RotoBaller has assembled NBA injury updates for Week 14, 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.
Editor's Note: Our industry-leading NBA DFS Lineup Optimizer/Generator tool helps you build winning DFS lineups in seconds. Try it now for free, and get an edge on your competition.
NBA Injury Roundup For Week 14
Questionable to Play
Anthony Davis (F/C, NOP): Right quad contusion. Terrence Jones’ usage should spike, while Dante Cunningham will stand in his place.
Kawhi Leonard (G/F, SAS): Hand. Kyle Anderson has gotten the starts and Davis Bertans has shown flashes of offensive skill in Leonard’s absence.
Monta Ellis (G, IND): Right ankle. C.J. Miles will likely absorb most of Ellis’ minutes off the bench with Aaron Brooks looking at an increase as well.
Emmanuel Mudiay (G, DEN): Back. Jameer Nelson steps into the starting unit and will see the biggest increase in production. Jamal Murray should see more minutes as well.
Jeremy Lamb (G/F, CHA): Foot. Marco Belinelli will play the clear-cut sixth man as long as Lamb is out.
Frank Kaminsky (F, CHA): Nasal fracture. Marvin Williams will probably get extended run, with Spencer Hawes getting a clearer path to minutes.
Cody Zeller (C, CHA): Quad contusion. Roy Hibbert likely gets the start with Spencer Hawes also getting a boost in minutes.
Out Short Term
JaMychal Green (F/C, MEM): Sore left knee. Zach Randolph should take most, if not all, of J-Mike’s minutes.
Eric Gordon (G, HOU): Back. Sam Dekker will take Gordon’s sixth man role for the Rockets.
Wes Matthews (G/F, DAL): Hip. Dorian Finney-Smith likely gets a big boost with Matthews out.
Deron Williams (G, DAL): Toe. Seth Curry should get a big boost and Pierre Jackson will get a proper look at the point guard spot as well.
DeMar DeRozan (G/F, TOR): Ankle. Norman Powell should get the starts in DeRozan’s absence, with Terrence Ross also looking like a good option.
Tony Parker (PG, SAS): Foot. Dejounte Murray has been getting the starts and has shown flashes for dynasty leagues. Patty Mills is the player to own in this situation.
Joel Embiid (C, PHI) Knee. Nerlens Noel takes over the process as the crowded frontcourt has been reduced with injuries.
Jahlil Okafor (C, PHI): Knee. Nerlens Noel is the must-start player with Joel Embiid (knee) also dealing with an injury. Richaun Holmes will see extended minutes as well.
D.J. Augustin (G, ORL): Sprained right ankle. Elfrid Payton should get all the minutes, but C.J. Watson will probably see more backup minutes.
Tyler Johnson (G, MIA): Strained left shoulder. Dion Waiters and Wayne Ellington will take advantage of the extra usage while Johnson is out.
Troy Daniels (G, MEM): MCL Sprain. Vince Carter likely picks up the slack off the bench, but that still puts him in a low usage spot.
Avery Bradley (G, BOS): Achilles. Marcus Smart steps in standard format conversations and should start with Bradley out. He’ll miss at least the next three games.
Joe Harris (G, BKN): Left ankle. Caris LeVert and Sean Kilpatrick should absorb most of the minutes.
Ed Davis (F/C, POR): Sprained left ankle. Meyers Leonard should be the main beneficiary, but he’s been unreliable all season.
Evan Fournier (G/F, ORL): Heel. Jodie Meeks has put up value as a threes and points specialist with Fournier out.
Rodney Stuckey (G, IND): Hamstring. C.J. Miles and Monta Ellis take on a bigger bench role with Stuckey dealing with constant injuries this season.
Mike Muscala (F/C, ATL): Ankle. It should be a combination of Mike Scott and Kris Humphries splitting the minutes off the bench for Moose.
Josh Richardson (G/F, MIA): Sprained left foot. Dion Waiters gets a big boost with Richardson in a walking boot. Wayne Ellington also stands to benefit with J-Rich out.
Andrew Bogut (C, DAL): Knee. Dirk Nowitzki is getting the starts at center as Rick Carlisle opts to go small. Seth Curry gets inserted into the starting unit with Salah Mejri serving as bench depth.
No Timetable to Return
Josh McRoberts (F/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.
Quincy Pondexter (G/F, NOP): Knee Surgery. E’Twaun Moore, Tim Frazier and Solomon Hill have gotten starts, while Langston Galloway has carved out deep league value.
Jodie Meeks (G, ORL): Dislocated thumb. A combination of D.J. Augustin, C.J. Watson and Mario Hezonja should get more run with both Meeks and Fournier out.
Out Multiple 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 out for a month or so.
D’Angelo Russell (G, LAL): Calf. Lou Williams should get another big boost in production with Jordan Clarkson also looking at a bigger role off the bench.
David West (F, GSW): Thumb. His bench duties will likely be shifted to Kevon Looney, but it’s irrelevant on the fantasy front. West will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
J.J. Barea (G, DAL): Left calf strain. Seth Curry should be the biggest beneficiary here as he’ll be the primary backup guard in the Dallas backcourt. Barea is expected out until the All-Star break.
Jeremy Lin (PG, BKN): Left hamstring. Spencer Dinwiddie has gotten the starts and Isaiah Whitehead seems to have moved back to a minor bench role. The Nets have finally released that they are expecting another 3 – 5 weeks for a return.
Rodney Hood (G/F, UTA): Bone bruise, hyperextended knee. Joe Ingles moves back into a starting role, Joe Johnson should see an increased bench role and Alec Burks should see a few extra minutes as he works himself into game form.
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 for the next 5 - 7 weeks.
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 a late-March return for Smith.
Ben Simmons (F, PHI): Foot. Ersan Ilyasova looks to be starting for the next few months with Dario Saric getting the bench minutes. Still not close to suiting up for real NBA action.
Likely Out for the Season
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 frontourt, 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. Spanish Chocolate and T.J. McConnell will go back to their roles they started the season with.
Khris Middleton (G/F, MIL): Torn hamstring. The Bucks push Tony Snell to the starting lineup for his ability to space the floor. Middleton hasn’t been able to run at full speed just yet.
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.
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.