X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

NBA Injuries & Who Can Benefit for Week 21

RotoBaller has assembled NBA injury updates for Week 21, and lineups advice on various injury situations throughout the NBA to understand who stands to benefit instead.

We're here to help you prepare both your seasonal and daily fantasy league (DFS) lineups. Understanding the injury landscape, including who's out and who could benefit is a key skill in all forms of fantasy basketball.

Here we will focus on the important questions: Who is injured? When are they coming back? Should you stash an injured player on your roster? Who is getting an opportunity in the mean time? This injury analysis should assist in projecting how to respond to injuries in seasonal leagues, and who can you target with your DFS lineups. Consider this your one-stop overview of fantasy-relevant injuries in the NBA.

Black Friday Special! Save 50% on any Big-4 Sports Premium Pass using discount code THANKS. Win more with our DFS, Betting and Season-Long Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice for NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL from from proven winners! Dan Palyo leads the team with exclusive picks for DFS picks, Props, betting. Enhance your game with industry-leading tools like our Lineup Optimizers, Team Sync Platform, DFS Cheat Sheets and more. GAIN ACCESS

 

NBA Injury Roundup For Week 21

Questionable to Play

Paul Millsap (F/C, ATL): Knee tightness. Millsap was a late scratch on Saturday with discomfort in his knee. Ersan Ilyasova started in his place and scored 23 points.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (PG/SG/SF/PG, MIL): Ankle. Giannis sat out the end of Friday's blowout. He has until Tuesday to rest, but if he misses time, Malcolm Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova will see boosts as primary ball handlers.

DeMarcus Cousins (PF/C, NOP): Knee and ribs injuries. Boogie is expected to return Sunday. Dante Cunningham filled in for him on Friday and would start again if Cousins has a setback.

Kristaps Porzingis (PF/C, NYK): Hamstring injury. He expects to return on Monday, but if he sits, Lance Thomas would start again and Kyle O'Quinn would get another chance to put up the monster stats he does whenever he gets more than 15 minutes of playing time.

Trevor Booker (PF, BKN): Leg. Booker missed Friday, but is expected to be available on Sunday. Quincy Acy and Andrew Nicholson saw a boost in minutes in the front court with Booker out.

Wilson Chandler (SG/SF/PF, DEN) and Danilo Gallinari (SF/PF, DEN): Groin and knee, respectively. The Nuggets have run a tight rotation in their absence, with Juancho Hernangomez and Mason Plumlee seeing the biggest boosts in fantasy production filling in as starters, with Will Barton playing an out-sized scoring role off the bench.

 

Out Short Term

Isaiah Thomas (PG, BOS): Knee bruise. Thomas is expected to miss Sunday's game against Philadelphia, but hopeful to play Monday. Marcus Smart is starting, but Terry Rozier has seen the biggest boost in minutes and numbers.

Dion Waiters (SG/SF, MIA): Ankle sprain. Josh Richardson and Wayne Ellington will see a boost with Waiters island momentarily sunk.

Joe Harris (SG, BKN) and Sean Kilpatrick (PG/SG, BKN): Shoulder injury/concussion and hamstring, respectively. Randy Foye is the ineffective starter at SG, with K.J. McDaniels seeing some extra run in addition to the two backup point guards, Isaiah Whitehead and Spencer Dinwiddie.

Kyle Korver (SG/SF, CLE): Foot tendon inflammation. Korver has missed six straight games. J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Richard Jefferson are splitting the minutes on the wing alongside King James.

Tyreke Evans (PG/SG/SF, SAC): Ankle injury. Evans has been starting and playing sporadically due to a nagging ankle injury. Buddy Hield and Garrett Temple look to remain starters on the wing, with Anthony Tolliver and Ben McLemore playing a decent roles off the bench.

 

 

No Timetable to Return

Josh McRoberts (F/C, MIA): Left foot. Luke Babbitt slides into the starting spot, but James Johnson has been the better fantasy producer even off the bench. McBob remains out indefinitely.

Quincy Pondexter (G/F, NOP): Knee Surgery. E’Twaun Moore, Tim Frazier and Solomon Hill have received starts, while Langston Galloway has carved out deep league value.

 

Out Multiple Weeks

Joakim Noah (F/C, NYK): Left knee surgery. Willy Hernangomez and Kyle O’Quinn (in that order) are worth a look.

Kevin Durant (F, GSW): MCL sprain, tibial bone bruise. Has progressed to taking shots. Andre Iguodala will probably eat up most of the perimeter minutes off the bench. Patrick McCaw and Matt Barnes will also see an increased role with KD out.

Dragan Bender (F, PHX): Ankle. Marqueese Chriss’ rest of season outlook gets a slight boost, but no significant increases elsewhere.

 

Likely Out for the Season

Dwyane Wade (SG, CHI): Fracture in elbow. Paul Zipser is filling in as starter, but Denzel Valentine is the bigger fantasy beneficiary.

