4 weeks agoAccording to NBA insider Michael Scotto, San Antonio Spurs forward/center
Zach Collins (shoulder) will undergo surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Collins is no stranger to surgical procedures. However, it's a tough blow, considering the 26-year-old has appeared in at least 63 games in each of the last two seasons. Fortunately, he's expected to be ready to go for the 2024-25 campaign. Collins remained productive last season despite the arrival of
Victor Wembanyama, averaging 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He should continue to hold a spot in the rotation and get some starts when the new season begins in October, so he should have value for those in deeper fantasy formats.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Michael Scotto
4 weeks agoMiami Heat guard
Duncan Robinson (back) is probable for Friday's meeting with the Chicago Bulls. The sharpshooter missed time to close the regular season but returned for Wednesday's Play-In loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. However, he didn't see any action in that one. With that in mind, the Heat won't have
Terry Rozier (neck) or
Jimmy Butler (knee) against the Bulls, so Robinson may need to get involved. But If he doesn't see the floor,
Delon Wright,
Jaime Jaquez Jr., and
Nikola Jovic could get more involved on the scoring end.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoMiami Heat guard
Terry Rozier (neck) won't play on Friday night versus the Bulls. The former Hornet has played well since getting traded to the Heat. However, he missed time to end the regular season and sat out Wednesday's one-point Play-In loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. As a result,
Tyler Herro remained the primary ball handler, finishing with 25 points and nine assists. However, he had five turnovers and had trouble shooting the ball, going 9-for-27 from the field and 4-for-14 from deep. Nonetheless, with Rozier and
Jimmy Butler (knee) out, Herro is a lock for DFS contests. In addition,
Delon Wright, who had six points, six rebounds, two steals, and one block against the Sixers, remains a viable DFS value option.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoMiami Heat forward
Jimmy Butler (knee) was diagnosed with a sprained MCL. Butler amassed 19 points, five assists, and five steals in Wednesday's one-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. However, he injured his knee during the contest. As a result, Butler will be sidelined for at least a few weeks, which isn't an ideal scenario for the Heat if they manage to pull off the win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday. Nonetheless, Miami also won't have
Terry Rozier (neck), meaning
Tyler Herro and
Bam Adebayo could take over as the team's top scorers. There's also room for
Duncan Robinson (back),
Jaime Jaquez Jr., and
Nikola Jovic to see a significant increase in DFS production.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 weeks agoChicago Bulls center
Andre Drummond (ankle) is questionable for Friday's Play-In meeting with the Miami Heat. Drummond sprained his ankle near the end of the regular season and missed some games. However, he returned for Wednesday's win over the Atlanta Hawks. But the veteran logged only 11 minutes, ending the night with four points, three rebounds, three blocks, and one steal. Nonetheless, Drummond should be on the floor for Friday's pivotal contest. While the ailment makes him a risky DFS option, he'll still have some value for the limited two-game slate. Yet, if Drummond can't play, the Bulls may need to go small, opening the door for
Torrey Craig to get more involved.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoChicago Bulls guard
Ayo Dosunmu (quadriceps) is considered questionable for Friday's matchup with the Heat. He missed the last four games of the regular season because of a right quad injury. Fortunately, he returned for Wednesday's Play-In win over the Atlanta Hawks, logging 41 minutes and scoring 19 points. Nonetheless, it would be surprising if Dosunmu isn't on the floor on Friday evening. But if he's unavailable,
Alex Caruso (ankle), who is questionable, and
Javonte Green would be the favorites to absorb the surplus minutes.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoChicago Bulls guard
Alex Caruso (ankle) is questionable for Friday's Play-In battle with the Miami Heat. The 30-year-old suffered a "significant" left ankle sprain in Wednesday's win over the Atlanta Hawks, with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that his status versus the Heat is in doubt. Caruso plays a pivotal role in Chicago's rotation, averaging 10.1 points and 1.7 steals during the regular season. Fortunately, it appears he's doing a little better than he was. But Caruso will have some hurdles to clear before he gets the green light to suit up. However, if he's not on the floor,
Javonte Green will immediately see a substantial increase in fantasy potential.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoGolden State Warriors forward
Andrew Wiggins could be heading toward the exit this summer. The Ringer reports that league sources believe Wiggins will be included in trade talks in the offseason as the Warriors look to improve their roster following a disappointing campaign. Golden State's season ended on Tuesday when the team suffered a blowout loss in the play-in tournament against Sacramento. Wiggins has spent four and a half seasons with the Warriors, winning the NBA championship in 2022. However, he had a rough campaign in 2023-24, and a divorce might be mutually beneficial. Wiggins is coming off the first season of a four-year, $109 million contract.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: The Ringer
