• Aside from a handful of individual cases splattered throughout the NBA, the league’s COVID outbreak is largely in its rearview mirror. However, we can never have nice things, and instead of health and safety protocols taking players out it’s legitimate injuries sidelining the league’s best.

    Sure, guys like Marcus Smart and Tyrese Haliburton are still in the league’s health and safety protocols. Alex Caruso and Luke Kennard are nearly clear of the league’s health protocols. Actual injuries, however, are striking the NBA’s best. Kevin Durant suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee and will miss the next 4-to-6 weeks after a teammate fell into him, jeopardizing his incredible MVP run. Anthony Davis has yet to return from his sprained MCL. Damian Lillard underwent abdominal surgery and is expected to miss at least six weeks before receiving a re-evaluation. The Blazers may be out of playoff contention at that point, rendering Lillard’s return fairly useless and unnecessarily risky. Paul George is at risk of missing the rest of the season if his shooting elbow’s evaluation scheduled for late January goes poorly.

    We also have some of the obvious names who’ve already missed the majority of the campaign and seem poised to miss it entirely. Zion Williamson has yet to play because of his right foot. Kawhi Leonard is unlikely to play this season after tearing his ACL last postseason. Jonathan Isaac is, presumably, somewhere recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee when not publishing books. Jamal Murray isn’t expected back from his torn left ACL until late in the season, probably past the fantasy playoffs.

    Minor injuries are piling up as well. Draymond Green is likely to miss the next two weeks with calf soreness stemming from a disc issue in his back. Clint Capela will miss a fifth-consecutive game on Monday with a sprained left ankle. Deandre Ayton just sprained an ankle and is considered day-to-day. Malcolm Brogdon is continuing to deal with Achilles soreness in his right foot and Myles Turner is missing the team’s next game with left foot soreness. Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball are missing the Bulls’ Monday game with left knee issues. Stephen Curry, the league’s frontrunner for MVP, missed his team’s Sunday game against the Wolves after hurting his shooting hand.

    This season has necessitated smart streaming in a way few, if any, seasons ever have. When a significant portion of the league was in health and safety protocols it was true, and it remains true now that the league’s suffering its usual share of injuries. From the ashes rises a phoenix, though, and streaming opportunities follow injuries like defenders follow Curry around screens.

    Week 14 doesn’t provide obvious opportunities to capitalize upon with so many teams playing four games. It does allow for managers to toe the line between streaming for now and streaming for the future. Kelly Olynyk (left MCL sprain) is a guy slated to return sometime soon who has long-term potential, especially if his teammate, the highly coveted Jeremy Grant (right thumb sprain), ends up being dealt. Look at a guy like Anfernee Simons. He was a preemptive grab when Lillard was ruled out for the team’s recent six-game road trip. Now, Simons looks like, at worst, a top-90 guy ROS with high upside. These types of adds are gamechangers and managers must be quick to strike.

    Short-term options are available to managers as well. Otto Porter Jr. is a guy who could shine for the next two weeks with Green sidelined. The Knicks offer a couple options like Alec Burks or Nerlens Noel for immediate contributions this week. Coby White could have a two-game window with LaVine and Ball nursing knee injuries to start the week.

    It’s depressing to watch the best guys go down. It can be demoralizing when our IR spots are shortly free of health and safety absences only to be filled once again by guys with long-term injuries. We must forge on, focused on the prize at the end of the tunnel, undeterred by the myriad of injuries to our favorite players. Weather the storm and position yourself for long-term success.

    Schedule Breakdown

    Two Games: Kings, Rockets, Pelicans

    Three Games: Cavaliers, Nuggets, Wolves, Suns

    Four Games: Hawks, Celtics, Nets, Hornets, Bulls, Mavericks, Pistons, Warriors, Pacers, Clippers, Lakers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, Knicks, Thunder Magic, Sixers, Blazers, Spurs, Raptors, Jazz, Wizards

    Back-to-Backs

    Monday/Tuesday: Knicks

    Tuesday/Wednesday: Pistons, Wolves

    Wednesday/Thursday: Mavericks, Pacers

    Thursday/Friday: Warriors

    Friday/Saturday: Bucks, Thunder

    Schedule Maximizers

    23 teams play four games this week, three play two games and the rest play three. We are avoiding the Kings, Rockets and Pelicans in Week 14 because they’re the three teams playing two games. Terence Davis would normally be a great streaming option with Tyrese Haliburton in the league’s health and safety protocols, but the two contests this week limit his streaming value. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday are this week’s prime streaming days, with each day featuring three or fewer games. Unfortunately, nobody plays on each of the low-volume nights. The Warriors and Knicks each have four contests this week and they play on Tuesday and Thursday. The Pacers (four-game schedule) and Suns (three-game schedule) play on Thursday and Saturday, the second pseudo back-to-back of the week. The Knicks are a good target to start the week. They kick off Week 14 with a double-header on Monday and Tuesday followed by a third game during Thursday’s light schedule.

