X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 16 - Christian Wood, Ben Simmons, Steven Adams

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 just about finished!

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.

Featured Promo: Get any full-season NBA Premium Pass for 50% off. Win big with our exclusive DFS lineup tools, matchup rating projections, powerful Research Station, Lineup Optimizer, daily DFS lineup picks/cheat sheets and more! Sign Up Now!

 

Short-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Ben Simmons, PG/SG/PF, Brooklyn Nets - Knee

First thing first, can we appreciate how funny it is that Simmons is listed as a shooting guard on Yahoo?? With that out of the way, I'm looking to get in front of this injury. Simmons had been very ineffective in the last few weeks, which makes me think that he may have been playing through an injury. The same happened earlier this year when Simmons ultimately missed time, his level of play decreased substantially and then he sat for 10-ish games and came back and looked good. Seth Curry started in his place last game and should be in line to do so again tonight vs the Lakers.

OG Anunoby, SG/SF, Toronto Raptors - Wrist

Anunoby left last Friday's game @ Golden State after only 10 minutes after what was deemed a "wrist sprain". He subsequently missed their game the next night in Portland, and there has been no update official update since. Anunoby was ruled out for Monday's game in Phoenix, so this is one to keep an eye on. I would recommend targeting Precious Achiuwa on waivers until Anunoby returns (or if you're looking for some depth).

Christian Wood, PF/C, Dallas Mavericks - Thumb

Last Friday (1/27) Mavs coach Jason Kidd said Wood will be out "at least" another week, and he considers his injury "week-to-week" moving forward. While Wood is out, I would target Dorian Finney-Smith. DFS has provided 9th-10th round value in 9-CAT leagues over the past two weeks.

Kevin Porter Jr, PG, Houston Rockets - Foot

Porter has missed six 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.

Week 2: The Rockets have provided absolutely no kind of update since last week. KPJ was ruled out for Monday's game vs the Thunder early in the day, and then the Rockets don't play again until Friday. At the very least, I would expect this week to be another wash for him.

 

Long-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Steven Adams, C, Memphis Grizzlies - Knee

Adams, who currently sits 4th in the NBA in rebounding, suffered a PCL sprain last Tuesday, and his return timetable is supposed to be 3-5 weeks. I'm going to err on the side of caution here – that the Grizzlies who are cruising toward the playoffs don't rush Adams back to action, and his absence is closer to five weeks than three. Assuming Brandon Clarke is already rostered in your league, look at Santi Aldama to pick up Adams' vacated rebounds.

Mitchell Robinson, C, New York Knicks - Thumb

Robinson had thumb surgery last Thursday, and won't be re-evaluated for three 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.

Update 1/26): Moving Robinson to long-term officially off the back of some James Dolan comments on a radio show. Dolan said during his weekly appearance on the "Good Day New York" show that Robinson will be out for four weeks. That would us right back in the ballpark of the post-ASB timeline I had predicted last week, this just makes it official.

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 1/24: Towns' situation continues to look worse and worse. Head coach Chris Finch said KAT "has no timetable to return to game action". At this point, it feels like we'll be lucky if Towns returns by the fantasy playoffs.

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.

Update 1/24: The Nets announced KD is on pace with his recovery plan and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. It figures to reason KD will try and play in the All-Star game, which would be the week of his re-evaluation. If he returns to meaningful action before the ASB, I would expect it to be in limited minutes.

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 three 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.

Update 1/24: The Pelicans announced Zion will be re-evaluated again in two weeks. I would say it's likely a guarantee we won't see him until after the All-Star Break.

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 1/25: The Suns announced Booker will be re-evaluated in a week. Given how badly the Suns have been slumping of late, I do NOT expect them to give Booker extended recovery time through the ASB.

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.

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 1/28: Ball has been deemed "nowhere close to returning" by Bulls coaching/management. Coach Billy Donovan said that if there isn't marked improvement by post-ASB, Lonzo will just be shut down for the year officially.

 

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.

