Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 19 - Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Scottie Barnes

March 5, 2024

Max Kulish's NBA injuries report for fantasy basketball in Week 19. He recommends NBA injury replacements to set optimal lineups for seasonal and DFS formats.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We're heading into the home stretch of the fantasy season! I'm here to help you stay up to date on injury news, and how it impacts your teams.

I'm writing this the day before you'll see it; information is accurate as of Monday, March 4, at night. I'll just cover what has changed since last week.

Drop me a follow on Twitter/X (@Maxadelphia) for all things fantasy basketball and nightly NBA plays.

Short-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Devin Booker, PG/SG, Phoenix Suns - Ankle

Booker will miss seven to 10 days, leaving him out for at least the next four games for the Suns. While he's out, I'd prioritize Royce O'Neale who has been killing it with Phoenix since being acquired. If O'Neale is unavailable, Eric Gordon is a nice boom-or-bust option.

Donovan Mitchell, PG/SG, Cleveland Cavaliers - Knee

The Cavs announced yesterday (March 4) that Mitchell will miss at least one additional full week after getting an injection in his knee. With Max Strus also hurt for the Cavs, they have two great streaming options: Isaac Okoro and Sam Merrill.

Jalen Brunson, PG, New York Knicks - Knee

Knicks fans saw the season flash before their eyes when Brunson went down awkwardly against Cleveland. Thankfully, a major injury was avoided, and more impressively, Brunson might actually suit up tonight. This injury could linger, so if Brunson misses time either now or down the line, look at Miles McBride to make spot starts.

Josh Richardson, PG/SG - Back, and Tyler Herro, PG/SG - Knee, Miami Heat

Terry Rozier finally returned to the Heat's lineup but Herro and Richardson continue to miss games, although Richardson appears to be nearing a return. Herro was preemptively ruled out of tonight's (March 5) game, which doesn't exactly instill confidence. With the return of Rozier and Jimmy Butler, you're better off looking elsewhere for streaming options.

Onyeka Okongwu, C, Atlanta Hawks - Toe

Okongwu has actually been injured since before the All-Star break, but the injury was initially expected to be resolved by the time the team returned to action. However, the Hawks provided an update on February 24 that Okongwu was now in a walking boot and will be reevaluated in two weeks. While he's out, Bruno Fernando has taken over the backup center role and is worth a look for streaming purposes.

Khris Middleton, SF, Milwaukee Bucks - Ankle

Middleton played only eight minutes last Tuesday against the Suns before exiting. After Friday's comfortable victory in Charlotte, coach Doc Rivers said that Middleton will be out "a minute", which according to Rivers equates to a couple of games. Given Middleton's recent injury history, I'd be surprised if he played before the All-Star break. Jae Crowder has entered fantasy relevance as a result and is worth a look.

Update February 25: Coach Doc Rivers said Middleton is "getting closer" to suiting up again. Given that he was only supposed to miss a few games initially, I'm staying wary of Middleton's status moving forward.

Malcolm Brogdon, PG, Portland Trailblazers - Knee

Brogdon continues to miss time due to his knee injury, and the team announced on February 11 that he won't be reevaluated for two more weeks. Matisse Thybulle will likely continue to start in his place, although he's only useful for defensive stats.

Update March 4: Thybulle is dealing with an injury of his own, along with many of the Blazers' impact players (using that term loosely). Portland is officially on tank watch, but as of now, this looks more like a case of injury pile-up.

Long-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Russell Westbrook, PG, LA Clippers - Hand

Westbrook fractured his hand and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season. Terance Mann should get more playing time as a result.

Scottie Barnes, SF/PF, Toronto Raptors - Finger

Barnes underwent finger surgery, and while there was no official announcement of a timetable for his return, I would assume hand surgery takes at least two or three weeks to recover from. Gary Trent Jr should make for a solid streaming option in Barnes' absence.

Trae Young, PG, Atlanta Hawks - Finger

After injuring his finger on February 24 against the Raptors, Young underwent surgery last Tuesday. He won't be reevaluated for four weeks, so his fantasy season is likely finished.

Patrick Williams, SF/PF, Chicago Bulls - Foot

Williams has been out since January 25, but much like his teammate Zach LaVine, healing naturally did not work out for him. On February 23 the Bulls announced he would undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the season.

OG Anunoby, SF, New York Knicks - Elbow

Anunoby's elbow injury wasn't initially feared to be anything serious, which is why he wasn't included in this article last week, but when a guy misses four straight games something is up. Anunoby could very well return for tonight's game against the battered Grizzlies. However, considering that he's been ruled out for "inflammation" for two games in a row, I would expect this injury to be monitored closely with the All-Star break approaching.

Update February 8: Anunoby underwent surgery to remove a loose bone fragment in his elbow and will be reevaluated in three weeks.

Julius Randle, PF, New York Knicks - Shoulder

Randle suffered a dislocated shoulder against the Heat on Sunday, and while the Knicks are hopeful the severity of the injury is "measured in weeks, not months", that's nothing more than wishful thinking until his MRI later this week. If Josh Hart is still available in your league, he's pegged as the most likely candidate to join the starting lineup according to New York media, but Precious Achiuwa will probably see a little bump in minutes as well.

Update February 1: The Knicks announced that Randle will be reevaluated in two to three weeks.

Desmond Bane, SG/SF - Ankle and Marcus Smart, PG/SG - Finger, Memphis Grizzlies

If the season-ending injury to Ja Morant didn't end the Grizzlies' season, surely this pair of injuries will. Bane and Smart suffered their injuries in back-to-back games, and both are expected to be reevaluated in six weeks, which puts their timeline at the end of February. I'd be shocked if the Grizzlies weren't thinking more about their lottery odds at that point, and you should consider both of these injuries as essentially season-ending ones.

The Tank Corner 

OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

The Grizzlies may not have the worst record in the league (would you believe they only have one fewer loss than the Warriors?) but it seems inevitable that the plug will be pulled soon. During their game on January 29 in Sacramento, they had 11 players ruled out. This does include guys who have been lost for the season and injured for a long time, but that doesn't change the fact that they're working with scraps. If Jaren Jackson Jr. picks up any sort of significant injury (real or fake), the floodgates will undoubtedly open for the Grizzlies to have the least recognizable roster in the NBA. For the time being, consider them a one-stop shop for all fantasy and DFS dart throws.

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