Injury Report

To stay up-to-date on all of the injury news with up-to-the-minute updates, make sure to check out our LIVE Injury Report!

Please note: The Nets, Celtics, Lakers, Heat and Pelicans are on a Sunday-Monday B2B so their injury reports will come out during the day on Monday.

That may also cause changes to the lines/spreads provided at the time of writing.

New Orleans Pelicans @ Atlanta Hawks

Game Time: 7:30 pm ET

DraftKings Lines

NOP +9.5 (-110), ATL -9.5 (-110)
Game Total 228

Key Storylines

Where is Herb Jones?: Last week Tuesday, we were told Jones went through a non-contact practice. With another week of recovery under his belt, we will hopefully be looking for a more positive update as he is beginning to move past the end of his initial timeline. Jones warrants a stash if he is available in your leagues.

Additionally, Yves Missi looks to be heating up, playing true starter’s minutes in his last three games (excluding whatever he does on Sunday) and if that sticks, his 12-team value will become more solidified. The blocks seem to be coming again with the rebounds and FG% that we want.

Jalen Johnson rising, Dyson Daniels cooling: Johnson was the No. 16-ranked 9-cat player on the season at the time of writing on Sunday. After a slow start shooting the ball, he has been over 60% from the field in three of his last five and over 50% in all of those games. It has put him at 50.2 FG% on the season, closer to his average last season. Everything should level off and the only real question is whether he can maintain the 1.2 BPG (0.8 a season ago) but I do see him being the type of player who can maintain that. If you think it won’t be that high, late-second to early-third round value could still be within reach.

Daniels is expectedly slowing down but I wouldn’t panic. This is normal. Players who have a hot run to open a season or a new role (think Jonathan Kuminga last season) typically end up having a down period to flatten out their numbers and then pick back up at a more reasonable pace. Daniels may be more around a top 40-to-70 (I know that’s a broad range, but the steals impact can be wacky) ROS, though it may take a couple of months for him to actually settle into that range.

Stream of the Game

Yves Missi is becoming more than a streamer, so add him and also consider holding him for some big-man stats.

De’Andre Hunter is also on one of his hot streaks and that warrants us riding the wave for some points and threes.

Alternatives: 

Zaccharie Risacher (points/3s/general)

Lottery picks: Javonte Green, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Brandon Boston Jr., Elfrid Payton

Maybe Jordan Hawkins if he gets cleared, but the back injury has also affected him when he has been playing recently.

Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics

Game Time: 7:30 pm ET

DraftKings Lines

MIA +10 (-110), BOS -10 (-110)
Game Total 222

Key Storylines

Rozier Situation: Terry Rozier’s right foot issue was revealed to be “neuroma” last week, which is a nerve issue in the foot/toe area which causes swelling, typically in the ball of your foot. Per Dr. Google, it can feel like you’re stepping on pebbles when you’re wearing a shoe (don’t quote me on that). That doesn’t sound like fun and it doesn’t sound like something someone just gets over quickly, so I’m a little worried about Scary Terry. If the downtrend continues, he could become a 12-team drop but for now I would still try to hold on for another week or so. This could explain why he has been poor so far this season though.

There you go, 17 points, five assists and three triples in 29 minutes off the bench from Rozier on Sunday. Let’s see if he plays on Monday and if he can start some course correction.

B2B Rests: The Celtics listed a bunch of guys on the injury report for Sunday, but it does mean we should also get some more rests on Monday whenever their injury report drops. This was a trend near the end of last season and whenever the schedule got crowded, so expect it to persist, albeit not on every back-to-back except for Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. It does further help Payton Pritchard’s production, not that he seems to need it.

Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis were listed as questionable on Sunday. Derrick White was also questionable on Sunday, but he seemed to pick up a minor injury (listed as a right foot sprain) on Friday, so I don’t think that listing was related to rest.

Update: White was ruled out on Sunday, as well as Jaylen Brown (illness) despite Brown not being on the injury report beforehand.

Holiday, Porzingis and Horford were cleared on Sunday, making them risks to sit on Monday. Look out for their official Monday injury report.

Stream of the Game

I am leaning towards Duncan Robinson if he continues to start over Rozier for some points plus 3s, and he has even shown some ability to do other stuff over the past season with assists and rebounds occasionally. Robinson was not good on Sunday though. I’m also wondering of Rozier sits the B2B.

If Porzingis and Horford are out, my picks become Neemias Queta and then Luke Kornet for “okay” big-man stuff. It could be a ploy to give both KP/Al rests together to allow their other capable bigs Queta/Kornet some actually time to shine. Or maybe I’m wrong. Wait for the updates before doing a move.

Alternatives: 

Sam Hauser (3s, explosive upside for points if he gets going) seems like a good bet if at least two starters are out as well and would have an argument for stream of the game.

Haywood Highsmith (rebounds, 3s, defensive stats)

Lottery picks: Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson maybe?

Los Angeles Lakers @ Minnesota Timberwolves

Game Time: 8:00 pm ET

DraftKings Lines

LAL +6 (-110), MIN -6 (-110)
Game Total 225

Key Storylines

A wonderful Knechtion: On a broadcast last week, the commentators relayed that Dalton Knecht said he studied Kevin Durant for his pull-up shooting, someone else I can’t remember now and JJ Redick for his movement shooting/general spacing…well one of those guys is his coach now and he knows how to use him…and he feeds him when he has a hot hand too.

