Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 5 - Bradley Beal, Donovan Mitchell, Ben Simmons

November 21, 2023

Max Kulish's NBA injuries report for fantasy basketball in Week 5. He recommends NBA injury replacements to set optimal lineups for seasonal and DFS formats.

Welcome back to another season, RotoBallers! It might be early days, but there are still impactful injuries all across the fantasy basketball landscape. I'm here to help you stay up to date on injury news, and how it impacts your teams.

I'm writing this on Monday for release Tuesday morning, so any news that drops late Monday night won't be covered. I'll just cover what has changed since last week.

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

Short-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Donovan Mitchell, PG/SG, Cleveland Cavaliers - Hamstring

Mitchell picked up a hamstring strain at some point during last Wednesday's win in Portland. He's already been ruled out for tonight's game against the Sixers, and with the Cavs playing again tomorrow night, it feels ambitious to expect him to suit up by then. His next chance to play will be Saturday against the Lakers, so keep an eye on his status heading into the weekend.

Bradley Beal, SG, Phoenix Suns - Back

With Beal going back onto the injury report, the debut of the Suns' new big 3 will continue to be delayed. Beal missed time to start the year to deal with a "sore back", but it appears that injury has flared back up to the point it's now being treated as a strain. Beal will be reevaluated in three weeks according to the team. Both Grayson Allen and Eric Gordon have seen increased production thanks to their extra minutes, and both are worth priority on waivers as long as Beal is sidelined.

Jamal Murray, PG/SG, Denver Nuggets - Hamstring

Murray left Saturday's game against the Bulls after only 10 minutes with a hamstring issue. There's a belief Murray could miss extended time (per Altitude Sports), but for now, coach Michael Malone said he's out for at least one week. Reggie Jackson figures to start at PG for the reigning champs for now.

Update 11/20: There was some speculation that Murray would re-enter the lineup during the Nuggets ongoing road trip, which ends Friday in Houston, but Michael Malone said he "doesn't think" Murray will be ready for a return by that point. Murray has been going through pregame workouts, and at this point, he's trending to return before the end of November.

Kelly Oubre, SF, Philadelphia 76ers - Ribs

In one of the crazier injury stories you'll see, Oubre was struck by a car while walking as a pedestrian in Philly over the weekend. It initially seemed like Oubre was in danger of missing significant time, but the Sixers' latest update is that he'll be reevaluated in a week.

Update 11/20: Oubre was spotted at Sixers' practice earlier today, and the team has expressed hope that Oubre will return to game action in "2+ weeks".

Jalen Duren, C, Detroit Pistons - Ankle

Duren has already been ruled out for Tuesday's game against Atlanta, which will be his second consecutive missed game. Expect the Pistons to be extra careful with their budding young big man, so in his absence pick your poison between Marvin Bagley or James Wiseman as replacement streaming options.

Update 11/20: Duren has returned to 3v3 action in practice, and it appears he's trending to return to the court soon. He's already been ruled out for tonight's game against the Nuggets, but the Pistons don't play again until Friday which could be enough time to get Duren back. Regardless of Friday's game, I would imagine he'll be back on the floor by the start of next week.

Malcolm Brogdon, PG/SG, Portland Trailblazers - Hamstring

Brogdon will miss a second consecutive game on Tuesday due to a hamstring strain, and with the Blazers on a back-to-back, it feels like a safe bet he'll be out on Wednesday night as well. The Blazers backcourt is in shambles (injury-wise) to start the year, and the next man up is currently Skylar Mays.

Update 11/20: Per an article written by OregonLive, coach Chauncey Billups said he's "hopeful" for the return of Brogdon and Scoot Henderson by the end of this week.

Markelle Fultz, PG, Orlando Magic - Knee

Fultz has missed five of the Magic's last six games due to lingering knee tendinitis pain. That's never a good thing for any player, let alone a 25-year-old with a history of knee injuries. With Gary Harris also sidelined, Anthony Black has been in a starting role for Orlando, and he's a viable streaming option still available in most leagues.

Update 11/20: Fultz has already been ruled out for tonight's game in Toronto. There hasn't been any sort of update since Fultz's injury occurred, which is certainly not ideal. If no updates are provided by next Monday, Fultz will be moved to the long-term section. Until he's back, Anthony Black remains a solid, if unspectacular, streaming option.

Ben Simmons, PG/PF - Hip and Cam Thomas, SG - Ankle - Brooklyn Nets

Simmons has been sidelined since suffering a hip contusion 11/6 against the Bucks, and has been listed as day-to-day since. On the other hand, Thomas sprained his ankle 11/8 against the Clippers, and got a solid timeline to return of two weeks. I wrote these two up together because it seems like they'll be returning around the same time. While they miss time, Lonnie Walker IV and Dennis Smith seem to have their starting roles on lock.