    Best Schedule: Warriors (vs. Pistons, vs. Pacers, vs. Rockets, vs. Jazz)

    The Warriors play all four of their games from the comfort of their home this week, they have a double-header and they play on two low-volume nights. In addition, they’re missing Draymond Green (left calf tightness, back), Klay Thompson is likely to sit one side of their double-header and Stephen Curry missed Sunday’s contest with an injury to his shooting hand. Curry’s not expected to miss more time past Sunday, but it’s something to monitor. Otto Porter Jr. started in place of Green on Sunday. Porter is an interesting option for 3s and points beyond Week 14 with Green expected to miss two weeks. Gary Payton II is a good streaming candidate if healthy, especially for the team’s stretch of three games in four nights between Tuesday and Friday.

    Worst Schedule: Rockets (@ Jazz, @ Warriors)

    Besides the fantasy implications, the Rockets face two of the league’s best teams in their arenas. On top of the Jazz and Warriors being among the league’s elite, they’re also two of the best defenses this season. Add the fact that they play on Wednesday, a 13-game night, and Friday, an 11-game evening, Rockets’ streamers may not even make it into daily lineups. Stashing Alperen Sengun is probably the smartest fantasy play if adding a Rockets player in week 14.

    Game of the Week: Grizzlies @ Bucks, Wednesday January 19th, 8:00 pm ET

    The upstart Grizzlies visit the defending champs in a battle between two of the most athletically gifted people the sport has even known in Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo has literally jumped over another human and finished a lob on a fast-break opportunity. Morant recently added an unbelievable two-handed block to his highlight reel in a blowout victory over LeBron James’ Lakers. The Grizzlies play with a confidence and fearlessness best embodied by their leader, Morant. The Greek Freak also plays with an all-out mentality exhibited by few others. The Grizzlies are slightly ahead of schedule and Wednesday’s meeting with the Bucks is another proving ground for the young squad.

    Quick Adds

    JaVale McGee, C, Phoenix Suns

    Deandre Ayton went down in their Sunday game with a sprained right ankle and is considered day-to-day moving forward. With a favorable three-game week and Ayton’s uncertain status, McGee becomes an interesting proposition as he always does in Ayton’s absence. McGee finished Sunday’s contest with 20 points, six boards and a block on 9-of-10 shooting in just 15 minutes of action as the Suns dismantled the Pistons. The champ can be streamed in all formats if Ayton’s out.

    Otto Porter Jr., SF/PF, Golden State Warriors

    Draymond Green is expected to miss roughly two weeks until a re-evaluation in late January for his calf and back issue. Porter has drawn the team’s last two starts, ranks No. 67 in his last three appearances and in the top-100 over the last two months. With Green’s extended absence and the Warriors’ strong streaming week, Porter can be trusted for four quality outings in Week 14.

    Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, Detroit Pistons

    Olynyk has only appeared in 10 contests this season after suffering a sprained left knee. Jeremy Grant remains out with a sprained right thumb for an unspecified amount of time. Isaiah Stewart hasn’t necessarily capitalized on his opportunities in the middle, sitting just inside the top-200 in 25 minutes a night. Based on last season’s performance, Olynyk has top-70 upside if he’s given ample playing time. He has a skillset that touches several categories, he thinks the game fairly well and he understands his role. Even if Olynyk doesn’t suit up until the end of the week, stashing him at the right time could pay off immensely ROS.

    Amir Coffey, SG/SF, Los Angeles Clippers

    Coffey’s last seven games have him at No. 71 in 9-cat formats and his last three games put him inside the top-20 at No. 16 in nearly 34 minutes a night. He’s producing across the board, playing heavy minutes, the team has four games and he has a runway on the wing for the foreseeable future with Paul George (right elbow) and Kawhi Leonard (right ACL tear) out indefinitely. Many expected Terance Mann to have these minutes, but Coffey’s the guy for Week 14 and potentially past it.

    Injury Report

    Clint Capela is dealing with a left ankle sprain that’ll keep him out for a fifth-straight contest on Monday.

    Marcus Smart is out indefinitely while in the league’s health and safety protocols.

    Kevin Durant will miss 4-to-6 weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee, a crushing blow for one of this season’s MVP favorites.

    Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball will miss Monday’s contest with left knee injuries, while Alex Caruso is expected to return on Wednesday after a stint in the league’s health and safety protocols.

    Draymond Green (left calf tightness, back) is awaiting a re-evaluation in late January, shelving Green for the better part of the next two weeks.

    Myles Turner will miss Monday’s contest with left foot soreness while Malcolm Brogdon is considered questionable with right Achilles soreness.

    Paul George (right elbow) remains sidelined until his evaluation in late January.

    Anthony Davis (left knee sprain) will receive a re-evaluation within the next few days, so his return should be on the horizon.

    Kyle Lowry will miss Monday’s contest due to personal reasons, but Bam Adebayo is considered questionable for the contest as he nears a return from right thumb surgery.

    Jrue Holiday is out of Monday’s contest with a sore left ankle.

    Deandre Ayton sprained his right ankle on Sunday and is considered day-to-day moving forward.

    Damian Lillard underwent surgery to address his injured abdomen and will be re-evaluated in 6-to-8 weeks. C.J. McCollum is off the team’s injury report for Monday’s meeting with the Magic after an extended absence due to a collapsed lung and the birth of a child.

    Tyrese Haliburton entered the league’s health and safety protocols on Sunday and is out indefinitely.

    Bradley Beal has been listed as questionable for Monday’s contest after a brief stint in the league’s health and safety protocols.

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