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While many of us were giving thanks, some guys were getting injured I guess. I've been traveling and I'm tired, the puns aren't so good right now so bear with me.
We've got some good streams and high dreams in this week's version of the injury updates! Let's see where we can uncover some value. Michael Porter Jr. is likely to miss the season now with another back surgery, so you can drop him now. Joe Harris is set to miss 1-2 months with ankle surgery, so if you're rostering him for some reason you can drop him too. But we're not here to sulk. Let's go see who has some streaming appeal!
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
Bogdan Bogdanovic, SG/SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks - Ankle
Bogdan Bogdanovic is set to miss a few weeks with a serious ankle sprain. Cam Reddish also happens to be out now with a wrist injury. Cam Reddish is only day-to-day with this wrist injury, but in the meantime, you can consider streaming Danilo Gallinari. Kevin Huerter should be owned in all leagues and he's only rostered in 34% of Yahoo! leagues right now. He is pretty up and down, but the opportunity is there.
Dennis Schroder, PG, Boston Celtics - Ankle
Dennis Schroder could be back any day, but until he is Grant Williams and Romeo Langford seem to be absorbing most of the minutes. Neither guys is really worth a roster spot, but Grant Williams is near stream level in a 25-28 minute role.
Mason Plumlee, PF/C, Charlotte - Calf
Managers who were impatient with PJ Washington are probably kicking themselves a bit right now as he has strung together some nice games with Mason Plumlee on the sidelines. Washington is rostered in 71% of Yahoo! leagues, so he's likely not available in yours, but if you need a center that provides threes and blocks, go snap him up.
Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C, Dallas Mavericks - Ankle
Kristaps Porzingis is injured again. Big shocker. X-rays came back clean, but if he needs to miss time, I'd consider streaming Maxi Kleber or Dorian Finney-Smith, with the former being the more appealing option as he's capable of putting up blocks with his threes.
Jalen Green, SG, Houston Rockets - Hamstring
Jalen Green is set to miss about a week with a hamstring strain, but we all know those can be tricky and it could be a bit longer. With Jalen Green on the sidelines, the veterans are going to get some run. Guys like Eric Gordon are worth a look, as is Garrison Mathews and Armoni Brooks in deeper leagues.
Jimmy Butler, SF/PF, Miami Heat - Tailbone
Jimmy Butler fell hard on his tailbone and might miss a few games, but he should be all right. Tyler Herro would be the guy that would normally soak up the usage, but he also happens to be out with his own injury as he deals with an illness. Caleb Martin, Max Strus, and Gabe Vincent are worth a stream in the absence of both these guys, but none of them are super appealing. Caleb Martin is probably the one that has the most appeal in the short term.
Jarred Vanderbilt, PF/C, Minnesota Timberwolves - Illness
Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaden McDaniels are both dealing with an illness and there's no clear-cut winner here if they both miss another game. However, Naz Reid is getting some extra run and has some very nice per-minute production. He's worth a stream if both guys miss the next one.
Derrick Rose, PG/SG, New York Knicks - Ankle
Derrick Rose could return in their upcoming games, and he should have a ton of value if he does after it was announced that Kemba Walker will be out of the rotation going forward. Rose is only rostered in 45% of Yahoo! leagues, so he's likely available for you. While he's out, Immanuel Quickley has some streaming appeal. Alec Burks is the best guy to add right now if he's still sitting in your free agent pool, but I like Derrick Rose better for ROS return.
Cole Anthony, PG, Orlando Magic - Ankle
Cole Anthony has sat six straight games with this ankle injury so we you would hope he returns in the next few games, but there haven't been any really clear updates. In his absence, Jalen Suggs and RJ Hampton will run the show, though both guys struggle with efficiency. Gary Harris has been seeing some run too, but none of these guys is very appealing. As I was writing this, Jalen Suggs went down with a fractured thumb, so RJ Hampton is your guy.
Norman Powell, SG/SF, Portland Trail Blazers - Quadriceps
Norman Powell may miss another game or two as he recovers from a sore thigh, which means that Nassir Little will get some extra minutes. Anfernee Simons will also have some added scoring opportunities and he's the preferable pickup here for the time being. Nassir Little is worth a spot too, but he provides low end value across multiple categories whereas Simons can put up points and threes in bunches, so it depends on what you need.
Harrison Barnes, SF/PF, Sacramento Kings - Foot
Harrison Barnes may be back in the lineup soon, but until he is Terence Davis is likely to soak up extra minutes. It helps Davis that Moe Harkless is also injured. There isn't a lot to like here for fantasy purposes. The absence of these guys probably helps Chimezie Metu have some deep league appeal for the time being.
Devin Vassell, SG/SF, San Antonio Spurs - Quadriceps
Devin Vassell and Doug McDermott are both injured, which opens up som value for Lonnie Walker IV and Bryn Forbes. Lonnie is worth a stream in situations like this, but don't expect much outside of the scoring.
OG Anunoby, SF/PF, Toronto Raptors - Hip
OG Anunoby still can't practice, so it's likely he misses more time here. Khem Birch is also out, so that has opened the way for Precious Achiuwa to put up some value and he should be owned by any team in need of rebounds. Scottie Barnes should continue trucking right along as well.
Gary Trent Jr., SG/SF, Toronto Raptors - Calf
On top of the guys listed above to target with OG Anunoby out, Svi Mykhailiuk is also worth a look in the short term as Gary Trent Jr. is out. GTJ could return any day soon though.
Royce O'Neale, SG/SF/PF, Utah Jazz - Ankle
Joe Ingles and Rudy Gay will see some added opportunity with Royce O'Neale on the sidelines for a minute. Royce is day-to-day, but Ingles is the more worthy player of a stream if he misses another game.
Long Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball
Joe Harris, SG/SF, Brooklyn Nets - Ankle
Joe Harris is looking at a 1-2 month recovery from ankle surgery, and while the team is optimistic that he can get back at the short end of that timeframe, he's not worth stashing at all. I wrote about Patty Mills as an add in our category streamers article this week, but now he's absolutely someone you need to consider going out and snapping up everywhere as his rest of the season outlook just got a big boost.
Michael Porter Jr., SF/PF, Denver Nuggets - Back
Michael Porter Jr. is unfortunately going to miss another season in his young career. It's truly a tough blow for him and for a Nuggets team that just paid him a ton of money in a multi-year contract. Jeff Green is likely locked into a bigger role with PJ Dozier also set to miss the season with an ACL tear. I scooped him up in a few leagues and I'd suggest you do the same everywhere he's available to see if his role sticks.
James Wiseman, C, Golden State Warriors - Knee
It would seem that James Wiseman is set to return soon for the red hot Golden State Warriors, but it's hard to see him having a huge impact for this team out the gate. He's not worth a stash or a spot on your team right now, but add him to the watchlist in case he is the piece that takes them over the top.
Klay Thompson, SG/SF, Golden State Warriors - Achilles
The more anticipated player returning for the Warriors has to be Klay Thompson. Jordan Poole has been playing relatively well without Klay, but he's likely going to take a hit as Klay is going to take some of his minutes. Klay is worth a stash at this point if he's available in your league. Both Klay and James Wiseman are getting some reps in for the Warriors' G-League team, so they should be returning in the next few games.
Ja Morant, PG, Memphis Grizzlies - Knee
All basketball fans let out a collective sigh of relief as it was announced that Ja Morant hadn't suffered a serious injury to his knee. The point guard is still set to miss weeks for the Grizzlies and they are going to struggle for offense in the meantime. De'Anthony Melton and Tyus Jones are the first guys that you should snag off the wire. Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks are going to be busy on the offensive end as well, with Brooks being the one with the biggest boost to his scoring value.
Zion Williamson, PF, New Orleans Pelicans - Foot
Zion Williamson has been cleared for full basketball activities, so that's great news for the Pelicans. He should be back any day now and now is the perfect time to sell high on Jonas Valanciunas, especially as he's 7-for-7 from three-point land as I write this article. What in the world. All the Pelicans players will take a minor hit as he's sure to soak up a ton of usage.
Jalen Suggs, PG/SG, Orlando Magic - Thumb
Jalen Suggs is likely looking at a few months on the shelf after he fractured his thumb. RJ Hampton is the guy who is going to slide into the starting lineup and is worth a speculative add, especially while Cole Anthony is sidelined. RJ Hampton has a lot of upside, but he hasn't quite realized it yet.
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