Update 11/14: My prediction of Simmons and Thomas returning around the same time went up in smoke last week when the Nets announced Simmons was set to miss "additional time" battling nerve irritation in his left hip. The team has stated this injury is unrelated to the previous nerve issues Simmons dealt with last season, but it's only natural to be cautious with an injury like this. Thomas seems to be on track to return before the start of next week.

Walker Kessler, C, Utah Jazz - Elbow

Kessler is already halfway through his initial two-week minimum of time missed due to a UCL sprain. While he's been out, Kelly Olynyk has seen the biggest increase in role and production.

Update 11/20: Kessler has been cleared to return to basketball activities, and will be reevaluated in one week. I'd lean towards him returning once that reevaluation occurs - if not immediately, certainly before the end of next week.

Larry Nance Jr, PF/C, New Orleans Pelicans - Rib

Nance fractured a rib after only nine minutes on the court during Sunday's game against the Mavs. The team announced he won't be reevaluated for 10 to 14 days, and during the remainder of that Mavericks game, they spread out Nance's minutes to a few guys. My favorite of the bunch for streaming purposes would be Matt Ryan, but I'd say the best course of action would be to see how minutes are distributed on Tuesday night in a rematch against Dallas before making a choice.

Scoot Henderson, PG, Portland Trailblazers - Ankle

Henderson got injured last Wednesday against the Pistons. The Blazers haven't provided any further updates yet, but there doesn't seem to be a major concern coming from the team or media. The Blazers are currently very thin at guard and this could be a prime spot to keep an eye on who emerges as a rotational piece with all the injuries.

Update 11/20: Per an article written by OregonLive, coach Chauncey Billups said he's "hopeful" for the return of Henderson and Malcolm Brogdon by the end of this week.

Long-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Tyler Herro, PG/SG, Miami Heat - Ankle

Herro suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain last Wednesday night, and won't be reevaluated for "a few weeks". While that's not exactly a helpful timeline, I can't imagine we see Herro playing again for at least a month, given how the Heat typically handle injuries. With Caleb Martin continuing to miss time, Josh Richardson and Duncan Robinson are worthy candidates for a roster spot on your fantasy team.

Update 11/20: The Heat announced Herro is no longer in a walking boot, which would indicate he's progressing well. My guess is that he'll be reevaluated at the end of November, which would put him in line for that "few weeks" timetable.

CJ McCollum, PG/SG, New Orleans Pelicans - Lung

The Pelicans announced on November 5 that McCollum suffered a "small collapse" in his right lung. It was also announced he'd be re-evaluated on Tuesday and further updates would be provided. It's possible that he doesn't miss much time, but it's worth noting he suffered a collapsed lung in the 2021-22 season and missed six weeks. If I were a McCollum owner in fantasy I would prepare for the worst just in case. If you're looking to stay in-team to replace McCollum, Dyson Daniels seems to be the most likely candidate.

Nic Claxton, C, Brooklyn Nets - Ankle

If you guessed that Claxton would be the first player moved from the short-term to the long-term section this year, cash that ticket! Claxton sprained his ankle on October 25 in the Nets' season opener and has been sidelined since. It was officially diagnosed as a "high ankle sprain", with an estimated six-to-eight-week recovery period, which would slate him to return in mid-late December.

Robert Williams III, C, Portland Trailblazers - Knee

Williams has a history of knee problems, and the latest report is that he "needs surgery to repair bone and ligament damage in his right kneecap". Williams is facing either a two-t0-three-month recovery or missing the rest of the year, depending on which recovery path he wants to follow.

11/13 Update: Turns out Williams had no choice in the matter; he underwent season-ending surgery on his injured knee and will miss the remainder of the year.

Amen Thompson, PG, Houston Rockets - Ankle

This year's fourth-overall pick is scheduled to miss two to four weeks thanks to a Grade 2 ankle sprain he picked up on November 1 against the Hornets. This is a tough break for the rookie who already finds himself in a crowded backcourt.

Anfernee Simons, PG/SG, Portland Trailblazers - Thumb

Simons tore his right UCL ligament only 27 minutes into the season. His diagnosis is a four-to-six-week recovery period, which means the Blazers' young backcourt will only get younger.

Update 11/19: Simons conducted on-court drills with no appendages on his finger. His timeline is progressing as expected, and the team hopes to have him back in two to three weeks.

Steven Adams, C, Memphis Grizzlies - Knee

One of the league's best rebounders, and best personalities, Adams and the Grizzlies announced on October 22 that his knee injury from last season never properly healed on its own, and he'd be missing the season to get surgery and recover. This news came on the same day the team announced Brandon Clarke was still without a timetable for his return as well. The Grizzlies are getting thin fast in the frontcourt. This is a situation to monitor with no other proven bigs besides Jaren Jackson.

The Tank Corner 

Closed until later in the season. We'll get here when teams start trotting out G-Leaguers none of us have ever heard of.

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