 



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

ROTOBALLER PLAYER NEWS

DeAndre Hopkins3 mins ago

Cards Reportedly Expect "McCaffrey Package" For DeAndre Hopkins
Luis Severino6 mins ago

Has Low-Grade Lat Strain
Brandon Hughes21 mins ago

Hopes To Pitch Monday
Jameson Taillon26 mins ago

Becoming More Of A Strikeout Artist?
Anthony Davis28 mins ago

Collects A Big Double-Double Versus OKC
Drew Smyly32 mins ago

Fine-Tuning His Mechanics
Zach LaVine33 mins ago

Scores 33 Points With Six Triples
Justin Steele39 mins ago

Cubs Not Concerned With Justin Steele's Velocity
Joel Embiid40 mins ago

Almost Has A 50-Point Triple-Double Friday
James Paxton46 mins ago

To Face Live Hitters Saturday
Luka Doncic47 mins ago

Falls Just Short Of A Triple-Double Friday
Jake Woodford51 mins ago

To Open Year In Starting Rotation
Luke Kennard53 mins ago

Hits 10 Treys Off The Bench
Kenley Jansen56 mins ago

Expects To Pitch Before Camp Ends
Keldon Johnson1 hour ago

Bags A 30-Point Double-Double
Jayson Tatum1 hour ago

Pours In 34 Points Against Indiana
De'Aaron Fox1 hour ago

Exits With A Hamstring Problem
Tage Thompson1 hour ago

Questionable For Saturday
Cale Makar2 hours ago

Returns With A Three-Point Effort
Luis Ortiz2 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A After Subpar Spring Training
Valeri Nichushkin2 hours ago

