be the immediate beneficiary and is an okay stream for blocks and rebounds should both Allen and Lauri Markkanen miss Wednesday's game.

Jeff Green, SF/PF/C, Denver Nuggets - Quad

Jeff Green and JaMychal Green are both out for the Nuggets, which means that Zeke Nnaji will see some more minutes. DeMarcus Cousins also gets an opportunity to contribute to his new team. Neither guy is reliable enough for standard fantasy leagues.

Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, Detroit Pistons - Health & Safety Protocols

Thia is a tough blow for Kelly Olynyk as he just came back from an injury, but he's probably going to be out for another game or two. The Pistons are pretty thin up front again, which means Trey Lyles should have some streaming appeal again. I wouldn't go crazy trying to snag him though.

Klay Thompson, SG/SF, Golden State Warriors - Knee

Klay Thompson was held out of Monday's practice and is questionable for Tuesday's game. If I had to bet, I'd say he doesn't play. This is why you shouldn't be so quick to drop Jordan Poole. It's going to be annoying, but with back-to-backs and random "maintenance days," Poole might be able to scrape by with standard league value. Poole is just an 11th round value over the last two weeks with Klay back though. Games like this should make it worth it in H2H if you have the luxury of rostering him during his down games. Damion Lee might get some minutes also but isn't worth a stream with other options out there. Gary Payton II is worth a snag for defensive stats.

Multiple Players, All Positions, Indiana Pacers - Tanking?

Here's the full list of players out for the Pacers: Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles, at least a week), Domantas Sabonis (Ankle, out at least two games), Myles Turner (Foot, out indefinitely), T.J. McConnell (Wrist, week-to-week), and T.J. Warren (Foot, out indefinitely).

There really isn't any telling if Brogdon or Turner play for the Pacers again this season with the team in utter turmoil. Goga Bitadze is worth a roster spot for sure now with Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner both out, and he has some stash appeal if the Pacers decide to shut either guy down or trade one of them. Oshae Brissett also has some stash appeal, but isn't doing enough to be a fantasy contributor at the moment. Justin Holiday should be rostered everywhere, especially by teams in need of threes and points. Chris Duarte and Torrey Craig are also worth roster spots at the moment with the former being the guy with the better ROS outlook for sure. Jeremy Lamb is a really intriguing guy with all these bodies out and the Pacers needing scoring. Isaiah Jackson is worth an add to the watch list as someone who could get a long leash should the Pacers decide to blow it up.

Brandon Clarke, SF/PF, Memphis Grizzlies - Back

This is truly an unfortunate development since Brandon Clarke was one of the top streaming options towards the middle of last week. He could be back soon, but in his absence, Xavier Tillman and Santi Aldama will get some minutes. Neither guy is worth a roster spot though. Clarke is probably a hold for another game to see if he can make it back to the floor, but if we get any indication he'll miss more games he's an easy drop, unfortunately.

Kyle Lowry, PG, Miami Heat - Personal

It's not clear what is going on with Kyle Lowry, but his absence has opened the door for Gabe Vincent, who should be scooped up in all leagues until Lowry can return. He's an excellent source of threes, assists, and steals.

Patrick Beverley, PG/SG, Minnesota Timberwolves - Ankle

Patrick Beverley is injured yet again, but it seems he was warming up before the last game with the intent to play. If you have him on your roster, I would hang onto him and hope that's the case. If he misses more time, consider streaming Malik Beasley. D'Angelo Russell would probably see the biggest boost, so enjoy that if you own him.

Anthony Edwards, SG/SF, Minnesota Timberwolves - Knee

Anthony Edwards bumped knees towards the end of the last game. The fact that he's just questionable for Tuesday's game against Portland is a good sign for Ant Man owners. His absence further enhances the appeal of Malik Beasley, but he doesn't do much outside of scoring and three-pointers.

Brandon Ingram, SF/PF, New Orleans Pelicans - Ankle

Brandon Ingram is set to miss Monday's game, but the hope is that his absence doesn't extend beyond that one game. If he does miss more time, Josh Hart should be even better for fantasy. Garrett Temple will likely soak up a majority of the minutes but isn't appealing in fantasy basketball.

