Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 7 - Bam Adebayo, Zach LaVine, Jalen Johnson

December 5, 2023

Max Kulish's NBA injuries report for fantasy basketball in Week 7. He recommends NBA injury replacements to set optimal lineups for seasonal and DFS formats.

Welcome back to another season, RotoBallers! We're into December and starting to get the outline of what this fantasy basketball season holds. 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

Bam Adebayo, C, Miami Heat - Hip

Adebayo got hurt last Thursday against the Pacers, missed the rematch on Saturday, and most worryingly was ruled out days in advance of the Heat's next game on Wednesday. Except for the 8 teams in the bracket stage of the In-Season Tournament, teams have a 3-day rest period, so most teams have players listed day-to-day. Seeing Bam ruled out this far in advance of Wednesday is not a good sign. In the meantime, Thomas Bryant should continue seeing additional minutes for Miami.

Caris LeVert, SG/SF, Cleveland Cavaliers - Knee

A knee injury from earlier in the season has started bothering LeVert again, and he's another player that this mini-break isn't seeming to do much for. If you're a LeVert owner in fantasy, you've already dealt with this injury, and it unfortunately feels like something that will linger all season. As for a potential replacement, I think Isaac Okoro is an intriguing option.

Zach LaVine, SG/SF, Chicago Bulls - Foot

LaVine also got hurt Thursday, missed a game on Saturday, and was initially diagnosed to miss a week. He could return as early as Friday night, which would only result in that single game missed. However, LaVine has been a popular name in trade talks all year, and you can't trade an injured player, so the Bulls may very well exercise caution and not rush him back. With Alex Caruso also dealing with a potential injury, Ayo Dosunmu could be an excellent streaming option.

Chris Paul, PG, Golden State Warriors - Leg

Paul suffered a leg contusion last Tuesday and has been listed day-to-day since while missing two games. He was reported to be reevaluated yesterday (Monday 12/4), but no official update has been released at the time of publishing. I would assume he wouldn't miss more than this week given the extra rest, but keep an eye on his status.

Kristaps Porzingis, C, Boston Celtics - Calf

Porzingis injured his calf during Friday's loss in Orlando and was subsequently sidelined for Sunday's game in Atlanta. Prior to the Hawks game, Celtics' coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis would be reevaluated in "about a week". Until then, I like Sam Hauser to fill the spacing void Porzingis has left.

Update 12/4: Porzingis didn't play in last night's In-Season Tournament game against the Pacers, but he's expected back before the end of the week.

Lauri Markkanen, PF, Utah Jazz - Hamstring

Markkanen picked up a hamstring injury somewhere along the way during the Jazz's ugly loss in Portland last Wednesday. He was ruled out early for Monday's game in New Orleans, and there's been no official word on the severity of the injury so far. In his absence, Ochai Agbaji has seen additional opportunities and is worth taking a look at for streaming purposes.

Ben Simmons, PG/PF, Brooklyn Nets - Hip

Continuing to deal with his hip injury, the Nets announced Simmons received an injection on 12/2 and will be reevaluated in two weeks.

Long-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Jalen Johnson, SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks - Wrist

Johnson fractured his wrist last Monday night, and the team's initial announcement was that he would be reevaluated in three to four weeks. That would put his reevaluation right around the holidays, so I would expect him back at the start of 2024. In the meantime, Saddiq Bey has rejoined the Hawks' starting five after losing that spot to Johnson earlier in the season.

Bradley Beal, SG, Phoenix Suns - Back

With Beal going back onto the injury report, the debut of the Suns' new big three 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 from 11/17 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.

Update 12/4: Moving Beal to long-term after coach Frank Vogel said there's currently no timetable for his return.

Marcus Smart, PG/SG, Memphis Grizzlies - Foot

Smart suffered a foot sprain last week and is expected to miss three to five weeks. That would put him in a position to return right around the holidays. Given Smart's history of returning from injury, I would be surprised if he missed a full five weeks.

Update 11/29: Smart was seen during shootaround today without a walking boot on. There's been no official word on when he'll return, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.

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 12/4: The Heat announced on 11/28 that Herro was supposed to be reevaluated over that upcoming weekend. All signs have pointed toward Herro making steady progress on his rehab but with no official word by the time of publishing this article, all we can do is speculate.

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 12/4: Simons practiced and is being considered day-to-day.

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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