Has Two Assists In Friday's Win
Nathan MacKinnon2 hours ago

Keeps His Point Streak Going
Jack Roslovic2 hours ago

Dishes Out Two Assists
Dylan Cozens2 hours ago

Reaches The 60-Point Mark
Trey Murphy10 hours ago

III Questionable On Saturday
De'Andre Hunter11 hours ago

Questionable Versus Indiana
Kyle Lowry11 hours ago

May Miss Saturday's Game
Seth Curry11 hours ago

Won't Play Against Miami
Trae Young11 hours ago

Questionable Versus The Pacers
Dejounte Murray11 hours ago

Removed From The Injury Report
Miami Dolphins12 hours ago

Justin Bethel Re-Signs With The Dolphins
Johnny Gaudreau12 hours ago

Records Two Points In Victory
Brock Nelson12 hours ago

Has Multi-Point Game In Loss
Alex Tuch12 hours ago

Scores Two Goals In Victory
Jack Hughes12 hours ago

Scores Two Goals In Loss
Ezekiel Elliott12 hours ago

Bengals "Looming Large" In Move For Ezekiel Elliott
Zane Gonzalez13 hours ago

Not Released, Traded To San Francisco
Kenley Jansen13 hours ago

Feels Light-Headed Friday
Steven Sims14 hours ago

Added By Houston
Dylan Dodd15 hours ago

Pushing For Spot In Braves Rotation
Bryan Reynolds15 hours ago

Says No News On Contract Extension
Joey Wentz15 hours ago

To Fill In As Tigers Fifth Starter
Daniel Lynch15 hours ago

Has Shoulder Strain, Likely Injured List Bound
Ryan Pepiot15 hours ago

Wins Spot In Rotation
Ramón Urías15 hours ago

Ramon Urias Scratched From Lineup Friday
Hunter Brown16 hours ago

Throws Friday
Alex Verdugo16 hours ago

Triston Casas Could Lead Off Against Righties
Philipp Kurashev17 hours ago

Ruled Out For Saturday
Zach Collins17 hours ago

Out On Friday Evening
Jakob Chychrun17 hours ago

Doubtful For Saturday's Game
Tyrese Haliburton17 hours ago

To Return Against Boston
Jaylen Brown17 hours ago

Available Versus Indiana
John Klingberg17 hours ago

To Remain Out On Saturday
Alec Martinez17 hours ago

Won't Play Saturday
Filip Zadina18 hours ago

Ruled Out For Saturday
Cale Makar18 hours ago

Returns To Avalanche Lineup
Patrik Laine18 hours ago

Out For 2-4 Weeks
Seattle Seahawks18 hours ago

Seahawks Still In Contact With Bobby Wagner
Tyler Naquin19 hours ago

Keston Hiura, Tyler Naquin Won't Make Brewers Roster
Julio Urías19 hours ago

Julio Urias Officially Starting Opening Day
Corbin Burnes19 hours ago

To Start Opening Day For Brewers
Nassir Little19 hours ago

Considered Probable For Friday
Tyrese Haliburton19 hours ago

Participates In Shootaround
Kelly Oubre19 hours ago

Jr. Uncertain For Friday
Terry Rozier19 hours ago

Unlikely To Play On Friday
Marquez Callaway20 hours ago

Signs With Broncos
Marquise Goodwin20 hours ago

Signing With Browns
Zane Gonzalez21 hours ago

Panthers Release Zane Gonzalez
David Blough21 hours ago

Re-Signs With Cardinals
Philadelphia Eagles21 hours ago

Eagles Sign Terrell Edmunds
Blake Bell21 hours ago

Remaining With Chiefs
DJ Chark21 hours ago

Joins Panthers
Nelson Agholor22 hours ago

Ravens Agree To One-Year Deal With Nelson Agholor
Cory Sandhagen22 hours ago

Can Earn Back-To-Back Victories
Marlon Vera22 hours ago

Finds Himself In Main-Event Spotlight Saturday
Yana Santos22 hours ago

Looking For Biggest UFC Win Of Her Career
Holly Holm23 hours ago

Seeking First Victory Since 2020
Austin Lingo23 hours ago

On Verge Of Three-Fight Winning Streak
Nate Landwehr23 hours ago

Hoping For Third Straight Strong Performance
DeAndre Carter23 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Philadelphia Eagles23 hours ago

Eagles Give Lane Johnson One-Year Extension
John Tavares23 hours ago

Bags Three Assists In Thursday's Win
Auston Matthews24 hours ago

Continues Strong Finish To The Season
Alex DeBrincat24 hours ago

Breaks Out Of Slump With Three Points
Mika Zibanejad24 hours ago

Continues Hot Spell With Two Assists
Bryce Young1 day ago

Impresses At Pro Day
Eddy Piñeiro2 days ago

Panthers Re-Sign Eddy Pineiro To Two-Year Deal
Tony Jones Jr.2 days ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Broncos
Will Levis2 days ago

Meeting With Panthers Thursday
Ryan Succop2 days ago

Buccaneers Release Ryan Succop
Maycee Barber2 days ago

Can Continue Her Flyweight Ascent
Andrea Lee2 days ago

In Need Of Victory To Keep Momentum Going
MMA2 days ago

Manel Kape On The Hunt For Fourth Straight Victory Saturday
Alex Perez2 days ago

Seeking First Victory Since 2020
Albert Duraev2 days ago

Can Rebound With A Victory
Chidi Njokuani2 days ago

Hopes To Get Back In Win Column
Taylor Montgomery4 days ago

A Hard Fade In Austin
Sam Burns4 days ago

Hard To Trust At WGC Dell Match Play
Max Homa4 days ago

A Strong Contender In Austin
Tom Hoge4 days ago

A Bracket-Buster In Match Play
Hideki Matsuyama4 days ago

Doesn't Perform In Match Play
Kamaru Usman4 days ago

Unsuccessful In Bid To Recapture Title
Leon Edwards4 days ago

Defends Crown At UFC 286
Viktor Hovland4 days ago

Has Struggled In Match Play
Rafael Fiziev4 days ago

Has Strong Showing But Takes Loss
Justin Gaethje4 days ago

Puts On Another Highlight-Reel Performance
Tyrrell Hatton4 days ago

The Favorite In His Group
Bryan Barberena4 days ago

Suffers Second Straight Submission Loss
Gunnar Nelson4 days ago

Scores Impressive Finish At UFC 286
Will Zalatoris4 days ago

Needs Birdies At WGC Match Play
Jordan Spieth4 days ago

Can Advance At WGC Match Play
Matt Fitzpatrick4 days ago

May Struggle At WGC Match Play
Chris Kirk4 days ago

Draws A Bit Unlucky At WGC Match Play
Patrick Cantlay4 days ago

Has Good Chance At WGC Match Play
Brian Harman4 days ago

Has Putter's Chance To Contend At WGC
Tommy Fleetwood4 days ago

Has Challenge At WGC Match Play
Casey O'Neill5 days ago

Takes First Defeat Against Former Champion
Jennifer Maia5 days ago

Earns Decision Win Over Undefeated Opponent
Roman Dolidze5 days ago

Suffers Setback With Decision Loss
Kyle Busch5 days ago

Finishes In Top 10 At Atlanta
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Finishes Strong In Atlanta
Erik Jones5 days ago

Gets His First Top-10 Finish Of The Season
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Bounces Back From Speeding Penalty
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Has A Strong Showing
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Hangs in For Fifth Place At Atlanta
Corey Lajoie5 days ago

Corey LaJoie Uses Course To Advantage On Sunday
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Ends Up With Another Top Five Result
Christopher Bell6 days ago

Brad Keselowski Noses Christopher Bell Out For Second
Joey Logano6 days ago

Goes From Pole To Win Sunday
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF