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Each week of the NBA season unfortunately brings injuries to key players across the league. The goal of this column is to break down those injuries and understand which players could benefit in fantasy from an injury to a teammate.
As a reminder, COVID-19 related absences from players will now be included in this column.
There are quite a few injuries to cover for this week, so let’s get to it.
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Short-Term Injuries
Kevin Durant, SF, Brooklyn Nets- hamstring
Durant is dealing with a hamstring strain and is going to miss Tuesday’s game along with already missing Monday’s. He was recently in health and safety protocols but now an injury will cause him to miss time again. It remains unclear on when Durant could return, but Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot should see more minutes. Luwawu-Cabarrot is not fantasy-relevant though.
Devonte’ Graham, PG, Charlotte Hornets- knee
A knee injury has sidelined Graham and it’s unknown when he could return. The 25-year-old is averaging 13.7 points per game this season. Malik Monk and Miles Bridges are candidates to see more playing time, but only monitor them for now.
Gordon Hayward, SF, Charlotte Hornets- back
Hayward missed Sunday’s game to a back injury and his next chance to play comes on Wednesday though it remains unclear if he will. The forward had at least 22 points in three of the last six games. Miles Bridges could see more minutes if Hayward misses any more time, but he’s only worth monitoring for now.
Otto Porter Jr., SF, Chicago Bulls- back
Porter hasn’t played since February 1st due to a back injury and he may not be able to hit the court for another couple of weeks at least. For now, Patrick Williams should get more playing time, but he’s only worth monitoring as his numbers recently haven’t been great even with Porter out.
Paul Millsap, PF, Denver Nuggets-knee
Millsap sustained a knee injury in Sunday’s game and his status going forward is unclear. The forward has been averaging a modest 10.4 points per game this season. JaMychal Green would see more playing time if Millsap is out at all, but Green is not a fantasy-worthy addition at this point.
Victor Oladipo, SG, Houston Rockets- foot
Oladipo has now missed two straight games with a foot injury and it’s a question mark as to when he could suit up again. In eight of 11 games with Houston this season, Oladipo has posted at least 15 points. Now, Eric Gordon could be worth a look for rosters as he could see more playing time. Gordon has scored at least 20 points in six of the past seven games and is a solid add.
Jrue Holiday, PG, Milwaukee Bucks- COVID-19
It was reported that Holiday may have tested positive for COVID-19 last week and he would indefinitely be out for a minimum of 10 days or maybe more. D.J. Augustin figures to see more playing time, but it hasn’t translated to great production thus far as the veteran has only scored 19 points total in the past three games.
D'Angelo Russell, SG, Minnesota Timberwolves- leg
Russell will miss Tuesday’s contest, meaning this would be the fourth straight game he’s out due to a leg injury. The guard last played on February 8th. Veteran Ricky Rubio will see more minutes for now, but he’s not a solid pickup considering he’s only scored in double-digits once in the past three games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, SG, Oklahoma City Thunder- knee
Gilgeous-Alexander will be absent for Tuesday’s game, his fourth straight absence. The youngster has been averaging a sensational 22.6 points per game and had scored at least 21 points in seven of the past eight games he had played. Hamidou Diallo is a solid pickup as he’s scored at least 15 points in eight of the past nine games.
Mid-Term Injuries
Anthony Davis, PF, Los Angeles Lakers- Achilles
Superstar Anthony Davis won’t be evaluated for at least two to three weeks due to an Achilles injury. This is a devastating blow to the defending champs in their bid to repeat as Davis is one of the most integral components of the team. He may not return until early or mid-March at this rate. Kyle Kuzma is an intriguing add at this point, as he has scored at least 15 points in the past three games and is likely to see his minutes increased the most with Davis’ injury.
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