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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 this week for fantasy-relevant players, so let’s get to it.
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Short-Term Injuries
Trae Young, PG, Atlanta Hawks- ankle
Young missed his third straight game on Monday because of an ankle injury and when he returns remains unclear. First-year player Brandon Goodwin could see more playing time for now but he’s well off the fantasy radar given he is unproven.
Collin Sexton, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers- concussion
Sexton sustained a concussion on Friday and missed his second game in a row on Monday as a result. The guard is a crucial part of the Cavs’ offense, averaging 24.5 points per game, so this is a huge blow. Cedi Osman is worth keeping an eye on, he posted 19 points on Sunday.
Kristaps Porzingis, C, Dallas Mavericks- ankle
Porzingis missed his second game in a row on Monday because of an ankle injury and his timetable for return is unclear now. Dwight Powell is an intriguing streaming option if Kristaps must miss any more time. Powell did post 25 points and nine rebounds on Saturday when Porzingis was out.
Myles Turner, C, Indiana Pacers- toe
Turner is out for now as he deals with a toe injury. The center’s return is unspecified now and whether he misses the rest of the regular season remains to be seen. Oshae Brissett is a name to keep an eye on. He posted a double-double in last Wednesday and this past Saturday’s contest and has at least 11 points in the past four games overall.
Domantas Sabonis, PF, Indiana Pacers- back
Sabonis has now missed four games in a row because of a back injury. The Pacers are dealing with several injuries at the power forward and center position right now, meaning that guys like Oshae Brissett, Doug McDermott, and Jakarr Sampson are candidates for more playing time. Brissett is certainly worth keeping an eye as mentioned previously. McDermott is also worth monitoring as he posted at least 16 points in the past two games. Sampson is not fantasy-relevant.
Kawhi Leonard, SF, Los Angeles Clippers- foot
Leonard has been out since last Tuesday due to a foot injury and the earliest he could return is Wednesday though it’s unclear if he will. Nicolas Batum could see more playing time but his low numbers don’t make him fantasy-relevant now.
De’Aaron Fox, PG, Sacramento Kings- health and safety protocols
Fox will likely miss close to two weeks as he is in health and safety protocols. The Kings guard could now return for the last week of the regular season. Fox has been a stellar contributor for Sacramento this year, averaging 25.2 points per game. Tyrese Haliburton and Delon Wright will now see more minutes but they are only worth monitoring now.
Jayson Tatum, SF, Boston Celtics- ankle
Tatum will miss Tuesday’s contest because of an ankle injury but it doesn’t seem to be too serious. Jabari Parker and Semi Ojeleye are candidates for more minutes while Tatum is out but none are fantasy-relevant.
Long-Term Injuries
John Wall, PG, Houston Rockets- hamstring
A hamstring injury will keep John Wall out for the rest of the 2020-21 campaign. The guard averaged a decent 20.6 points per game in his first season with Houston. Kevin Porter Jr. is a player worth adding. He posted at least 18 points in three of the last four games he played and should see a larger role now.
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