Mitchell Robinson, C, New York Knicks - Ankle

Mitchell Robinson is just day-to-day, but you should go out and snag Nerlens Noel right now. Even if Noel doesn't start, he's still worth a roster spot for his ability to produce blocks and steals in limited time. If he slides into more minutes because of a Mitch Rob absence, even better. Taj Gibson would likely start either way, but isn't a fantasy option outside of deep leagues.

Gary Harris, SG/SF, Orlando Magic - Back

Gary Harris is dealing with back spasms, and Terrence Ross is still sidelined, so if both of those guys miss even more time you'll continue to see big minutes for Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony. Suggs should be added everywhere and you should definitely check your wire now to see if he's still sitting out there. Ignas Brazdeikis could see some additional run but is only worth a spot in deeper leagues.

Seth Curry, PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers - Ankle

It's not a good sign that Seth Curry has been ruled out of Tuesday's game a full day in advance. Matisse Thybulle is questionable and Danny Green has already been ruled out as well. Furkan Korkmaz should have some streaming appeal for at least one game and is a nice add for points and threes. If Thybulle is able to play, he's a great stream for defensive stats of course.

Jae Crowder, SF/PF, Phoenix Suns - Wrist

Jae Crowder is out with a wrist contusion and the injury bug has suddenly struck the Phoenix Suns. Deandre Ayton is doubtful and Cameron Payne is also day-to-day with a wrist injury. Cameron Johnson should be rostered everywhere and I'd rush to scoop him up if he's available. Cam is worth a roster spot even with all these guys playing, so hopefully, their absence leads to a little bump for him.

Donovan Mitchell, PG/SG, Utah Jazz - Concussion

It's entirely possible that Donovan Mitchell returns for the Utah Jazz and they sure do need him. Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson get the biggest bumps and are largely rostered everywhere at this point. There isn't any real fantasy gold here, but if Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles miss time beyond Monday night you can look at guys like Eric Paschall and Rudy Gay as short-term streaming options.

Long Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Joe Harris, SG/SF, Brooklyn Nets - Ankle

Joe Harris is inching towards a return following his left ankle surgery in November. Unfortunately, the latest news is that he's suffering from some "irritation" in that ankle on his way back to the basketball court. For now, Patty Mills and Kessler Edwards will get plenty of minutes, with Mills being the only player worth a roster spot. Once Average Joe returns, both guys will take a hit that will make them irrelevant, and if Joe shoots the ball like he did to start the season he'll be irrelevant too outside of streaming appeal here and there. There is still no clear timetable for his return.

Alex Caruso, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls - Wrist

On behalf of Bulls nation, I'd like to confidently extend a hearty "screw you" to the dirty Bucks player known as Grayson Allen. In a questionable play, Allen went up to challenge Alex Caruso's shot and Caruso, unfortunately, fell directly on his wrist. He'll need surgery to fix the issue and will miss 6-8 weeks. If he does return, it will only be for the final 10 games or so. Most leagues are wrapped up at that point, but if your league is still doing playoffs in the final few weeks, he might be worth a stash in IL if you're super needy for steals. A vast majority of teams can drop him to open up a streaming spot. Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White are going to get big minutes for the next few months here with Lonzo Ball also out for a few months. Coby is the safest option while Ayo is going to be pretty up and down. With Zach LaVine coming back as of the writing of this article, and Javonte Green also set to return, Ayo's role is even murkier.

Lonzo Ball, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls - Knee

Yes, the Bulls have been very unlucky this week. Lonzo Ball was having discomfort in his knee and it was later revealed that he had a partially torn meniscus. He opted for surgery, which will keep him on the sidelines for the next 6-8 weeks. He will return for the last 10 games or so of the regular season, most likely, which means in redraft leagues you can probably safely drop him. If he is closer to that six-week mark, he could make it back for the last 18 games. If you have an IL spot, I'd stash him and hope for that outcome, but if you're battling for a playoff spot and don't have an open IL spot, you need to move on from him now. As noted above, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White are the clear pickups here with the Bulls suddenly in need of guards, with Coby being the better option of the two for standard leagues.

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

As of the writing of this article, it seems like Anthony Davis is probable for the next Lakers game. That's great news for Lakers nation as the team has really been struggling without him on the floor. His return is going to make pretty much all the peripheral Lakers guys an easy drop. Malik Monk will probably take a hit as will Talen Horton-Tucker. Dwight Howard will go back to barely playing. Anthony Davis owners have to be stoked, but there's not a lot of opportunity here to make a move.

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