Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 16 - LaMarcus Aldridge, Kristaps Porzingis, Domantas Sabonis, Joe Ingles, LeBron James, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Bradley Beal

February 1, 2022

Keith Cork's NBA injuries report for fantasy basketball in Week 16. He recommends NBA injury replacements to set optimal lineups for seasonal and DFS formats.

Getting to this a little later on Monday, so this should be mostly up to date as of Tuesday morning when this publishes. Only three or four weeks left in most fantasy basketball leagues that are serious, so let's use this info while we have it to figure out who we can stream or who we can drop.

Prayers up for Joe Ingles who had the most catastrophic injury of the past week. He'll miss the rest of the season, and his career may even be over as he's already 34. Tough blow for him, but he had a really good run.

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

LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C, Brooklyn Nets - Ankle

Sprained ankles usually aren't a big deal, but they can be a bigger deal for big men, especially for big men that are near the end of their NBA careers. LaMarcus Aldridge fits into both of these categories, so he could be looking at several games on the shelf. That makes Nicolas Claxton a nice add in all formats while LMA heals up. The Nets have a back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday, so snagging Claxton now makes the most sense. He should be in line for plenty of run, especially with Day'Ron Sharpe questionable with an illness.

James Harden, PG/SG, Brooklyn Nets - Hand

James Harden was able to get through practice, which is a great sign. But the Nets may hold him out in their next game as it's the first game in a back-to-back and Kyrie Irving will be able to play in Phoenix. If Harden sits, Cam Thomas and DeAndre' Bembry stand to benefit the most. If he returns, those guys are not worth a roster spot.

Gordon Hayward, SG/SF, Charlotte Hornets - Health & Safety Protocols

Gordon Hayward may be able to play in Wednesday's game, or he might have to sit one out to get his conditioning back up. Kelly Oubre Jr. has had to sit the last two games with an ankle sprain, but he may be able to suit up on Wednesday which would mean he'd be in line for the bulk of the minutes. Jalen McDaniels is also dealing with an ankle issue and is unlikely to play anytime soon. If Hayward is out and Oubre can't go, Cody Martin is likely going to see close to 40 minutes again. He just doesn't do a whole lot with those minutes, but if you are desperate, he won't hurt you anywhere and is a decent source of steals and threes.

Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C, Dallas Mavericks - Knee

Another injury update, and another Kristaps Porzingis injury. By "unicorn" do they mean this guy just doesn't exist? He's never on the floor. Anyways, I digress. Maxi Kleber is the obvious pickup here and you can consider streaming Dwight Powell for big man stats. Marquese Chriss is an interesting flier for his per-minute production, but his role is likely to be in flux. We'll have to wait for updates about KP's knee, but hopefully, all is good.

Nikola Jokic, PF/C, Denver Nuggets - Toe

Nikola Jokic may be in line to rest a game here as he deals with a sore toe. If he does, Jeff Green, JaMychal Green, and Zeke Nnaji could get more run, and I would roster them in that order. I wouldn't rush out to grab anyone until there's more clarity though. Jokic might play through it as he's so integral to the success of the Nuggets.

Domantas Sabonis, PF/C, Indiana Pacers - Health & Safety Protocols

Domantas Sabonis will clear the league's protocols on February 5th at the earliest. With Myles Turner, Goga Bitadze, and Oshae Brissett all out, Isaiah Jackson will be a highly sought-after streaming option in the short term and he should be rostered everywhere. Goga might be worth a look if you strike out on Jackson if he can suit up for the next game. But even in limited minutes, Jackson has looked like the better fantasy player.

Ivica Zubac, C, Los Angeles Clippers - Calf

Ivica Zubac had to miss a game with a calf injury and it was Serge Ibaka who moved into the starting lineup and he had a nice game. Isaiah Hartenstein is also a guy to watch in case Zubac has to miss more time. He's likely back for their next one though, so don't go crazy until we hear confirmation that he's out.

LeBron James, PG/SG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers - Knee

LeBron James screwed me missing most of last week, but it looks like he could miss more time here. There are conflicting reports, so it's not clear if he's going to return this week or a few weeks from now. For now, I'll put him in the short-term injuries pile and cross my fingers. In his absence, guys like Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, and Talen Horton-Tucker get extra run. Monk is the guy you'd want to target if he's available in your league. Just don't expect much outside of scoring.

D'Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Minnesota Timberwolves - Leg

D'Angelo Russell and Patrick Beverley are both questionable, which means that Malik Beasley and Jaden McDaniels will see some increased opportunity. Beasley is the guy you want to target for points and threes. Jaden McDaniels might be the better short-term stream though for virtually every other category. When D'Lo returns, both of those guys will fall out of standard league value pretty easily.

De'Aaron Fox, PG, Sacramento Kings - Ankle

De'Aaron Fox has missed five games now, and there's not a lot of clarity about when he will return to the lineup. In his absence, Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell have been holding down the backcourt. Mitchell is worth a stream at the moment. Marvin Bagley has also been out with an ankle sprain, which makes Chimezie Metu a worthy streamer for the short term.

Bradley Beal, SG/SF, Washington Wizards - Wrist

Bradley Beal is set to miss the next two games for the Wizards with a sprained wrist. Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyle Kuzma are sure to be the guys that get the biggest boosts, but they are likely rostered already. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope should have some value once again, and Corey Kispert is someone you can take a flier on if you strike out on KCP. Rui Hachimura is also someone to keep your eye on as he has the ability to go off offensively and the Wizards will be looking for answers on that end.

Long Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Tim Hardaway Jr., SG/SF, Dallas Mavericks - Toe

Tim Hardaway Jr. fractured a toe and is going to miss an extended period of time. Exactly how long that will be remains to be seen, but in the meantime, his minutes will be soaked up by Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock. DFS doesn't do a ton for fantasy, but he's probably going to get enough opportunity to return some low-end production. Bullock should be viewed as a three-point specialist, but he can certainly help teams in that one category. Tough blow for a Mavs team that was playing well.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder - Ankle

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be out "at least through the all-star break" which is both vague and a little ominous. The Thunder have little incentive to bring him back as they try to make the most of their plethora of upcoming picks. SGA's absence will help Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, and Tre Mann. Everyone on the OKC Thunder will get a bit of a boost though as he had the highest usage on the team by far.

Nassir Little, SF, Portland Trail Blazers - Shoulder

Nassir Little tore his labrum, which is a huge bummer for a young player that was just coming on. He's going to miss the rest of the season and the Blazers are just looking like garbage these days. His absence will give Robert Covington and Norman Powell a bit of a boost. Trendon Watford has also secured a spot in the lineup for now with a bunch of guys out, but he can't be trusted in fantasy basketball.

Joe Ingles, SG/SF/PF, Utah Jazz - Knee

The biggest news of the week was Joe Ingles going down with an ACL tear. His season is certainly over and his career may be over too. It's hard to see anyone else on the roster stepping in and providing enough value for standard leagues, but Jared Butler is certainly someone you should keep your eye on. He's not doing enough just yet, but the Jazz are going to have to find some answers if they want to win games.

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