RADIO
Hope you all enjoyed your "Klay Day" yesterday. We're starting to get some familiar names back into the fold, like Klay Thompson and Thomas Bryant. Who is worth a stash? Are any of them worth a roster spot? How many people are out with COVID? Your answers and more this week in Rotoballer's NBA Injury Update!
I've added another section at the bottom called "Players Returning," so be sure to scroll down if you're wondering whether or not you should pick up one of these guys returning from a long-term injury. I'm trying to knock this out early today (Monday), so be sure to check the news for the latest updates before you make a move as this won't come out until Tuesday.
We'll just be covering the stuff that has changed since I wrote this article last week because I know you've been following and taking copious notes since we began! These players are listed in the alphabetical order of the teams for which they play.
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Short-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball
Clint Capela, C, Atlanta Hawks - Ankle
The Atlanta Hawks have five people in the league's health and safety protocols, but none of them are very important. Clint Capela has a sprained ankle though, which makes Onyeka Okongwu an obvious guy to stream. There's a possibility that Capela's back for the next game, so you'll need to stay on top of the updates.
James Harden, PG/SG, Brooklyn Nets - Knee
He might not miss more than just the one game, but if he does miss more time, Patty Mills is going to continue to have some relevancy for the time being. Cam Thomas will also be getting a handful of minutes but is hard to trust. This was updated as I was writing it and it looks like Harden WILL play Wednesday, so there isn't any impact here in the end.
LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C, Brooklyn Nets - Foot
LaMarcus Aldridge being out means that Nicolas Claxton is going to get plenty of run. He's a must roster player and will be a hold even when LMA gets back since the two have played together at times. Enjoy the increased opportunity for the time being though.
Kelly Oubre Jr., SG/SF, Charlotte Hornets - Health & Safety Protocols
Kelly Oubre Jr. entered the league's protocols late on Monday, meaning he's likely to miss the next three games for the Hornets. Jalen McDaniels and Cody Martin are likely to see some increased playing time, but both guys are probably better suited for deeper leagues with all the main guys healthy in Charlotte.
Will Barton, SG/SF, Denver Nuggets - Health & Safety Protocols
Will Barton should clear quarantine on January 14th at the absolute earliest. Aaron Gordon will get a nice boost and Austin Rivers, who managed 31.5 minutes in their last game, will see a similar workload. One underrated add here that is likely available in your league is Jeff Green. He's only owned in 6% of Yahoo! leagues and has averaged 17 points since returning from the protocols in two games where he's averaging under 20 minutes. If he can crack 25-28 minutes, he can help teams with points, threes, and a few blocks here and there.
Draymond Green, PF/C, Golden State Warriors - Hip
Draymond Green checked into Sunday's game to "honor" Klay Thompson, then promptly sat down. He still isn't over the hip issue, which means guys like Otto Porter Jr. and Andre Iguodala are worth a look as a stream. Since both of those guys are present, and Klay Thompson is back, it's hard to justify rostering any of them with confidence except for Klay. As I was writing this, Otto Porter Jr. popped up as questionable, so Andre Iguodala would be worth an add for one game or so.
Eric Gordon, SG/SF, Houston Rockets - Groin
Eric Gordon isn't really in the long-term plans for the Rockets, so he keeps getting injuries that sidelined him for several games. Now we've got a groin injury, which means Garrison Mathews and Kenyon Martin Jr. are set to get some boosts in playing time and opportunity. Mathews can provide a team with plenty of threes while KJ will give you points, rebounds, and blocks. Both guys are borderline options, but make sense as streams if nothing else is on the wire.
Dillon Brooks, SG/SF, Memphis Grizzlies - Ankle
Dillon Brooks sprained his ankle badly in the last game and the news has come down that he's going to miss 3-5 weeks. De'Anthony Melton should be rostered everywhere immediately. Ziaire Williams might get some extra minutes as well but isn't very reliable.
