Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 20 - Gordon Hayward, Nikola Vucevic, D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Jarrett Allen

March 7, 2022

Keith Cork's NBA injuries report for fantasy basketball in Week 20. He recommends NBA injury replacements to set optimal lineups for seasonal and DFS formats.

Going to get this out early for you all since it's fantasy playoffs season and you need to maximize your moves NOW rather than later. Get all the information at your fingertips, courtesy of the Rotoballer crew!

If you missed it last week, I covered EVERYTHING. So, in this, I'll just cover what has changed since last week. These players are listed in the alphabetical order of the teams for which they play.

Short-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Kevin Huerter, SG/SF, Atlanta Hawks - Shoulder

Kevin Huerter had to leave Friday's game and his status is questionable on Monday. If he can't go, Bogdan Bogdanovic gets a bump as does De'Andre Hunter. Hunter is likely available in your league and is coming off two strong performances and the Hawks play twice in the next three days. That means he's a great streamer for threes and steals.

Cam Thomas, SG, Brooklyn Nets - Back

Cam Thomas was a drop even before this with Kevin Durant back in the lineup, but if he's ruled out then Patty Mills and Goran Dragic become streaming options. Patty is the one to go with for threes whereas Goran has a better ability to put up assists. Neither guy is super appealing though because the next two games for the Nets are away games, which means Kyrie Irving is for sure playing.

LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C, Brooklyn Nets - Hip

LaMarcus Aldridge is pretty old now and is dealing with a hip issue, so I'd be totally okay dropping him since he only has two more games this week. Nicolas Claxton will likely get some additional run on Tuesday and he's someone to look at if you need big man stats.

Gordon Hayward, SG/SF, Charlotte Hornets - Ankle

A minor update on Gordon Hayward as head coach James Borrego has said he's "making progress." There haven't been any details about a timeline yet, so you can absolutely cut him if you're worried about your current matchup in the playoffs. If you still have a week, I would actually hang on and see if he can make it back for the start of the playoffs. PJ Washington and Kelly Oubre Jr. will be easy drops if Hayward can make it back.

Nikola Vucevic, C, Chicago Bulls - Hamstring

Nikola Vucevic was not able to practice on Sunday, and that has to be worrisome for fantasy owners if you're in the playoffs. Hamstrings are known to be injuries that linger, so let's hope it's just a precaution if he's held out of Monday's game. Tristan Thompson is going to slide into the starting lineup for the Bulls if Vuc can't go, and he makes for a great add for teams in need of rebounds if we get the news early enough that Vuc will be out. The Bulls are exceedingly thin on the interior, but maybe Tony Bradley gets into the rotation again. TT is the only guy worth adding in the event Vucevic misses games.

Jalen Brunson, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks - Foot

Jalen Brunson is out with a bruised foot, which is a bummer but he should be able to work his way back into the lineup relatively soon. The Mavericks are in a four-game week, so even if you're in the playoffs Brunson is an easy hold for now. Spencer Dinwiddie will get a bit of a bump for Monday's game, but hopefully Jalen is back for the next one on Wednesday.

Will Barton, SG/SF, Denver Nuggets - Ankle

Will Barton had to leave Sunday's contest with a sprained ankle, but it's important to note that he was never officially ruled out. He might be held out on Monday, but I would certainly hold him through this since the Nuggets have a back-to-back coming up on Wednesday and Thursday. If Barton has to miss Monday's game, Bones Hyland is an intriguing add on a four-game week.

Dennis Schroder, PG, Houston Rockets - Ankle

Dennis Schroder has missed three straight games with this ankle sprain, and the Rockets have little to no incentive to bring him back quickly. Josh Christopher and Garrison Mathews will soak up his minutes in the meantime, and both guys are probably available in your league. Mathews makes the better add, but he's really only a three-point specialist.

Kyle Lowry, PG, Miami Heat - Personal

Kyle Lowry has returned to the team and that makes Gabe Vincent an easy drop if you snagged him for a stream. You can wait and see if Kyle is going to miss Monday, but beyond that Vincent won't have enough value to hang onto him.

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

D'Angelo Russell has popped up on the injury report today, which is definitely concerning. He's questionable, so don't do anything rash obviously. This is a wait-and-see approach unfortunately as Patrick Beverley is also questionable. Pat Bev is an easy grab if he ends up playing, but he and D'Lo both sit then Jordan McLaughlin might be worth a short-term stream for those in need of guard stats. Even if one of those above guys can go through, you can safely add Malik Beasley, who has been lighting it up recently.

Patrick Beverley, PG/SG, Minnesota Timberwolves - Ankle

Pat Bev has been injured for a bit, so it's hard to say if he'll play on Monday or not. Keep a close eye because if he can go, the Wolves are on a four-game week with matchups against the Blazers, Thunder, and Magic. He'd be a fantastic streamer for assists, steals, and threes if he is healthy enough to take the floor. D'Lo is also questionable, so he gets a bump if D'Lo can't go.

Anthony Edwards, SG/SF, Minnesota Timberwolves - Knee

Anthony Edwards has missed three straight games and there is still no timetable for his return. That's worrisome, but you have to hold him for now until we get more information. Malik Beasley, Jaden McDaniels, and Jarred Vanderbilt all get bumps with Ant Man on the sidelines. McDaniels and Vanderbilt should be added everywhere, whereas Beasley is a strong add for those in need of three-pointers. If Taurean Prince and Anthony Edwards come back, all of these guys become borderline guys at best.

Quentin Grimes, SG, New York Knicks - Knee

The Knicks just keep taking L's, and Quentin Grimes is the latest as he had to leave last Friday's game with a bad knee injury. He'll be re-evaluated in two weeks, but the good news is that it sounds like he won't need to have surgery. Derrick Rose could return in the next week or so, but we won't know for sure for several days. Immanuel Quickley is worthy of a roster spot at the moment, and Cam Reddish might get some actual rotation minutes with Obi Toppin also day-to-day with a hamstring injury. I'd grab Quickley and add Reddish to the watch list.

Isaiah Roby, C, Oklahoma City Thunder - Back

Isaiah Roby was on a heater, so of course now the Thunder are treating him with kid gloves. Ugh. There's not really any reason to hang onto Roby, or any Thunder guys not named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Josh Giddey for that matter, because they're so unreliable. With Roby out though, and the Thunder exceedingly thin at the center/power forward positions, Aleksej Pokusevski is worth a stream and Darius Bazley is probably going to do enough to warrant consideration. Bazley is a percentage killer, both free throws and field goals, and Poku is very hit or miss. Neither are super strong adds, but Poku is probably the guy to grab here. Josh Giddey and Luguentz Dort remain out, so I hope you are streaming Tre Mann as I suggested last week. 😉

Jalen Suggs, PG/SG, Orlando Magic - Ankle

Jalen Suggs sat out Saturday, and he may miss more time since the Magic are playing for ping pong balls anyways. RJ Hampton will probably start and play plenty of minutes, but he's super unreliable. If you're desperate, he might be worth a flier. You hang onto Suggs for now and hope he suits up for at least one contest on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Cameron Johnson, SF/PF, Phoenix Suns - Quad

Cameron Johnson missed Sunday's game against the Bucks thanks to a bruised thigh, and it's really unfortunate since he just hit a career-high in the game before. He might miss more time, but the Suns don't play until Tuesday so I definitely wouldn't add anyone today. Aaron Holiday and Torrey Craig will likely soak up his minutes, but neither guy is a great add. Devin Booker will likely return for Tuesday's game too.

Anfernee Simons, PG/SG, Portland Trail Blazers - Quad

The Portland Trail Blazers are trying to get a better draft pick, so they're being extra cautious with Anfernee Simons, who probably could play if they were competitive this season. You need to hold Simons for now for sure, and in his absence, you can look to stream Ben McLemore or take a flier on one of the young guys: Trendon Watford or CJ Elleby. Watford has the safer floor, for sure.