Austin Reaves has been on a downturn and there have been some drop questions, so I’m just going to reaffirm that you are not dropping Reaves under any circumstances. A couple weeks of poor play doesn’t mean he is bad now, and he survived with fantasy value when D’Angelo Russell was cooking in the lineup last season during the final months of the regular season, so even the Knecht hot-hand feeding should not be a long-term issue. Plus, when players aren’t shooting well they may just take a couple fewer shots, and that is likely what is going on with Reaves. Why shoot when his teammate has it going?

Reaves did fall on his back on Friday and was listed with a pelvis injury on Sunday though, so he may need some extra time to re-adjust. If anything, this is a perfect buy-low window.

Reaves, Russell and Reddish were out on Sunday, giving Gabe Vincent a spot start and Max Christie extra minutes off the bench.

Trouble in the camp: There has been discontent in Minnesota. Possessions currently look like this: Rudy Gobert is upset at Julius Randle for not paying attention defensively. Randle is upset at Gobert for being Gobert on offense. Anthony Edwards is upset at everyone not coming together as a team. Randle has actually been efficient from the field so far, it’s just turnovers and empty defensive stats (Gobert nods in the background) holding him back.

Also, Donte DiVincenzo is still at 35.4% from the field on the season. Unless his past two years were a fluke, he has room to improve by 8-to-9 percentage points and then he should be fine. Though, for likely late-round 12-team value I understand why it may be tough for fantasy managers to hold and hope he corrects his shooting.

Stream of the Game

Assuming Dalton Knecht is rostered (he is more than a streamer anyway), the pickings are tough in this game.

I am going to say that you should hope for the best with Rui Hachimura (points, rebounds) or Nickeil Alexander-Walker for 3-and-D stats and maybe some assists (also assuming Mike Conley is rostered) but these options are very hit or miss.

I am also assuming Jaden McDaniels is rostered thanks to his recent play, otherwise he is the clear No. 1 stream here for 3-and-D stats.

Alternatives: 

Donte DiVincenzo likely isn’t available, but he provides 3s, steals and potential assists if he is.

Lottery picks: Gabe Vincent if Reaves/Russell/Reddish remain out, Max Christie (3s), Cam Reddish (steals) – if he plays

Christian Koloko with Jaxson Hayes out if you get credit for minutes, otherwise the fantasy appeal is negligible. You can throw a dart in a 20-plus team league here if you want to.

Brooklyn Nets @ Chicago Bulls

Game Time: 8:00 pm ET

DraftKings Lines

BKN +6 (-110), CHI -6 (-110)
Game Total 233.5

Key Storylines

Pick your poison: The Nets are messy right now with a bunch of guys sidelined and sometimes others being questionable on a game-to-game basis. Tyrese Martin struck once, Shake Milton got his glory on Friday and for all we know, Jalen Wilson or Ziaire Williams could be next. Picking the best performer will be like playing the lottery, but if you luck out you should get some nice value. Keon Johnson, Trendon Watford and (shudders) Ben Simmons are also on that “hope for the best” list.

It is also worth noting that we were told Day’Ron Sharpe (left hamstring strain) would be returning during this upcoming week, but this may be a game too soon. Managers in 16-plus team leagues may want to take note of his status as a bit of a stash candidate.

Update: Ben Simmons picked up a knee contusion and left the game on Sunday and Nic Claxton got ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul on Franz Wagner…we will see if anything results from both of those updates on Monday, though both were rest candidates anyway.

It’s a Vucevic World: Take away the playmaking ability and Nikola Vucevic is doing his (Nikola) Jokic impression right now. He is at 57.7% on his FGA, which is around 5% higher than anything else he has done in his career and approximately 8-to-9% better than what he shot last season. His 46.9% from three is also about 7% higher than his career-best mark and last season he shot 29.4% from three. The FT% is reasonable, but although we tend to underrate Vooch every season, those percentages don’t seem sustainable so he remains somewhat of a sell-high with some trade risk to a worse situation also being a possibility.

More surprisingly, Lonzo Ball saw nearly 22 minutes of action in his second game back from the wrist injury. He was supposed to be on the 15-to-16 minute limit still, but perhaps that was the result of a close game against the Celtics with NBA Cup implications. It is still worth noting that they were willing to push him past their own imposed limit, and he collected five dimes plus two steals in that game (three dimes, four steals, two blocks and two triples in his 15-minute return the game before). I don’t think Ball gets up to starter’s minutes this season after a multi-year injury, and we should probably see fewer than 22 minutes in the next one. However, the fantasy-friendly points-3s-assists-defensive stats profile looks like it is still alive.

Update: It was stated that Ball’s limit will increase to 18 minutes on Monday. Since this one isn’t an NBA Cup game, they may stick to it.

Coby White is also questionable and reportedly did not practice on Sunday.

Stream of the Game

Ayo Dosunmu (general stats, if he is available to add) but if not…I am going to choose Jalen Wilson (points, 3s), but I’m not going to feel good about it.

Dorian Finney-Smith has been sidelined, though not long-term, so if he happens to return, I like his “general stats” for some decent low-end 12-team value.

Alternatives: 

Ziaire Williams (points? 3s? random stats?)

Lottery picks: Trendon Watford (blocks, 3s, general – value improves if Claxton is out), Tyrese Martin (points, 3s), Shake Milton (points, 3s), Keon Johnson (points, 3s, maybe rebs/asts, etc.)
Lonzo Ball (steals, 3s, assists, blocks?), Jalen Smith (3-and-D big man), Matas Buzelis (hopeful for some offensive goodness)