Patrick Beverley, PG/SG, Minnesota Timberwolves - Groin
Those who own Patrick Beverley should just hang on tight for now and hope it isn't a groin injury that lingers. Malik Beasley and D'Angelo Russell will benefit the most but are most likely on someone's roster. There's a good chance that Beverley is back soon anyways.
Wendell Carter Jr., PF/C, Orlando Magic - Hamstring
Wendell has missed several games with this hamstring now, and with Robin Lopez also out of the lineup in the health and safety protocols, Chuma Okeke is worth a roster spot for the time being. Okeke is an intriguing fantasy asset who is sure to produce threes and steals. He's only rostered in 24% of leagues so go scoop him up for as long as WCJ is on the sidelines.
Shake Milton, PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers - Back
This would typically be a non-update, but since Tyrese Maxey is still out in the health and safety protocols, Shake's absence means that Furkan Korkmaz is locked into 30+ minutes each game. He is a great source of threes and points but doesn't contribute much else.
Cameron Johnson, SF/PF, Phoenix Suns - Ankle
He was ruled out a full 24 hours in advance, which isn't a great sign. There will be increased run for Jae Crowder and Jalen Smith might get minutes in the teens. Jalen Smith won't get enough time to warrant a pickup, but I love him as a stash in case he gets dealt at the deadline for someone that fits the Suns a bit better. Jae Crowder should be rostered everywhere, especially for teams in need of threes and steals.
Norman Powell, SG/SF, Portland Trail Blazers - Health & Safety Protocols
Damian Lillard is also out, so the Blazers are going to rely heavily on Anfernee Simons for scoring. He's likely been picked up in your league, but it's worth it to take a look to see if he's somehow still available. Nassir Little should have some borderline appeal also, but he's not the best fantasy player and can put up duds pretty easily. Dennis Smith Jr. has been getting about 18 minutes a night but isn't worth grabbing just yet.
Larry Nance Jr., PF/C, Portland Trail Blazers - Knee
Larry Nance Jr. suffered a bad knee injury, but luckily he avoided any structural damage. Nassir Little should be the man getting most of the minutes for the time being and he might even be a borderline guy for the rest of the way if the Blazers decide to tank or shut down Lillard.
Richaun Holmes, PF/C, Sacramento Kings - Health & Safety Protocols
Richaun Holmes should clear the protocols any day, but just like most players, he'll probably take an additional game off to get back into playing condition. Damian Jones also entered the protocols and will likely be out through January 15th. Chimezie Metu makes for an intriguing stream for a game or two since he's now back in action, but Alex Len complicates that a bit. He's still worth a look as a big that can hit some threes too.
The Entire Roster, All Positions, San Antonio Spurs - Health & Safety Protocols
The Spurs are the latest team to get hit with the COVID protocols, and with six players out, for now, the Spurs are relying heavily on guys like Lonnie Walker IV, Joshua Primo, and Keita Bates-Diop to play heavy minutes. All of these guys are worth a look, but good luck figuring out which one is going to go off on any given night. All of the main guys should be back within the next 1-2 games as well.
Players in the H&S: Tre Jones, Keldon Johnson, Thaddeus Young, Derrick White, Devin Vassell, Doug McDermott
Gary Trent Jr., SG/SF, Toronto Raptors - Ankle
Gary Trent Jr. was a late scratch in the last game, so there's a possibility he misses the next one. The Raptors went with a traditional big and while they're doing that Chris Boucher is worth a roster spot in all leagues. Precious Achiuwa could get more run too, but Boucher is the better option here.
The Entire Roster, All Positions, Utah Jazz - Health & Safety Protocols
The Jazz now have five players in the health and safety protocols, and that makes Royce O'Neale a must-roster player over the next week or so. Eric Paschall is an intriguing option should you strike out on Royce.