Brandon Knight (PG/SG, PHO): Back injury. For what it's worth, Knight's been ruled out for the rest of the year. He was completely out of the rotation anyway, so it won't change a thing.

Andrew Bogut (C, CLE): Fractured left tibia. He played less than a minute for his new squad, so everything should remain unchanged in Cleveland.

Kyle Lowry (G, TOR): Wrist surgery. Cory Joseph will log most of the minutes at the one with Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet backing him up.

Joel Embiid (C, PHI): Knee. Jahlil Okafor will draw the starts, but Richaun Holmes is the more alluring fantasy option here.

Ben Simmons (F, PHI): Foot. T.J. McConnell will gladly take all the ballhandling duties with Sergio Rodriguez acting as the primary backup.

Jabari Parker (F, MIL): Torn left ACL. It could be a mix of Mirza Teletovic and Michael Beasley stepping up now that Parker will be out for 12 months.

Zach LaVine (G, MIN): Torn ACL. Shabazz Muhammed seeing a lot of run. Kris Dunn and Tyus Jones get an increased role in the lineup well.

Rudy Gay (F, SAC): Ruptured left Achilles. Garrett Temple is the most reliable option on the perimeter, but Matt Barnes could also so an increase in minutes.

Justise Winslow (F, MIA): Right Shoulder. James Johnson becomes essential to the Heat frontcourt, while Rodney McGruder and Wayne Ellington should see increased run.

Jerryd Bayless (G, PHI): Wrist surgery. T.J. McConnell has taken over the point guard duties in Philly.

Chris Bosh (F/C, MIA): Blood clot. James Johnson, Luke Babbitt and Willie Reed benefit from the extra frontcourt minutes.

Chris Andersen (C, CLE): Knee. He suffered an ACL tear in his right knee during practice. He’s been relegated to a deep bench role anyways.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Rasmus Andersson

Bags Three Points Wednesday Night
Morgan Geekie

Nets Two Power-Play Goals Wednesday
Joe Burrow

Bengals Haven't Ruled Out Joe Burrow for Week 12
Connor McMichael

Posts Three Assists in Wednesday's Win
Alexander Romanov

Islanders Place Alexander Romanov on Injured Reserve
Lars Eller

to Miss Thursday's Action
Nic Dowd

Out on Thursday
Adam Lowry

Inks Extension With Jets
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Likely Out on Thursday
Zaccharie Risacher

Questionable for Thursday
Kristaps Porzingis

at Risk of Missing Another Game
Paolo Banchero

Misses Fourth Straight Game
Kawhi Leonard

Remains Out Against Magic
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Ruled Out for Two Weeks
Tyler Herro

Targeting Return on Monday
Brian Thomas Jr.

Limited in Practice on Wednesday
Jerami Grant

Available Wednesday Night
Jalen Brunson

Returns From Two-Game Absence
Jalen Smith

Available to Play Wednesday
Tre Jones

Downgraded to Out
Shaedon Sharpe

Misses Wednesday's Game
Dereck Lively II

Cleared for Action Wednesday
Daniel Gafford

Available Wednesday
Caleb Martin

Won't Play Against Knicks
Raisel Iglesias

Returning to the Braves on One-Year Deal
Lamar Jackson

Absent Due to Ankle Injury
Marvin Bagley III

Starts on Wednesday
Mike Conley

Joins Starting Unit Wednesday
Saddiq Bey

Cleared for Wednesday's Action
Zion Williamson

Returns to Action Wednesday
Aaron Gordon

Out Wednesday
Cooper Flagg

Won't Play Wednesday
Conor Garland

to Return on Thursday
Thomas Harley

to Miss Road Trip
Eetu Luostarinen

Out Week-to-Week After Barbecue Accident
Curtis Lazar

to Miss at Least Three Games
Vladimir Tarasenko

Misses Third Consecutive Game
Mikael Granlund

Remains Out Wednesday
Charlie McAvoy

Out Indefinitely After Facial Surgery
Joe Burrow

to Potentially Return in Week 12?
Aaron Rodgers

Out on Wednesday, Hopes to Practice Thursday
Jaylen Warren

Not Seen at Wednesday's Practice
Dak Prescott

Lands on Injury Report Ahead of Week 12 With Hip Injury
Rhamondre Stevenson

Targeting a Return in Week 12?
Isiah Pacheco

Returning to Practice on Wednesday
Brian Thomas Jr.

