RotoBaller has assembled NBA injury updates for Week 12, and advice on various injury situations throughout the NBA to help you prepare both your seasonal and daily fantasy league (DFS) lineups. Understanding the injury landscape, including who's out and who could benefit is a key skill in all forms of fantasy basketball.
Here we will focus on the important questions: Who is injured? When are they coming back? Should you stash an injured player on your roster? Who is getting an opportunity in the mean time? This injury analysis should assist in projecting how to respond to injuries in seasonal leagues. Consider this your one-stop overview of fantasy-relevant injuries in the NBA.
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NBA Injury Roundup For Week 12
Questionable to Play
John Wall (PG, WAS): Right pinkie. Trey Burke will likely step into a starting role with Tomas Satoransky acting as the primary backup if Wall misses time.
LaMarcus Aldridge (PF/C, SAS): Gastroenteritis. David Lee got the start and looked serviceable. He’s worth a look if Aldridge is ruled out.
Anthony Davis (PF/C, NOP): Hip. Donatas Motiejunas and Terrence Jones should be solid fill-ins if Davis can’t suit up.
Eric Gordon (SG, HOU): Left toe. Corey Brewer saw a season-high in minutes last time out.
Danilo Gallinari (SF/PF, DEN): Ankle soreness. Wilson Chandler will likely get the starts, but his minutes have been above 30 all season. Darrell Arthur could see a boost in minutes.
Nikola Mirotic (SF/PF, CHI): Flu. Bobby Portis had a good game last time out and should step in as the next guy off the bench. Doug McDermott will be leaned upon for his ability to space the floor.
Cody Zeller (PF/C, CHA): Illness. Roy Hibbert has gotten the starts, but Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes have been the better fantasy assets.
Trevor Booker (PF, BKN): Hip. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson started last game, but Booker is probable for Thursday.
Kenneth Faried (PF/C, DEN): Back. Jusuf Nurkic has looked great as the primary backup center. Darrell Arthur steps into fantasy relevancy.
Rodney Stuckey (PG/SG, IND): Hamstring. C.J. Miles will take on heavy minutes off the bench and Aaron Brooks slides into some relevancy.
Out Short Term
Serge Ibaka (PF/C, ORL): Shoulder. Jeff Green slots into a starting role with Nikola Vucevic. Aaron Gordon should see an increased role at his natural power forward spot.
Zach LaVine (PG/SG, MIN): Hip. Brandon Rush got the start, but Shabazz Muhammad is probably the more proven fantasy asset.
Josh Richardson (SG/SF, MIA): Sprained left foot. Wayne Ellington and Dion Waiters get a boost with Richardson in a walking boot.
Jon Leuer (PF/C, DET): Right knee, bone bruise. Tobias Harris goes back into the starting lineup and will get heavy minutes until Leuer returns.
Gary Harris (SG, DEN): Groin. Jamal Murray held deep league value when Harris was out of the lineup earlier in the year.
Andrew Bogut (C, DAL): Knee. Dwight Powell and Salah Mejri get an increase off the bench if Bogut is held out.
Jimmy Butler (SG/SF): Illness. A combination of Jerian Grant, Denzel Valentine and Rajon Rondo will have an opportunity while Butler sits out.
Nicolas Batum (SG/SF, CHA): Knee. Jeremy Lamb has been the starter and should put up good offensive stats in Batum’s absence. Marco Belinelli also stands to benefit.
Avery Bradley (PG/SG, BOS): Achilles. Marcus Smart looked great in the previous game and should continue to put up numbers as long as Bradley is out.
Amir Johnson (PF/C, BOS): Ankle. Kelly Olynyk will get a big boost in minutes with Tyler Zeller also out.
No Timetable to Return
Josh McRoberts (PF/C, MIA): Left foot. Luke Babbitt slides into the start spot, but James Johnson has been the better fantasy producer even off the bench. McBob remains out indefinitely, whatever that means.
Jeremy Lin (PG, BKN): Hamstring. Isaiah Whitehead gets to start more games, but Sean Kilpatrick gets most of the floor general duties. The Nets haven’t set a return date yet.
Quincy Pondexter (SG/SF, NOP): Knee Surgery. E’Twaun Moore, Tim Frazier and Solomon Hill have gotten starts, while Langston Galloway has carved out deep league value.
Out Multiple Weeks
J.R. Smith (SG/SF, CLE): Thumb. DeAndre Liggins is drawing the starts for the duration of Smith’s absence, while Iman Shumpert has some value as well. The Cavs have projected a late-March return.
Larry Nance Jr. (PF, LAL): Bone bruise, knee. Thomas Robinson has looked solid in a backup bench role.
Blake Griffin (PF/C, LAC): Knee. Paul Pierce will start, but Marreese Speights, Brandon Bass, and Wesley Johnson will see a bump in minutes for the next month or two.
Clint Capela (C, HOU): Leg. Montrezl Harrell has claimed the starting role, which will probably be the trend for the next month or so.
Ben Simmons (SF/PF, PHI): Foot. Ersan Ilyasova looks to be starting for the next few months with Dario Saric getting the bench minutes. Slowly making progress.
Jared Sullinger (PF/C, PHI): Foot surgery. Pascal Siakam will draw starts with Patrick Patterson getting most of the minutes until Sully returns. He’s finally shed the walking boot.
Likely Out for the Season
Justise Winslow (SF/PF, MIA): Right Shoulder. James Johnson becomes essential to the Heat frontourt, while Rodney McGruder and Wayne Ellington should see increased run.
Brandan Wright (PF/C, MEM): Ankle surgery. Wright has struggled with injuries his entire career and hasn’t played this season yet.
Jerryd Bayless (PG/SG, PHI): Wrist surgery. Spanish Chocolate and T.J. McConnell will go back to their roles they started the season with.
Khris Middleton (SG/SF, MIL): Torn hamstring. The Bucks push Tony Snell to the starting lineup for his ability to space the floor. Middleton has begun some 1-on-1 work.
Chris Bosh (PF/C, MIA): Blood clot. James Johnson, Luke Babbitt and Willie Reed benefit from the extra frontcourt minutes.
Chris Andersen (C, CLE): Knee. He suffered an ACL tear in his right knee during practice. He’s been relegated to a deep bench role anyways.
Nikola Pekovic (C, MIN): Chronic Ankle Issues. Pek is contemplating retirement due to injury issues. Cole Aldrich has gotten the primary backup minutes behind Karl-Anthony Towns.