4 weeks agoMilwaukee Bucks point guard
Damian Lillard (groin) was able to practice on Wednesday in a limited capacity and is expected to get a full session under his belt on Friday. Lillard is trying to get ready for Game 1 of the team's first-round series against Indiana, which starts on Sunday night. It's unlikely that we will see
Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) in the lineup at the weekend, and Lillard's unavailability would be another huge blow for Milwaukee. However, the star guard appears to be trending in the right direction. If he's cleared to play, we should see fireworks from Lillard, as he'll be expected to do a lot more without Antetokounmpo. Lillard averaged a big 34-point, 10-assist double-double during his last playoff campaign in 2021.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 weeks agoLos Angeles Clippers guard/forward
Kawhi Leonard (knee) hasn't yet been cleared for five-on-five practice, but head coach Tyronn Lue appears to be confident of having him in the lineup when playoff action starts this weekend. "I'm preparing to have him on the court," Lue said on Wednesday. "We just take it day-by-day. He's getting better and we'll see how much he continues to progress." Leonard missed the final eight regular-season games due to inflammation in his right knee. The Clippers start their first-round series against Dallas on Sunday. Leonard, a two-time Finals MVP, is known as a great post-season performer and has averaged at least 30 points in three of his last four playoff campaigns.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Associated Press
4 weeks agoCleveland Cavaliers shooting guard
Sam Merrill (neck) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice as he continues to work his way back from injury. A neck problem kept him out for the final three regular-season games, but Merrill looks to be on track to return to the lineup for Game 1 of the playoffs against Orlando on Saturday. The 27-year-old averaged a career-high 8.0 points in 17.5 minutes during the regular season, shooting 40.4 percent from downtown. Merrill's shooting ability makes him a good option to have on the bench, but the rotations get tighter during the postseason, and he likely won't see a lot of time on the court.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Chris Fedor
4 weeks agoCleveland Cavaliers forward
Dean Wade (knee) isn't expected to play in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs against Orlando on Saturday. He missed the end of the regular season, making his last appearance on March 8, and Wade wasn't in Wednesday's practice. Wade's absence means more minutes to
Georges Niang and
Marcus Morris Sr. off the Cavaliers bench. However, neither player doesn't carry any significant fantasy value as long as
Evan Mobley stays healthy.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: P.J. Ziegler
4 weeks agoAccording to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Chicago Bulls guard
Alex Caruso suffered a "significant" left ankle sprain in Wednesday's play-in contest against Atlanta and is doubtful to play on Friday versus Miami. Caruso suffered the injury in the first quarter on Wednesday when he collided with teammate
Andre Drummond. Following a visit to the locker room, Caruso was able to return to the court, but he didn't see any action since the 9:43 mark in the third quarter. The injury will likely bring
Javonte Green into the starting unit on Friday. He was a late addition to the Bulls squad during the regular season but had a productive time with the team. In five starts, Green notched 14.0 points and 8.6 rebounds with 1.2 steals in 29.2 minutes.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
4 weeks agoMiami Heat forward
Jimmy Butler (knee) is feared to have suffered an MCL injury in Wednesday's 105-104 loss to Philadelphia in the play-in tournament. He was hurt near the end of the first quarter when Philadelphia's
Kelly Oubre Jr. landed on Butler's right knee. The Heat star managed to complete the contest and logged a productive 40 minutes, but the injury could sideline Butler for an indefinite period. He's scheduled to have an MRI on the knee on Thursday.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. and
Caleb Martin should carry a bigger load if Butler is forced to come out of the lineup for Friday's contest against Chicago.
Tyler Herro and
Bam Adebayo will be asked to do more on the offensive end.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 weeks agoCleveland Cavaliers guard
Donovan Mitchell (knee) stated he's "100 percent" heading toward the postseason. The multi-time All-Star has battled a knee injury, limiting him to 10 games since March 1. Fortunately, Mitchell reported he received platelet-rich plasma injections while being closely monitored by the team's medical staff, so he'll be ready to go. The Cavs begin the postseason series with the Magic on Saturday. While DFS managers will continue to be apprehensive about Mitchell's health, it appears the knee issue is behind him, at least for now.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Tom Withers
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