Jeremy Lamb, SG/SF, Sacramento Kings - Hip

This isn't the biggest bit of news in terms of fantasy impact, but I wanted to mention Jeremy Lamb is questionable Monday because I went ahead and streamed Donte DiVincenzo in one of my six fantasy leagues. DD has been a top-70 player over their past four games despite shooting the ball terribly. I think he's worth a stream and his role should be safe as long as Lamb remains on the sidelines.

Lonnie Walker IV, SG/SF, San Antonio Spurs - Illness

Of course, the day after I suggest adding Lonnie Walker IV in my category streamers article he pops up on the injury report with an illness. He's listed as doubtful for Monday's game, so you can safely move on from him if you have a hot free agent you want to grab on a four-game week. If you want to hold Lonnie, that's not a bad idea either since you'll be hard-pressed to match his scoring output with anyone else on the wire. Josh Primo is the guy you'd want to add as Devin Vassell is also doubtful for Monday's game.

Devin Vassell, SG/SF, San Antonio Spurs - Groin

Devin Vassell is experiencing soreness in his groin, but it's worth noting that he was originally listed as questionable before being downgraded to out. Hopefully, he can get back out there for Wednesday's game, and I definitely wouldn't drop him. As mentioned above, with Lonnie Walker also out Josh Primo is a great short-term add.

Malachi Flynn, PG, Toronto Raptors - Hamstring

Malachi Flynn pulled his hamstring and will be re-evaluated in 10 days, so that makes him a very easy drop. Fred VanVleet remains out for the Raptors, and Scottie Barnes started at point guard, which meant the Raps went super big with Chris Boucher, Precious Achiuwa, and Thaddeus Young getting extra run. Boucher is absolutely worth a grab right now but I wouldn't rush out to do it since the Raptors don't play until Wednesday. All three of these guys would be fine streamers assuming Freddie remains out on Wednesday.

Rudy Gobert, C, Utah Jazz - Calf

This calf injury has been bothering Rudy Gobert for the past month basically, so Rudy is likely just sitting the second half of a back-to-back. If he sits, Hassan Whiteside is the obvious add, but Gobert will probably be back for Wednesday's game. Whiteside is absolutely worth an add for Monday though since he delivers value even in his normal bench role and the Jazz are on a four-game week.

Raul Neto, PG, Washington Wizards - Ankle

Raul Neto rolled his ankle and this is newsworthy because he was playing big minutes for the Wizards these days. Ish Smith is likely going to step into the starting role and is a fantastic add for assists. The downside is that the Wizards don't play until Wednesday. Tomas Satoransky probably gets some more minutes as well, but won't do enough for standard league value.

Long Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Joe Harris, SG/SF, Brooklyn Nets - Ankle

Joe Harris has had that second surgery on his ankle we were talking about last week and will miss the rest of the season. If you had him for some reason, please move on. Patty Mills, Goran Dragic, and Cameron Thomas will hold onto some value but none of those guys are must-adds.

Jarrett Allen, C, Cleveland Cavaliers - Finger

Jarrett Allen broke his finger and he is listed as "out indefinitely." It's not looking great, and obviously, this is just terrible timing for fantasy managers. For now, you should absolutely hold him until we get a clear timeline for his return. The Cavs are playing very well this season and want to make a push for the playoffs. They're currently only a few games above the play-in, so maybe JA attempts to wrap up the finger and play through it. If you're looking for an add, Kevin Love, Cedi Osman, and Dean Wade are going to get bumps. I would add Love if you're in need of threes and boards, while Cedi can give you threes and steals with some decent assists. It just depends on what your team needs, but either guy is worth an add right now with JA surely missing a few games, at the very least.

Zion Williamson, PF, New Orleans Pelicans - Foot

Finally, some GOOD Zion Williamson news! He's returned to New Orleans and is good to resume basketball activities. That bodes super well for Pelicans fans as he might be able to come back in the final games and the playoffs to help them try to upset someone. For fantasy purposes though, he's likely returning too late to help you, if he returns at all. Leave him on the wire or drop him if you are in a standard redraft league. He's going to have to ramp up in order to play.

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