Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 8 - Tyrese Haliburton, Karl-Anthony Towns, Brandon Ingram

Max Kulish's NBA injuries report for fantasy basketball in Week 8. He recommends NBA injury replacements to set optimal lineups for seasonal and DFS formats.

Welcome back RotoBallers. We're finally into December and the NBA landscape is starting to take shape. As always, injuries are a big factor. I'm here to help you stay up to date on injury news, and how it impacts your teams.

I'm doing this midday on Monday for release Tuesday morning, so any news that drops on 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. Be sure to also bookmark our awesome free NBA injuries report tool for up-to-the-minute fantasy basketball injury updates.

Short-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Indiana Pacers - Groin

Haliburton played through, and seemingly further aggravated, this groin injury. Given his status as the franchise cornerstone and focal point of a rebuild, I can't see the Pacers rushing Haliburton back. The Pacers have 3 more games this week, and Andrew Nembhard should be an interesting streaming option.

Brandon Ingram, SG/SF, New Orleans Pelicans - Toe

Ingram has missed 4 straight games with this toe injury, and the Pelicans are 4-0 in that stretch. As one of the best teams in the West, and not seeming to miss Ingram, I imagine the Pelicans hold Ingram out until he's 100%. The Pelicans play a home-and-home with the Suns over the weekend, I wouldn't be shocked if Ingram misses both games.

Ben Simmons, PG/SG/PF, Brooklyn Nets - Calf

When Simmons was initially hurt last Monday it was reported he would miss the Nets' next three games (which he has). However, there has been not a word from the Nets or Simmons since. It's likely because the Nets' next game isn't until Wednesday night, but given Simmons' recent health issues, he's worth keeping an eye on.

Jalen Suggs, PG/SG, Orlando Magic - Ankle

Suggs has struggled with injuries at various points in the year, but thankfully for Magic fans, this isn't part of a widespread epidemic among the roster this time. If you're looking for streaming options at guard, Markelle Fultz is available in 60% of leagues still (if you play dynasty this might not apply to you).

De'Andre Hunter, SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks - Hip

Hunter suffered a hip flexor last Wednesday, and he's been confirmed to miss this week's games already. This has opened the floodgates for AJ Griffin both in fantasy and real life, and considering the Hawks have 3 more games this week (not including Monday night vs OKC), Griffin should be a premier streaming option this week.

Jarrett Allen, C - Hip, Cleveland Cavaliers

Love has returned to action, but Allen remains out.  Cedi Osman still works as a playable streamer with limited upside.

Long-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

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

KAT strained his calf last Monday night, and his timetable for return is 4-6 weeks. Based on usage since the injury, it looks like the Wolves starters will just take on more of the load. If you're looking for streaming options both Jaden McDaniels and Kyle Anderson are worth evaluating.

Gordon Hayward, SF/PF, Charlotte Hornets - Shoulder

No stranger to the injury list, Hayward is now slated to be out "indefinitely" after fracturing his left shoulder. I'll provide an update whenever one comes available, but based on the language, I wouldn't expect to see Hayward until 2023. Jalen McDaniels has picked up most of Hayward's minutes traditionally when the latter has been injured. If you're in a deeper league, Kai Jones is worth a potential dart throw.

Tyrese Maxey, PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers - Foot

Maxey and Embiid getting hurt on the same night is an absolutely brutal break. I already gave streaming advice when James Harden went down, so once again look at Shake Milton, and if you need to go deeper Danuel House Jr.

Desmond Bane, SG/SF, Memphis Grizzlies - Toe

Completely re-phrasing this to focus on Bane after Ja Morant's seemingly miraculous return last Tuesday night. Bane should be back in a couple of weeks (no further timetable update from the 2-3 weeks originally cited), so until then I still see value in holding John Konchar.

Cade Cunningham, PG/SG, Detroit Pistons - Shin

Cunningham is our second convert from short-term to long-term. In the last 7 days, Cunningham's injury has gone from an innocuous discomfort to full-blown panic mode. Whenever the next update arrives, I'll be sure to write about it below. Killian Hayes and Cory Joseph should continue to replace him as the Pistons' PG.

Cameron Johnson, SF/PF, Phoenix Suns - Knee

Johnson tore his right meniscus in last Friday's game against the Trailblazers. Johnson is getting surgery done this week, and recovery time is typically four weeks minimum. I wouldn't expect to see Johnson until about mid-December.

Robert Williams III, C, Boston Celtics - Knee

Williams' surgery caused the biggest pre-season shakeup from a fantasy impact. Currently scheduled out until January, Williams has already faced complications in rehab and it's always possible he's shut down for the year. For now, Grant Williams is a solid option from the Celtics frontcourt, and if the C's sign any more size that might be fantasy relevant I'll be sure to update that here.

Update 11/25: Williams expects to return around Christmas.

Lonzo Ball, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls - Knee

Until Ball returns (which doesn't seem like it will be in 2022) Ayo Dosunmu is the starting PG for the Bulls. Dosunmu is off to a hot start, and he's definitely worth looking to acquire if you can find a good deal.

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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