Fantasy Basketball Injury Updates for Week 9 - Evan Mobley, Draymond Green, Bradley Beal

December 19, 2023

Max Kulish's NBA injuries report for fantasy basketball in Week 9. He recommends NBA injury replacements to set optimal lineups for seasonal and DFS formats.

Welcome back to another season, RotoBallers! We're into December and starting to get the outline of what this fantasy basketball season holds. I'm here to help you stay up to date on injury news, and how it impacts your teams.

I'm writing this on Monday for release Tuesday morning, so any news that drops late Monday night won't be covered. I'll just cover what has changed since last week.

Drop me a follow on Twitter (@Maxadelphia) for all things fantasy basketball and nightly NBA plays.

Short-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Bradley Beal, SG, Phoenix Suns - Ankle

Beal has been a regular here in the weekly injury update article, and boy, he just can't catch a break. Five minutes into the second game with Phoenix's big three playing together, Beal landed awkwardly on a foot after attempting a three and twisted his ankle. The Suns have announced that he'll be reevaluated at the start of January. With Josh Okogie currently injured as well, Phoenix is a bit short-handed on the wings and is a good place to look for streaming options.

Keyonte George, PG, and Jordan Clarkson, PG/SG - Utah Jazz

The Jazz lost both Clarkson and George in back-to-back games to start last week off. Clarkson strained his bicep, and the team announced he'll be reevaluated around Christmas. Meanwhile, George hasn't been given a firm timeline of any kind, which isn't ideal. With both of them out, Collin Sexton should continue to be a primary ballhandler for the team, with Talen Horton-Tucker and Kris Dunn seeing extra opportunities as well.

Andrew Nembhard, SG, Indiana Pacers - Knee

Nembhard was ruled out well in advance of last night's game against the Clippers, his fifth straight missed game. It seems he'll be back by the start of next week, but if Bennedict Mathurin is still available in your league, he's a must-add until Nembhard returns.

Derrick Rose, PG, Memphis Grizzlies - Hamstring

Rose left last Friday's game against the Rockets in the first half, and on Sunday was deemed to have a hamstring strain. The team listed him as "week-to-week", and given the former MVP's history of injury, this may be more than a one-week injury.

Jalen Duren, C, Detroit Pistons - Ankle

Duren picked up some sort of minor ankle sprain during last Wednesday's win against Memphis and is scheduled to miss two weeks from then. The Pistons also scratched Marvin Bagley from Monday's game, making the Pistons' frontcourt a very appealing option to stream against, assuming those two continue to miss games.

Ben Simmons, PG/PF, Brooklyn Nets - Hip

Continuing to deal with his hip injury, the Nets announced Simmons received an injection on 12/2 and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Long-Term Injuries for Fantasy Basketball

Draymond Green, PF/C, Golden State Warriors - Anger Management

If you follow the NBA at all, you've seen Green's latest antics and the resulting indefinite suspension. A report came out yesterday (12/18) that he's begun counseling, and could return in as soon as three weeks. For as long as he remains out, Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski should benefit the most.

Evan Mobley, C, Cleveland Cavaliers - Knee

Mobley was initially ruled day-by-day but on one of those days, the decision was made that arthroscopic surgery was the best course of action. Mobley underwent surgery on 12/15 and is out for six to eight weeks as a result. The Cavs don't really have anyone else to replicate their twin towers lineup, but Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro are likely candidates to see increased minutes.

Darius Garland, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers - Jaw

When it rains it pours, as the Cavs are finding out. On the same day the team announced Mobley's surgery, Garland fractured his jaw against the Celtics. He is expected to miss "a few weeks", which to me sounds like it will line up perfectly with the mini-break all teams get around New Year's Day. If you're desperate to fill his roster spot, Craig Porter should enter fantasy relevance, but won't be high on the pecking order without more injuries.

Kyrie Irving, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks - Heel

Irving suffered a heel contusion after a teammate landed on his right foot during last Friday's win over the Trailblazers. He still hasn't been given a timetable to return, so we'll err on the side of caution and put him in the long-term section.

Mitchell Robinson, C, New York Knicks - Ankle

Robinson is scheduled to be out until the All-Star Break after undergoing ankle surgery. In his absence, look for Isaiah Hartenstein to take over the starting role, and perhaps Jericho Sims will see more minutes as well.

Zach LaVine, SG/SF, Chicago Bulls - Foot

LaVine also got hurt Thursday, missed a game on Saturday, and was initially diagnosed to miss a week. He could return as early as Friday night, which would only result in that single game missed. However, LaVine has been a popular name in trade talks all year, and you can't trade an injured player, so the Bulls may very well exercise caution and not rush him back. With Alex Caruso also dealing with a potential injury, Ayo Dosunmu could be an excellent streaming option.

Update 12/7: LaVine had a PRP injection in his foot and will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks.

Jalen Johnson, SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks - Wrist

Johnson fractured his wrist last Monday night, and the team's initial announcement was that he would be reevaluated in three to four weeks. That would put his reevaluation right around the holidays, so I would expect him back at the start of 2024. In the meantime, Saddiq Bey has rejoined the Hawks' starting five after losing that spot to Johnson earlier in the season.

Tyler Herro, PG/SG, Miami Heat - Ankle

Herro suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain last Wednesday night, and won't be reevaluated for "a few weeks". While that's not exactly a helpful timeline, I can't imagine we see Herro playing again for at least a month, given how the Heat typically handle injuries. With Caleb Martin continuing to miss time, Josh Richardson and Duncan Robinson are worthy candidates for a roster spot on your fantasy team.

Update 12/10: Herro still hasn't been cleared to return to contact drills, so it appears he's not quite ready to return just yet.

The Tank Corner 

Closed until later in the season. We'll get here when teams start trotting out G-Leaguers none of us have ever heard of.

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