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RotoBaller has assembled NBA injury updates for Week 17, and lineups advice on various injury situations throughout the NBA to understand who stands to benefit instead.
We're here 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, and who can you target with your DFS lineups. Consider this your one-stop overview of fantasy-relevant injuries in the NBA.
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NBA Injury Roundup For Week 17
Questionable to Play
Wilson Chandler (F, DEN): Illness. Juancho Hernangomez will hold down short-term value with Chandler out.
Thabo Sefolosha (G/F, ATL): Groin. Tim Hardaway Jr. will get the starts in Sefolosha’s absence and worth a look in most formats.
Cody Zeller (C, CHA): Quad contusion. Frank Kaminsky has stepped up in a big way in Zeller’s absence
Dwyane Wade (G, CHI): Wrist. Michael Carter-Williams and Jerian Grant should be the biggest beneficiaries with the guard depth thin in Chicago.
Out Short Term
Patrick Patterson (F/C, TOR): Knee. Newly acquired Serge Ibaka should get as much run as he can handle while Patterson is out. Norm Powell got a second half start with a smaller lineup.
Ty Lawson (G, SAC): Adductor. Darren Collison has made a push to separate himself from Lawson lately. Ben McLemore also gets a bump in usage and minutes.
Al-Farouq Aminu (F, POR): Left knee. Maurice Harkless should enjoy a boost in minutes and touches.
Terrence Jones (F, NOP): Thumb. Donatas Motiejunas looks like the better add, with Alexis Ajinca grabbing the starts
Nikola Mirotic (F, CHI): Back. A mix of Doug McDermott and Cristiano Felicio will fill-in depending on the matchup.
Kenneth Faried (F, DEN): Ankle. With the Nuggets hit hard with injuries, Juancho Hernangomez and Mason Plumlee will have short-term value.
Joakim Noah (F/C, NYK): Left hamstring. Willy Hernangomez is a must-own in deep formats, while Kyle O’Quinn should have some value as well.
Thaddeus Young (F, IND): Left wrist. Lavoy Allen has sucked up all the minutes at power forward, but remains a low usage player.
David West (F, GSW): Thumb. His bench duties will likely be shifted to Kevon Looney, but it’s irrelevant on the fantasy front. West has re-joined practice and should be back soon.
Emmanuel Mudiay (G, DEN): Back. Jameer Nelson will continue to draw the starts and absorb most of the point guard minutes. Jamal Murray gets a boost as well.
Jeremy Lin (PG, BKN): Left hamstring. Spencer Dinwiddie has swapped starts with Isaiah Whitehead. He’ll likely step onto the court right after the All-Star break.
Rodney Hood (G/F, UTA): Hyperextended knee. Alec Burks likely gets more minutes with Joe Ingles looking to get the starts. Joe Johnson has gotten an increased role as well.
Danilo Gallinari (F, DEN): Left groin. Juan Hernangomez will get a big boost in minutes.
Garrett Temple (G, SAC): Left hamstring. It looks like Ben McLemore will take most of the guard duties while Temple is out. Matt Barnes has seen an increase in role and Arron Afflalo has seen more minutes as well.
Joel Embiid (C, PHI): Knee. Nerlens Noel has been great as the starter, but with Jahlil Okafor now back, they’ll likely swap big nights.
Zaza Pachulia (F/C, GSW): Right rotator cuff strain. Steve Kerr will go by committee in the week with JaVale McGee, Kevon Looney and Anderson Varejao all cancelling each other out.
Josh Richardson (G/F, MIA): Sprained left foot. Dion Waiters and Wayne Ellington will round out the perimeter minutes while Ricahrdson is out.
No Timetable to Return
Josh McRoberts (F/C, MIA): Left foot. Luke Babbitt slides into the starting spot, but James Johnson has been the better fantasy producer even off the bench. McBob remains out indefinitely.
Quincy Pondexter (G/F, NOP): Knee Surgery. E’Twaun Moore, Tim Frazier and Solomon Hill have received starts, while Langston Galloway has carved out deep league value.
Jodie Meeks (G, ORL): Dislocated thumb. A combination of D.J. Augustin and C.J. Watson should get more run.
Out Multiple Weeks
Kevin Love (F/C, CLE): Knee. Channing Frye should be owned in standard formats as Love undergoes surgery that will keep him out for the next six weeks.
Dragan Bender (F, PHX): Ankle. Marqueese Chriss’ rest of season outlook gets a slight boost, but no significant increases elsewhere.
Evan Turner (G/F, POR): Right hand. A combination of Allen Crabbe, Maurice Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu should benefit. Turner will miss the next 5-6 weeks.
Avery Bradley (G, BOS): Achilles. Marcus Smart steps in standard format conversations and should start with Bradley out. The Celtics will probably have him after the All-Star break.
Enes Kanter (F/C, OKC): Fractured right arm. It should be a combination of Domantas Sabonis and Jerami Grant filling in. Steven Adams will be relied upon heavily at center. Kanter will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Pau Gasol (F/C, SAS): Left hand. David Lee and Dewayne Dedmon have been sharing starts, but the former looks like to player to be owned here. Gasol is expected to return shortly after the All-Star Break.
J.J. Barea (G, DAL): Left calf strain. Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell will benefit from the extra guard minutes. Barea is aiming for a return sometime after the All-Star Break.
Omri Casspi (F, SAC): Right calf. Matt Barnes and Anthony Tolliver should see a few extra minutes each.
Chris Paul (G, LAC): Thumb. Raymond Felton and Austin Rivers get a huge boost with their All-Star point guard out until March.
J.R. Smith (G/F, CLE): Thumb. Iman Shumpert has taken over starting duties and should be considered in deep leagues. The Cavs have projected Smith to return by April.
Ben Simmons (F, PHI): Foot. Ersan Ilyasova looks to be starting for the next few months with Dario Saric getting the bench minutes. It’s not a sure bet that he’s going to play this season.
Likely Out for the Season
Jabari Parker (F, MIL): Torn left ACL. It could be a mix of Mirza Teletovic and Michael Beasley stepping up now that Parker will be out for 12 months.
Zach LaVine (G, MIN): Torn ACL. Brandon Rush has gotten most of the minutes so far, but Shabazz Muhammad looks like the better option. Kris Dunn and Tyus Jones get an increased role in the lineup as well.
Rudy Gay (F, SAC): Ruptured left Achilles. Garrett Temple is the most reliable option on the perimeter, but Matt Barnes could also so an increase in minutes.
Justise Winslow (F, MIA): Right Shoulder. James Johnson becomes essential to the Heat frontcourt, while Rodney McGruder and Wayne Ellington should see increased run.
Brandan Wright (P/C, MEM): Ankle surgery. Wright has struggled with injuries his entire career and hasn’t played this season yet.
Jerryd Bayless (G, PHI): Wrist surgery. T.J. McConnell has taken over the point guard duties in Philly.
Chris Bosh (F/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.
