NBA Injuries and Who Can Benefit Instead (Week 7)

7 years ago by Dicky Fung

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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:

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (knee) is going to miss up to two months with a sprained MCL on his left knee. It's an unfortunate situation for the Clippers, as they have battled with injuries all year and is slipping fast in the standings. They will not rush Griffin back, as they are only in Year-1 of Griffin's $173 million dollar contract. They are awaiting the return of Danilo Gallinari (glute) as he may be the biggest beneficiary of this news. Guards Lou Williams and Austin Rivers will see a significant increase in shot attempts, where center DeAndre Jordan will likely see an uptick in rebounding numbers. Forward Wesley Johnson will also look to play 30+ minutes per game and could start even when Danilo Gallinari (glute) returns. Coach Doc Rivers could opt to inject Sam Dekker or Montrezl Harrell into the starting lineup until Danilo Gallinari is back from his injury. If Rivers or Johnson is available in your league, I'd pick them up immediately. Harrell and Dekker are lotto tickets in deeper leagues. Doc Rivers said on Wednesday that he believes point guard Milos Teodosic (plantar fascia) is close to returning and that he won't be out for more than another 5-10 games. I'd stash him if I had an IR spot in my league, he's probably going to be the starting point guard for the Clippers the rest of the way with Patrick Beverly out the whole year.

Charlotte Hornets point guard Kemba Walker (ankle) will miss Wednesday's contest against the Raptors due to a sprained shoulder. Michael-Carter Williams will be the fill-in starter and offers a dart in daily leagues. Nicolas Batum will benefit and Malik Monk might see some minutes. Walker is considered day-to-day, so there are no real adds unless otherwise.

Chicago Bulls guard Zachary LaVine (knee) continues to progress well and is on track to return late December. 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, Denzel Valentine, Zach LaVine, and Kris Dunn in 2018. There's a small chance Holiday continues to start, but he will not be this good with LaVine back in the lineup. If you want to sell high on Justin Holiday, go for it. Forward Nikola Mirotic is also due back soon from his facial fracture with teammate Bobby Portis. It's a weird situation for Mirotic, as he had his starting job taken away from him by getting hit in the face. With Markkanen and Portis playing well, it's probably wise to monitor the minutes rotation when he's back before making a move. Mirotic could return as early as next Monday.

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Isaiah Thomas (hip) has progressed to on court drills, where his next step will be taking contact in practices. He will be brought along slowly to ensure his hip doesn't flare up. However, he seems to be ahead of schedule for a mid-to-late December return and all signs points to him being the player he was. If you are sitting comfortably on top of your standings in your league and have an IR spot, it wouldn't hurt to send an offer out to see if you can get him now.

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 an early-round player on the year. Guys like Allen Crabbe, Rondae Hollis Jefferson will continue to have increased usage. Speaking of Hollis-Jefferson, he is considered day-to-day with an ankle sprain. Trevor Booker deserves a look in most leagues, but I don't fully trust him.

Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (knee) will miss Wednesday's game against the Knicks due to knee soreness. He has downplayed the injury prior to Wednesday, only to say it is now a "serious issue" during shoot-around against the Knicks on Wednesday. Rookie Bam Adebayo has nice upside and could be emerge as a sleeper pickup if Whiteside misses more time. Meanwhile, Goran Dragic, James Johnson, and Dion Waiters figures to be the main beneficiaries. Kelly Olynyk hasn't played well this season, but he could also be a winner if Whiteside is out for an extended time.

San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (quad) is getting close to a return. He has progressed to contact work and should be back in 2-3 weeks. This is encouraging as the Spurs were real quiet with his recovery, as it was an injury that was more serious than the initial diagnosis. LaMarcus Aldridge, Danny Green, and Kyle Anderson will all take a hit in value. Anderson might not be a standard league guy anymore, but hold him until Leonard actually steps onto the floor. I'd sell high on Aldridge everywhere.

Washington Wizards point guard John Wall (knee) is going to be out for another week or so with knee soreness. He received platelet-rich plasma and viscosupplementation injections to reduce the inflammation in his left knee. Bradley Beal and Otto Porter will eat up most of his usage while Kelly Oubre Jr. will look at more minutes. Tim Frazier deserves a look in most leagues, but he hasn't looked good in his last few starts. I would rank Oubre Jr. over Frazier in standard leagues.