Players in the H&S: Udoka Azubuike, Jared Butler, Rudy Gay, Elijah Hughes, Joe Ingles, Rudy Gobert
Long Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball
Joe Harris, SG/SF, Brooklyn Nets - Ankle
The Nets say that Joe Harris is only a week or two away from a return. His return is going to absolutely smash the value of Patty Mills or Bruce Brown. None of those guys is going to be worth a roster spot except for spot streams. If you can convince someone to trade you for Patty Mills now, go do so. Otherwise it makes sense to cut ties with him in order to snag a valuable streamer or longer-term add.
Zion Williamson, PF, New Orleans Pelicans - Foot
No new information but it's been a while since we've talked about Zion Williamson for a while. If you drafted him, you probably are best served hanging on, but there is a growing concern that he won't play at all this season. If you're starting to slip in the ranks of a standard redraft league, you may consider dropping him for a hot free agent. Obviously, if you have an IL spot, hang tight and hope he can get in for a month at least.
Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers - Abdomen
There is increasing concern that the Blazers are going to shut down Damian Lillard. He likely won't play for the Blazers in their current 6-game road trip, but the time off hasn't seemed to help his injury. If you're a current Lillard owner, you probably just need to sit tight for now and see what happens. If you can flip him for a top-50 player and you're concerned you won't make the playoffs, then do so. It's not a great situation. Anfernee Simons is a must-roster player until we get more Lillard news.
Players Returning for Fantasy Basketball
Kyrie Irving, PG/SG, Brooklyn Nets - Personal Reasons
There are a lot of questions about Kyrie Irving, and as a part-time player, you need to do your best to STAY AWAY in all standard head-to-head formats for fantasy basketball. In certain formats, like games-capped roto, for example, he makes a lot of sense as a player to roster. The biggest thing here is to not be suckered into a big game and trade away a real asset. If you want to roll the dice and give away a top 60-70 player for him and hope he gets the vaccine or that the laws change, I'd say that makes sense if you're in a bleak position. Otherwise, there's just too much uncertainty. He'll only have 1 or 2 games in most weeks, which just isn't enough to get it done even if he's producing top 10-20 numbers.
Patrick Williams, SF/PF, Chicago Bulls - Wrist
Pictures have been circulating of Patrick Williams without a cast on his wrist, which has lead to some speculation he could return by the end of the season. If he does return, you'd be talking about the last half a dozen games or so of the season, at the absolute earliest. It may go without saying, but outside of dynasty formats, Patrick Williams is not worth a roster spot. The Bulls may still be buyers at the deadline.
Michael Porter Jr., SF/PF, Denver Nuggets - Back
Photos and videos have been surfacing of Michael Porter Jr. getting up shots. While that's great to see, you have to understand that MPJ has had problems with his back since college. The odds that he's going to come back this season are extremely low. If you have an empty IL spot because your league has a ton of them or something, then he makes sense as a stash. Otherwise, he's not worth a grab at all, even for desperate teams.
Klay Thompson, SG/SF, Golden State Warriors - ACL
Klay made his triumphant return after a pair of horrific injuries and performed fairly well. He wasn't efficient, but the volume was through the roof and his excitement was assuredly sky high. He'll be better in terms of efficiency though he'll get less shots and usage. If he's somehow available in your league, for sure go roster him. If you stashed him, enjoy the ride. He has top 30ish upside the rest of the way. His return is going to diminish the role of Jordan Poole, but it's probably too late to try to trade him. Just hang onto Poole and see how things shake out.
James Wiseman, C, Golden State Warriors - Knee
James Wiseman updates have been a bit sparse, but he's been getting up shots in pregame and has been doing drills at practice. I believe I heard on the radio yesterday that he had not been cleared for full contact yet, so we're likely talking weeks away still. There's no reason to stash Wiseman, but he's someone you should add to your watchlist in case he starts playing and looks significantly better in year two. Odds of that happening are very low though.
Thomas Bryant, C, Washington Wizards - Knee
Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. has said that he expects Thomas Bryant to be back by next week. Daniel Gafford has been playing well enough for the Wizards and Montrezl Harrell is going to have to get minutes. That means TB isn't a great stash in 12-team leagues in the standard format. His field goal percentage and big man stats will certainly make you salivate, but resist the urge.
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