Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 22 - Domantas Sabonis, Jae Crowder, Ja Morant, Ben Simmons, Lonzo Ball

March 22, 2022

Keith Cork's NBA injuries report for fantasy basketball in Week 22. He recommends NBA injury replacements to set optimal lineups for seasonal and DFS formats.

Had to get to this a little later, so we'll aim to release it Tuesday morning.

This should be your championship week, or close to it at least. We'll keep this going as long as it's relevant, but lobby for your fantasy season to end sooner if you're still just getting playoffs started!

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

Bogdan Bogdanovic, SG/SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks - Quad

Bogdan Bogdanovic is dealing with a quad contusion, but it sounds like he might try to play through it. Should he miss a game or two, Kevin Huerter, De'Andre Hunter, and Delon Wright will get a bump. The first two guys would be worth a roster spot. If Bogdan is suffering, he likely sits one of the games on Tuesday or Wednesday in a back-to-back.

Marcus Smart, PG/SG, Boston Celtics - Illness

Robert Williams also sat out the game on Monday, but the Celtics were taking on the lowly Thunder and didn't need him, so it seemed more like a fake rest day. Marcus Smart, however, was labeled with an illness and if he has to miss the game on Wednesday then Derrick White and Payton Pritchard get the biggest bumps and I would add them in that order.

Andre Drummond, C, Brooklyn Nets - Illness

The Nets play again on Wednesday and if Drummond can't go then, you'll get a lot of Nicolas Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe. I'd add Claxton of those two.

Seth Curry, PG/SG, Brooklyn Nets - Ankle

Seth Curry had to leave Monday's game and that's a real bummer for Curry owners. The Nets have three more games this week, but the next two are at home which means that Kyrie Irving will suit up for them. I wouldn't grab anyone, but if you want to roll the dice, you can go with Patty Mills and maybe Cam Thomas in deeper leagues.

Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, Detroit Pistons - Ankle

The Detroit Pistons have fully engaged the tank and they sat a plethora of players on Monday, but Kelly Olynyk seems like one guy who may actually have an injury. Whether or not he does, Marvin Bagley looks like a good streaming option in the short term as the Pistons give him a long look. He had 15 points and 9 boards on Monday.

Jerami Grant, SF/PF, Detroit Pistons - Knee

Jerami Grant is likely to sit some more games as the Pistons look to lose. Does that mean he's actually injured? Tough to tell. If you're rostering Grant, you probably just have to hang onto him unless you're in danger of losing your matchup. Saddiq Bey gets a huge bump with Grant on the sidelines but beware of the percentages. Marvin Bagley also will get plenty of run and should be rostered.

Isaiah Jackson, PF/C, Indiana Pacers - Concussion

If you stuck with Isaiah Jackson through Monday, DO NOT drop him. He's in the concussion protocol, but the Pacers don't play until Wednesday. He could return for that one and he has been the leading shot blocker in the NBA over the past month or so. You can't beat that if that's a category you are trying to win this week. If he has to miss more time, Goga Bitadze and Jalen Smith are both guys who should be on rosters.

Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers - Ankle

Talen Horton-Tucker was ruled out late for the Lakers game on Monday so he could be looking at additional days on the shelf as the Lakers play again on Wednesday. If that is the case, Carmelo Anthony looks like a nice stream for points and Avery Bradley is a blip on the radar. Melo is the only guy to think about snagging though, and he's only good for points at this point in his career.

Ja Morant, PG, Memphis Grizzlies - Knee

Ja Morant is in danger of missing Wednesday's game as the Grizzlies smartly try to get him right for a playoff run. Anytime he misses, Tyus Jones is an obvious add for his ability to put up a ton of assists and De'Anthony Melton is another guy to look at streaming for some nice popcorn stats.

Khris Middleton, SF/PF, Milwaukee Bucks - Wrist

Khris Middleton is set to miss Tuesday's game, but it seems like he won't miss any beyond that. Pat Connaughton could be worth a stream for Tuesday's game against the Bulls, who are on the second half of a back-to-back. Pat can shoot threes and put up points, so he'd help in those two categories. Jordan Nwora would be a more risky play who basically contributes in the same two categories.

Jaden McDaniels, SF/PF, Minnesota Timberwolves - Ankle

Just one week from calling Jaden McDaniels a "MUST ADD," he's gone and hurt himself. That makes Jarred Vanderbilt a decent add, though he won't contribute much outside of rebounds and steals. If you need those though, he's a great option with the Wolves having three more games this week and McDaniels set to be re-evaluated on March 29th.

Jae Crowder, SF/PF, Phoenix Suns - Ankle

Jae Crowder had a nasty injury in Sunday's Suns game that forced him onto the sidelines. He was able to come back and join the team on the bench, but the extent of his injury is unclear at the moment. With Cameron Johnson also on the sidelines for the time being, Torrey Craig might be worth a stream for the back-to-back coming up on Wednesday and Thursday. I would wait to get confirmation that Crowder is going to miss time, but Craig would be a great source of boards and steals if Crowder can't go.

Cameron Payne, PG/SG, Phoenix Suns - Illness

It's another loss for the shorthanded Phoenix Suns, but they don't play again until Wednesday. Odds are that Cam Payne will be back for that one, but if he can't go then Elfrid Payton may earn another spot start. There's not a great add here, but you should HOLD Cam Payne if you're still rostering him.

Josh Hart, SG/SF, Portland Trail Blazers - Knee

It looks like Josh Hart is being held out so the Blazers can lose more games, hopefully. Portland has an upcoming back-to-back against Houston on Friday and Saturday and it seems likely Hart will miss one of those games too. Justise Winslow, Brandon Williams, and Ben McLemore carried most of the offensive load on Monday without Josh Hart. Those guys would be on the radar again with the first two being the most obvious adds.

De'Aaron Fox, PG, Sacramento Kings - Hand

De'Aaron Fox has already missed two games with the sore hand, and with Domantas Sabonis going down for an extended period of time the Kings may be extra cautious. If that is going to be the case, Davion Mitchell and Donte DiVincenzo would be worth a look as streaming options towards the end of the week, but the Kings only have two games this week. If you have Fox, just hang tight for now.

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

Lonnie Walker IV had to leave last Friday's game with back soreness and he missed Sunday's game as well. The Spurs only have two games this week, so there isn't a great streaming option, but Joshua Primo and Devin Vassell should get extra minutes in Spurs games if Lonnie misses. Primo is probably the only one available in your league.

Gary Trent Jr., SG/SF, Toronto Raptors - Toe

Gary Trent Jr. had to miss Monday's game against the Bulls with this toe injury. Toronto doesn't play again until Thursday and he could be back by then. If not, look for the other Raptors guys to get marginally more minutes. Chris Boucher is the biggest beneficiary usually, but Thaddeus Young is another name to watch.

Bojan Bogdanovic, SF/PF, Utah Jazz - Calf

Bojan Bogdanovic has missed five straight games with this calf strain, and there haven't been any updates at all as to when to expect him back. That makes hanging onto him really hard, but the Jazz play three more games this week so if you have him on your roster just sit tight until we get more information. No one has stepped up enough with Bojan out to be worthy of a spot on your fantasy basketball team.

Kyle Kuzma, SF/PF, Washington Wizards - Knee

Kyle Kuzma has missed two games with this knee issue, and coach Wes Unseld Jr. has said they are just being extra cautious with him. However, the Wizards have a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday, so Kuz could miss another game there. If that is the case, Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija could be worth a stream for a game. Rui is probably the safer option to give you some statistics.

Long Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Ben Simmons, PG, Brooklyn Nets - Back

We finally got an update on Ben Simmons and it turns out he has been dealing with a herniated disc in his back. The Ben Simmons saga just continues to get stranger since this wasn't disclosed until now. Steve Nash is optimistic that Simmons can return this season, but he likely won't help fantasy basketball managers. There's little fantasy impact here since most owners have already dropped Simmons.

Lonzo Ball, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls - Knee

We had some more bad injury news for the Chicago Bulls this week as head coach Billy Donovan has disclosed that there has been a pause in Lonzo Ball's rehab for at least 10 days. It's looking more and more like Lonzo will miss the rest of the season, which means Alex Caruso, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu will continue to be relevant in fantasy hoops.

Jarrett Allen, C, Cleveland Cavaliers - Finger

We got a vague update on Jarrett Allen, so I'll put it here. He's hopeful to return "within the next three weeks." That doesn't sound promising for fantasy managers that are in the playoffs and need to win now. Go ahead and drop him if you haven't already as he's very unlikely to suit up the next few weeks. Kevin Love and Cedi Osman will continue to be fantasy relevant, with Love being a must-roster player.

Stephen Curry, PG/SG, Golden State Warriors - Foot

If you have Stephen Curry, you can hang onto him if you have a free IL spot. Otherwise, he's safe to jettison in an attempt to salvage your playoff run. He is going to miss at least two weeks of action, and possibly more, which is likely not going to help fantasy managers. Jonathan Kuminga and Otto Porter Jr. are the two guys who are widely available who may be worth a stream as the Warriors try to replace Curry's usage. Neither guy is all that appealing though.

Paul George, SF/PF, Los Angeles Clippers - Elbow

I'm including Paul George here since we got an update. He's doing some light contact at practice but still remains without a timetable to return. The Clippers have just nine games left on the schedule. Unless we get another more definitive and positive update, leave him on the wire.

Chris Paul, PG, Phoenix Suns - Thumb

Sam Amick of The Athletic said that Chris Paul "could" return as soon as this week. That's not exactly clear, and while you shouldn't rush out to snag CP3 immediately based on this news, you should absolutely stash him in an IL spot over anyone who isn't a top-50 player. CP3 is going to beat his original timetable by a good deal if he can give it a go, but there's speculation he can play on Wednesday. Cam Payne would be an easy drop if that is the case.

Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers - Abdomen

Damian Lillard has officially been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to his abdomen surgery. Any owner who had him rostered probably didn't have a great season without their first-round pick. Bummer for Dame owners everywhere.

Domantas Sabonis, PF/C, Sacramento Kings - Knee

Domantas Sabonis suffered a nasty injury on his knee and will be out at least through April 2nd. That's rough for Sabonis owners, and you likely have to cut him to survive the playoffs. There are no guarantees he plays another game this season. Trey Lyles seems like the most direct guy to benefit from Domantas's absence, but you can also take a look at Chimezie Metu and Damian Jones too since Richaun Holmes is out with a personal issue. I'd add them in the order that they are listed, though the Kings only have two games this week so it's hard to justify adding any of them.

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