Jaguars "Optimistic" About Brian Thomas Jr.'s Week 12 Status
Josh Jacobs

Will Not Practice on Wednesday
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Continue Fall Run at RSM Classic
Jayden Daniels

Commanders Considering Shutting Down Jayden Daniels?
Stephan Jaeger

Looking to Bounce Back at RSM Classic
Tom Hoge

Looking to Regain Form at RSM Classic
Joe Highsmith

Searching for Turnaround at RSM Classic
Adam Hadwin

Looking to Build on T11 Finish in Bermuda
Austin Eckroat

Searching for Momentum at RSM Classic
Joel Dahmen

Trying to Find Form at the RSM Classic
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Ruled Out Again in Week 12
Drake London

Falcons Hoping That Drake London Will Return in Week 13
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful to Play Against Western Kentucky
Michael Penix Jr.

Needs Reconstructive Surgery on Torn ACL
Jaxson Dart

Expected to Return to Practice on Wednesday
Shedeur Sanders

Will Start Against Raiders
Dalton Kincaid

Ruled Out Against Texans
Connor Bedard

Continues Tear With Hat Trick
Macklin Celebrini

Pots Hat Trick in Tuesday's Win
Jake Guentzel

Records Eighth Career Hat Trick
Sammy Blais

Injured Versus Blues
Alexander Romanov

Injured in Tuesday's Win
Ryan Hartman

Considered Week-to-Week
Michael Thorbjornsen

Hopes to End 2025 Campaign With Another Solid Finish
Andrew Novak

Looks to End 2025 Season on High Note at RSM Classic
Harry Higgs

Teetering for PGA Tour Card in 2026
PGA

Nico Echavarria has the Potential to Contend at the RSM Classic
Sam Stevens

Finishing Out Year in Georgia
Seamus Power

Playing Better at the Right Time
Beau Hossler

Roller Coaster Comes to Saint Simons Island
Quade Cummins

The Time is Now for Quade Cummins in Georgia
Austin Cook

Needs a Win at the RSM Classic
Cameron Champ

on the PGA Tour Card Bubble
Grayson Rodriguez

Shipped to Angels
Taylor Ward

Orioles Acquire Taylor Ward From Angels
Shota Imanaga

Accepts Cubs Qualifying Offer
Brandon Woodruff

Returning to Milwaukee in 2026
Denny McCarthy

Looking For Another Solid Finish at RSM Classic
Si Woo Kim

Looking To Use Current Momentum to Flip Script at RSM Classic
Mackenzie Hughes

a Good Bounce-Back Candidate at RSM Classic
Harris English

Making 14th Start at This Week's RSM Classic
Konnor Griffin

Could Compete for Starting Shortstop Job in 2026
Gleyber Torres

Accepts Tigers Qualifying Offer
Odell Beckham Jr.

Officially Reinstated by NFL Commissioner
Matt Murray

to Miss Six Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
C.J. Stroud

Expected to Return in Week 13 Against Colts
C.J. Stroud

to Miss Another Game
CFB

Sam Leavitt Set to Enter Transfer Portal?
Jose Altuve

Undergoes Foot Surgery
Alex Bregman

Red Sox Going for Either Alex Bregman or Pete Alonso?
CFB

James Franklin to be Virginia Tech's Next Head Coach
CFB

Fernando Mendoza the Clear Heisman Trophy Favorite?
CFB

Beau Pribula Has Chance to Face Oklahoma on Saturday
Jack Della Maddalena

Gets Dominated
Islam Makhachev

Claims UFC Welterweight Belt
Zhang Weili

Gets Outclassed
Valentina Shevchenko

Wins Unanimous Decision At UFC 322
Sean Brady

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Michael Morales

Remains Unbeaten
Leon Edwards

Suffers Second-Round Knockout Loss
Leon Edwards

Carlos Prates Becomes The First Man To Knock Out Leon Edwards
Beneil Dariush

Suffers Brutal First-Round Knockout Loss
Beneil Dariush

Benoit Saint Denis Knocks Out Beneil Dariush In 16 Seconds
Josh Naylor

Mariners Finalizing Five-Year Contract
CFB

Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate Not Dealing With Long-Term Injuries
CFB

Virginia Tech Close To Naming James Franklin As Head Coach
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful vs. Arkansas On Saturday
Edwin Díaz

Blue Jays Interested in Signing Edwin Diaz?
Jacob deGrom

Named AL Comeback Player of the Year
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Wins NL Comeback Player of the Year Award
Aroldis Chapman

Named AL Reliever of the Year
Edwin Díaz

Edwin Diaz Named NL Reliever of the Year
Islam Makhachev

Set For UFC 322 Main Event
Jack Della Maddalena

Set For His First Title Defense
Zhang Weili

Can Become The New Women's Flyweight Champion
Valentina Shevchenko

Set For UFC 322 Co-Main Event
Michael Morales

Looks To Remain Undefeated
CFB

Mario Craver a Game-Time Decision for Week 12
Sean Brady

Set For Title Eliminator Bout
Carlos Prates

A Favorite At UFC 322
Leon Edwards

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set To Open Up UFC 322 Main Card
Beneil Dariush

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights