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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 fewer injuries to cover for this week, fortunately, so let’s get to it.
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Short-Term Injuries
Delon Wright, SG, Detroit Pistons- groin
Wright is dealing with a groin strain and won’t be evaluated again for another couple of weeks. This is a huge blow for the Pistons as Wright had recently emerged as a strong player. He had posted at least 16 points in five of the last seven games he had played. Now, Dennis Smith Jr. will see more playing time, but he’s only worth monitoring right now.
Dennis Schroder, PG, Los Angeles Lakers- COVID-19 protocols
Schroder is in COVID-19 protocols and will be out until Wednesday if not more. It remains unclear when the guard could return. For now, Alex Caruso and Wesley Matthews are players who could receive more playing time. Nevertheless, both are only worth keeping an eye on for now.
Dillon Brooks, SG, Memphis Grizzlies- thigh
Brooks missed his third straight game on Monday because of a thigh injury. There is no indication on when he could return. 2020 first-round pick Desmond Bane is now an option for more minutes and it’s worth noting he has double-digit points in six of the last eight games. Therefore, it’s worth keeping an eye on him.
Steven Adams, C, New Orleans Pelicans- ankle
A right ankle sprain caused Adams to miss his second straight game on Sunday. It remains uncertain when Adams could potentially return, but if he can’t go, Willy Hernangomez would be a great streaming option. He has posted one double-double in the past three games along with getting double-digit rebounds in the past three games as well.
Kyle Lowry, PG, Toronto Raptors- ankle
Lowry has missed three straight games because of an ankle injury and he remains questionable for Tuesday’s game. If Lowry can’t go, Terence Davis could see more minutes, but he’s not fantasy-relevant.
DeMarcus Cousins, C, Houston Rockets- heel
Cousins has now missed three straight games with a heel injury. The center had been filling in well for the injured Christian Wood (ankle) as he posted a double-double in two of the past four games he had played along with scoring at least 10 points in the past four games he had played. P.J. Tucker could see more playing time if Cousins can’t play in any of the upcoming games, but only keep an eye on Tucker now.
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