Denver Nuggets forward Paul Millsap (wrist) underwent surgery to repair a fracture on his wrist. He will miss 2-3 months according to most reports. His injury increases the value of Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris, and Jamal Murray. Wilson Chandler (back) figures to also benefit the most, but he's also dealing with an injury of his own. He's day-to-day. Coach Mike Malone has opted to go with a different starting lineup on a nightly basis due to match ups so guys like Kenneth Faried, Juancho Hernagomez, and Mason Plumlee are like lotto tickets, best served as deep league streamers.

Memphis Grizzlies fired their head coach Dave Fizdale earlier this week, and it'd worth monitoring what their lineup and rotations might look under new head coach JB Bickerstaff. Point guard Mike Conley (Achilles) has been recovering for two weeks, and the Grizzlies just announced he will be out for another 2-3 weeks. The good news is Conley is progressing well through therapy and treatment to promote healing and alleviate soreness in his left heel and Achilles. It's been a lost season for Conley owners, but stick with him as he may still save your season if he comes back healthy. Marc Gasol and Tyreke Evans will continue to handle most of the usage while Mario Chalmers deserves to be on most rosters as a low-end PG. I'm done with Chandler Parsons, he's just not worth the headache with his nagging injuries. I'd look at him in the deepest of leagues.

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (knee) has progressed to on court practice drills. He injured his knee on Nov. 12 and there's a chance he can beat his 4-6 weeks timetable. That is an encourage sign as big man tend to be slower healers and the Jazz could really use their defensive big back. Derrick Favors has filled in admirably, but he figures to take a hit when Gobert eventually comes back. Right now would be the right time to sell high on Favors as he's red hot. There's no telling how much of a hit Favors might take with Gobert, or if he's going to get injured again.

New York Knicks forward Kristas Porzingis (back/elbow) has been dealing with an elbow bursitis and back spasms. He missed Saturday's game with back spasms and returned to the starting lineup Monday night in a loss against the Blazers. The Unicorn mentioned after the game that his elbow is still bothering him, as he pointed out he would likely have to have surgery in the off season to correct it. This is not causing him to miss games, at least yet, but it's worth monitoring as the season progresses. The Knicks can very well fall out of the playoff race, despite how good they've played early on in the season. If Porzingis's elbow is still bothering him in February, there's no telling if the Knicks would want to protect their investment and shut KP down. If Porzingis ever misses extended time, guys like Michael Beasley and Willy Hernagomez could be worth a look while Enes Kanter and Tim Hardaway will carry the Knicks. UPDATE: Frank Ntilikina is out with an ankle injury on Wednesday. Consider him day-to-day, but he's not worth owning as long as he's not playing over 20 minutes a game, let alone starting.

Dallas Mavericks guard Seth Curry (leg) has yet to hit the floor this season, as he's still dealing with a tibia injury. He is being evaluated on a weekly basis. His upside isn't great, but he's on a Mavericks team that is starving of points production. Leave him on your IR if you can afford to.

Atlanta Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon (leg) is going to miss 3-6 weeks due to a tibia stress reaction and it's a huge blow for the Hawks. Dedmon was playing the best basketball of his career, and owners who drafted him in the later rounds were reaping the benefits of the big man. He was sitting on eighth-round value in standard leagues and will have to slowly work his way back from this leg injury. Rookie John Collins was already a must-start, must-own player, but you knew that. He is now looking at an enormous opportunity to perform and Collins owners should be licking their chops. Luke Babbit could also get meaningful minutes at the power forward spot, but he's more suitable for deeper leagues. The interesting thing to watch is if Ersan Ilyasova can get more minutes, as he has been able to flash some upside in the past. Keep an eye on the Hawks rotation.

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac (ankle) is close to a return, but will not play Wednesday. He has tantalizing upside, and the Magic could very well use the rest of the season developing him. He's worth a stash in standard leagues, and should be picked up in deep leagues.

Portland Trail Blazer forward Al-Farouq Aminu (ankle) will return Wednesday and will come off the bench. He has been out since Nov. 1 and will eventually be back into the starting lineup. He was great before his injury, and he should be scooped up in most leagues if he was dropped. Noah Vonleh has played well recently, but Aminu brings another dynamic for the Blazers as he's able to guard multiple positions and hit the 3-pointer.

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Jeff Teague (Achilles) was a game-time decision heading into Wednesday night against the Pelicans. It is not considered serious but the T-Wolves want to stay on top of it before it flares up. Tyus Jones has been great at filling in for Teague, and could have bought himself more playing time with this opportunity. I'd hold Jones in deeper leagues even when Teague returns, just to see if he can sustain value.