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NBA Injuries and Who Can Benefit Instead (Week 12)

Just how frustrated are we with injuries in the NBA this season? It seems as if Player X returns, Player B gets injured. The injury bug has been real this season, and it's like a plague that continues to spread across the league. Understanding the injury landscape is key in all forms of fantasy basketball.

Unfortunately, injuries will happen more often than not. It is just the nature of the game. However, in order to stay ahead of your opponents, you need to stay a top of these injury-related news. One significant add to the waiver wire could potentially make or break your season.

Consider this your one-stop overview of fantasy-relevant injuries around the NBA. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @RotoBaller @RotoBallerNBA and @fungo24!

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Notable Injury Updates Around The NBA

Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (hamstring) will miss at least the next two weeks on the sidelines due to a sprained hammy. It comes at one of the worst possible times, as the Rockets have only gone 5-5 in their last ten games. Luckily, Chris Paul is healthy and is capable of holding down the fort. There is a chance that Harden misses more time because hamstring has to be healed fully to avoid risking re-aggravating the muscle. Gerald Green, who scored a game-high 27 points in 28 minutes on Wednesday, is a good pick up in most leagues. Just don't expect much outside of points and 3-pointers.

Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love (ankle) struggled with his shot Wednesday, missing 10-of-11 shots from the field for only two points. He tried to play through the injury in the second-half, but was ultimately ruled out by the Cavs training staff. He should be considered day-to-day, where Jae Crowder and Jeff Green are lukewarm pickups if he's to miss Saturday's contest.

Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (rib contusion) could not suit up Wednesday and center Boban Marjanovic started in his place and had himself a great game. Boban finished with 15 points and nine boards on 5-of-8 shooting, including 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Drummond's injury isn't considered serious, as coach Stan Van Gundy pointed out it's a matter of tolerating the pain, so he shouldn't be out too long. But anytime Drummond is out, Marjanovic deserves a long look in most leagues, especially daily fantasy leagues.

Indiana Pacers shooting guard Victor Oladipo (knee) hasn't played in over a week and continues to be sidelined with a sore knee. The Pacers are being cautious, and rightfully so because Oladipo has been dynamite this season. Lance Stephenson is a decent option in standard leagues, as he will continue to start and take more of the ball-handling duties, where Cory Joseph can be used in deeper leagues.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball (shoulder) could not suit up Wednesday, as he's still battling a sore shoulder. He doesn't look like he'll be out for much longer, as back up point guard Tyler Ennis has played well as the fill-in starter. Unless Ball suffers a setback, Ennis is only suited for deeper leagues. Jordan Clarkson is probably owned in most leagues, but if he isn't, go pick him up. He may get traded before the February trading deadline anyway. A trade could be good for his value.

Detroit Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson (ankle) will not return until at least after the All-Star break, and Ish Smith is a must-start, must-own player until further notice. Smith has demonstrated in the past that he can really help boost those assists numbers, and he's almost a lock to see 28+ minutes until Jackson returns. Avery Bradley will also benefit from extra touches.

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Jeff Teague (knee) could miss two-to-four weeks due to a MCL sprain in his left knee, and Tyus Jones has been a popular pick up in most leagues. In his last four starts, Jones averages 7.0 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.0 steals in 31.6 minutes. The points are a bit disappointing, but the steals are not a fluke and they're absolutely elite. Don't be discouraged as Jones is dealing with a dislocated finger. The minutes are there and so will the steals.

San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green (groin) couldn't do much in Tuesday's contest against the Knicks and the Spurs are looking to shut him down until he's right. Kyle Anderson will benefit. Anderson was playing very well and flirted with mid-round value before he got injured, so he's worth a look in most leagues with Green expected to miss time.

Los Angles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (Achilles) is listed day-to-day with a sore Achilles, as C.J. Williams is only worth a look in deeper leagues if Rivers miss more time. There's no obvious winner, but Lou Williams has been fantastic and will have the chance to take on more shots.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (Achilles) is very close to a return, and he's being listed as "doubtful" ahead for Friday. Conley put in an "extensive" post-practice workout last weekend and has been ramping up his activity lately, so owners should be excited about a return in the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Tyreke Evans will continue to run the point for Memphis.

 New York Knicks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (lower leg stress injury) is still a couple weeks away. He continues to be a cheer leader for the Knicks during games so it's at least a positive sign he's with the team. Frank Ntilikina has played well lately and deserves a look again. I'd pick him up now before he blows up. He's a very intriguing assists and steals guy, with the upside to average a 3-pointer per game. If the Knicks were to unleash him for 30 minutes per night, look out. He could be a sneaky difference maker towards the second-half of the season.

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (knee) continues to progress well and owners should see him sometime this month. He's been working out with the G-League affiliate team and it's only a matter of time before he reclaims the scoring duties for the Bulls. His return will likely send either Justin Holiday or Denzel Valentine to the bench. I suspect the Bulls to roll out a lineup of Robin Lopez, Lauri Markkanen, Justin Holiday , Zach LaVine, and Kris Dunn in 2018. Holiday will not be this good with LaVine back in the lineup. If you want to sell high on Justin Holiday, go for it.

Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell (knee) continues to be sidelined after an arthroscopic surgery last month to remove loose bodies. There is still currently no timetable for his return, but Spencer Dinwiddie continues to fill the void nicely as he's become a mid-round player on the year. Guys like Allen Crabbe, Rondae Hollis Jefferson will continue to have increased usage.

Sacramento Kings forward Harry Giles (knee) is not expected to play for the Kings until January 2018 at the earliest, but he has tremendous upside in fantasy. The Kings are going to be super careful with him, as he's recovering from surgically repaired knees that caused teams to pass on him during draft night. He's not likely to be much of a factor for standard league owners once he returns, but the Kings are an absolute mess and it wouldn't be surprising if they chose to use the second-half of the season developing their young core. The Kings has not updated his recovery status, but he was last seen warming up and taking shots with the team prior to a game on Dec. 10th. If you're in a deep league and is comfortable stashing a player, it wouldn't be a terrible idea especially if you have an IR spot. He's a low-risk, high reward stash. Just my opinion.

 

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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Patrik Laine

Remains Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi

On Track To Return Wednesday
Brandon Hagel

Ruled Out For Game 5
Marcus Johansson

Returns To Action Tuesday
Cole Ragans

Won't Start On Wednesday
Dylan Moore

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Hip Inflammation
Jonas Siegenthaler

Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Brett Pesce

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Back In Tuesday's Lineup
Frederik Andersen

Unavailable Tuesday
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
Las Vegas Raiders

Jack Bech A Strong Candidate To Be An Immediate Starter
Las Vegas Raiders

Zamir White Competing For Depth Role
New York Jets

Mason Taylor To Immediately Be Atop Jets Tight End Depth Chart
Bennedict Mathurin

Cleared For Game 5
Buffalo Bills

Dalton Kincaid Setting Up As Post-Hype Sleeper In 2025?
Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps
Tennessee Titans

Titans In No Rush To Trade Will Levis
Daulton Varsho

Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Tuesday
Minnesota Vikings

J.J. McCarthy Says He Knows He's Ready To Start For Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Picking Up Fifth-Year Option On Dax Hill
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Chargers Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To J.K. Dobbins
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Jaren Hall Cut Loose By Seahawks
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Chiefs Compare Josh Simmons To Christian Darrisaw, Rashawn Slater
Denver Broncos

Pat Bryant Compared To Michael Thomas
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RJ Harvey Could Do It All For Broncos
Carolina Panthers

Tetairoa McMillan Likely To Man The X Spot For Panthers
Green Bay Packers

Packers, Jaire Alexander Continue To Discuss Potential Reunion
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Discussed George Pickens With Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs To Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
Washington Commanders

Matt Gays Signs One-Year Deal With Commanders
San Francisco 49ers

George Kittle Signs Four-Year Extension With 49ers
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Records Third Consecutive Double-Double
Brandin Podziemski

Hits Six Treys During 26-Point Performance
Jimmy Butler III

Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
Jarrett Allen

Has Double-Double, Six Steals In Blowout Win
Brandon Boston Jr.

Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Kelly Olynyk

Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Nathan MacKinnon

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
Mikko Rantanen

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Wyatt Johnston

Leads Stars To Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Returns To Winning Ways
Anton Lundell

Earns Two Points Monday
Ryan Gerard

Going For A Texas Trifecta Of Sorts
Brandon Hagel

Departs Loss Early
Joe Highsmith

Hoping To Make More Putts In Texas
Eric Cole

Expecting Big Things In Texas
Brian Campbell

May Go Under The Radar At CJ Cup
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Brandon Nimmo

Has Career Game
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Tyler Glasnow

Going On The Injured List
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Jrue Holiday

Out Again On Tuesday Night
Bennedict Mathurin

Questionable For Game 5
Damian Lillard

May Not Play Next Season
Luis Arraez

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Johnathan Kovacevic

To Remain Out Tuesday
Brenden Dillon

Unavailable Tuesday
Luke Hughes

Not Ready To Return For Game 5
Darius Garland

Remains Out On Monday
Ross Colton

Remains Out On Monday
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Oskar Back Returns To Stars Lineup Monday
Miro Heiskanen

To Miss Game 5
Jordan Westburg

Placed On Injured List
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go For Game 4
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
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Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
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Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
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Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
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Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
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Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
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Removed Early On Sunday
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
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Making Progress
Tarik Skubal

Racks Up 11 Strikeouts
Luke Weaver

In Line To Get The Bulk Of Save Opportunities Moving Forward
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Removed From Closer Role
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Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Austin Hays

Smacks Two Homers On Saturday
Jorge Polanco

Goes Deep Twice On Saturday
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Eugenio Suarez Hits Four Homers On Saturday
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Tosses Complete Game In A Loss To The Royals
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Nearly Hits For The Cycle
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Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
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Scheduled For Co-Main Event
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Set For His Final UFC Bout
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Set For Featherweight Bout
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Looks To Bounce Back
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Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
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Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
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Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
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Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic