Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 21 - Jimmy Butler, RJ Barrett, Kyle Kuzma

March 19, 2024

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

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We're heading into the championship week 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 the evening of Monday, March 18. 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

Jimmy Butler, SF/PF, Miami Heat - Foot

Butler has missed two straight games with a foot contusion, and the tight-lipped Heat haven't provided any further updates. The Heat are a prime spot for streaming targets this week with the absences of Butler, Nikola Jovic, and potentially Duncan Robinson as well. Jaime Jacquez and/or Caleb Martin look to be the top streaming options in Miami.

Coby White, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls - Hip

White has missed three straight games with a hip injury. If Ayo Dosunmu is available in your league he's a must-add at this point in the year.

Kyle Kuzma, PF/C, Washington Wizards - Shoulder

Kuzma is dealing with a shoulder injury that has kept him out the last two games, but consider this more of an update on the Wizards as a whole. For tonight's game at home against Houston, they have seven players ruled out, many of whom are not expected to return before the end of this week. Corey Kispert, Richaun Holmes, Justin Champagnie, and Patrick Baldwin are all viable streaming options currently and only become more appealing if Kuzma continues to miss games.

RJ Barrett, SF/PF, Toronto Raptors - Personal

Barrett's younger brother unexpectedly passed away last week, so he's away from the team with no timetable to return. Jordan Nwora and Gradey Dick are solid streaming options for this final push in his absence.

Cam Whitmore, SF/PF, Houston Rockets

With Alperen Sengun going down for the rest of the year with an ankle injury, the Rockets opted for smaller lineups which helped Whitmore get more opportunity. With Whitmore now anticipated to be out through at least this week, Dillon Brooks has rejoined the Rockets' starting five and is a great streaming option this week.

OG Anunoby, SF/PF, New York Knicks - Elbow

The elbow injury that kept Anunoby out for multiple weeks recently has flared back up, ending his fantasy season.

Evan Mobley, C, Cleveland Cavaliers - Ankle

Mobley got injured last Tuesday (3/5) and was initially expected to miss multiple weeks. As of March 11, he's already out of his walking boot, which is great news for his fantasy managers and Cavs fans alike.

Marvin Bagley, C, Washington Wizards - Back

Bagley has been a locked-in starter for the Wizards since being acquired around the trade deadline and is looking likely to miss a third week of games in a row.

Tyler Herro, PG/SG, Miami Heat - Knee

Herro has now missed the last eight games for Miami after it was initially thought this injury would see him miss minimal time. Caleb Martin is a solid streamer option, but with the rest of Miami's core healthy, I wouldn't expect him to light it up.

Malcolm Brogdon, PG, Portland Trail Blazers - 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.

Long-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C, Minnesota Timberwolves - Knee

KAT suffered a torn meniscus and will miss at least a month for recovery, ending his fantasy season. Jaden McDaniels and Kyle Anderson have both seen increased minutes in his absence.

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.

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 3/7: The Knicks announced that Randle has progressed to light contact drills, but his return is still a few weeks away.

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.

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Update 3/12: It's gotten so bad for the Grizzlies that they've had to start signing players to hardship deals. That's when you know it's bad. I can't see a world where any of the Grizzlies' established players return this year.

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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