Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 15 - Kristaps Porzingis, Kevin Porter Jr, Mitchell Robinson

January 24, 2023

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

Welcome back RotoBallers! 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 and couldn't keep track of everything. January is winding down!

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

Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C, Washington Wizards - Ankle

Porzingis exited in the third quarter on Saturday, and the Magic have deemed him "week-to-week", which is probably the single most confusing injury designation that can be handed out. Between this injury, and the news that Rui Hachimura has been traded to the Lakers, Deni Avdija becomes a must-roster fantasy asset.

Kevin Porter Jr, PG, Houston Rockets - Foot

Porter has missed 6 straight games, while the Rockets are in the midst of a 13-game losing streak, and things got even worse on Saturday when Porter Jr's status was downgraded to "reevaluated in a week". I didn't write up KPJ last week because he was listed as "Questionable" for last Monday's game, the same status he received for their other two games that he ultimately missed. Seeing them recant their game-by-game strategy, I worry there's an extended absence coming for the Rockets' young PG.

Mitchell Robinson, C, New York Knicks - Thumb

Robinson had thumb surgery last Thursday, and won't be re-evaluated for 3 weeks; that would put us right at the week leading to the All-Star break. From a front-office perspective, the obvious move would be to keep Robinson out through the All-Star break. Early results of Robinson missing time indicate that Jericho Sims will have a larger role over Isaiah Hartenstein.

Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Indiana Pacers - Knee, Elbow

Haliburton got a 2-for-1 injury in the Pacers' loss to the Knicks last Wednesday, and subsequently, the team announced he'll be shelved for two weeks and then be re-evaluated. TJ McConnell has earned himself huge streaming appeal after the first 3 games without Haliburton.

Week 2: Haliburton appears to be on schedule for a two-week absence.

Lonnie Walker IV, SG/SF - Knee & SG/SF Austin Reaves - Hamstring, Los Angeles Lakers

Both of these Lakers' wings are slated to be sidelined for two weeks with their respective injuries. The Lakers are INCREDIBLY thin on the perimeter right now with these two hurt, as well as Troy Brown Jr. I know this might sound crazy, but I think Dennis Schroder is the #1 streaming option for the whole week.

Week 3: Reaves and Walker both appear they're going to miss another week. Until they return Schroder and Brown Jr are viable streamers.

Long-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

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.

Update 1/20: Towns said during a Twitch stream (not a typo) that his calf strain is officially Grade 3 and that his initial 4-6 week return timetable is out the window. He didn't expand further on when he'll be back, but based on that statement I think it's fair to assume that KAT won't return until after the All-Star break.

Kevin Durant, SF/PF, Brooklyn Nets - Knee

Durant suffered an MCL sprain, and while the Nets announced he'll be re-evaluated after two weeks, these injuries typically take around a month for a player to return. I expect that to be around Durant's timeline. He'll be back before the All-Star break (Feb 16-21), but I wouldn't expect to see him before February.

Zion Williamson, PF/C, New Orleans Pelicans -  Hamstring

Zion tweaked his hammy last Monday night in Philly, and the Pelicans initially ruled him out for 3 weeks. We're 1/3 of the way through their initial diagnosis but given the organization's track record with their former #1 overall pick, I'd much prefer to err on the side of a longer absence.

Marvin Bagley, PF/C, Detroit Pistons - Hand

Bagley underwent hand surgery last Thursday, after suffering two broken fingers, and is going to miss 6-8 weeks. I'm going to assume Jalen Duren is no longer available in your league, so if you need to dig deep, look at Nerlens Noel.

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. I know the Suns' backcourt is depleted right now, and Damion Lee is in a potential short-term explosion spot. I also think Torrey Craig is a decent option again as well.

Update 12/28: Booker was ruled out for 4 weeks, so he's officially been placed in the long-term section. Both guys that I listed in my initial write-up profile as fine streamer options during Booker's absence (but I may have gassed up Damion Lee a bit).

Devin Vassel, SG, San Antonio Spurs - Knee

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said that Vassel won't return until "a little after the All-Star break" after the rookie standout got hurt and is expected to have surgery done this Wednesday. The Spurs are obviously not looking to compete for anything (besides the Victor Wembenyama sweepstakes) this year, so hopefully, this isn't the beginning of the end for the standout rookie guard. Josh Richardson looks to be a great replacement option for Vassel from a fantasy perspective.

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 1/16: Davis is expected to start running on the court again this week, with a target return of early February before the All-Star break.

Kelly Oubre Jr, SF/PF, Charlotte Hornets - Hand

Oubre is going to miss 4-6 weeks after getting surgery on his left hand. Jalen McDaniels was called upon to take Gordon Hayward's minutes when he was injured, and I would expect he and Hayward will fill the void left by Oubre.

Aleksej Pokusevski, SF/PF/C, Oklahoma City Thunder - Leg

Pokusevski suffered some sort of tibia fracture in his left leg, which is expected to sideline him for at least 6-8 weeks. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, said that he doesn't think the injury is "long-long term", and expects Pokusevski to return before the end of the year. But...we know the Thunder, currently 12th in the West, love a good tank, so take that with a grain of salt.

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 1/16: Ball himself acknowledged that he's still dealing with discomfort in his knee and it's possible he doesn't play this year. I would expect him to not see the floor this year, as the Bulls appear to be sellers heading toward the trade deadline.

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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