RotoBaller has assembled NBA injury updates for Week 15, 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.
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NBA Injury Roundup For Week 15
Questionable to Play
Kelly Olynyk (F/C, BOS): Shoulder. Tyler Zeller will likely absorb most of Olynyk’s bench minutes.
Ed Davis (F/C, POR): Wrist. Noah Vonleh and Meyers Leonard should enjoy the extended run.
Julius Randle (F, LAL): Pneumonia. Tarik Black got the start last time out, but second-round rookie Ivica Zubac finished the game. Both have value in deeper formats.
Nikola Jokic (F/C, DEN): Hip. Jusuf Nurkic has been getting the starts, but has done nothing. Kenneth Faried has been playing better with Jokic out of the lineup and Wilson Chandler has seen more power forward minutes.
Will Barton (G/F, DEN): Ankle. Jamal Murray will get a big role off the bench with Barton 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.
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.
Cody Zeller (C, CHA): Quad contusion. Roy Hibbert likely gets the start with Spencer Hawes also getting a boost in minutes.
Out Short Term
Rodney Hood (G/F, UTA): Hyperextended knee. Alec Burks likely gets more minutes with Joe Ingles looking to get the starts.
Danilo Gallinari (F, DEN): Left groin. Wilson Chandler likely gets the starts with Juan Hernangomez getting a boost in minutes.
Derrick Favors (F/C, UTA): Rest. Trey Lyles should take most of Favors’ minutes, but he’s been pretty inconsistent this season.
Garrett Temple (G, SAC): Left hamstring. Matt Barnes could step back into a starting role and Arron Afflalo should see more guard minutes.
Joel Embiid (C, PHI): Knee. Nerlens Noel should produce whether or not he draws the start while Jahlil Okafor should have value while Embiid is out.
Robert Covington (F, PHI): Right hand contusion. Dario Saric should see more run with his ability to space the floor in the frontcourt.
Derrick Rose (G, NYK): Ankle. Brandon Jennings and Justin Holiday will get a bulk of the guard minutes while Rose is out.
Kristaps Porzingis (F/C, NYK): Illness. Will Hernangomez should start once again and will hold some deeper league value with Porzingis out.
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.
Kevin Love (F/C, CLE): Back. A combination of Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye should get an increased role and minutes.
Avery Bradley (G, BOS): Achilles. Marcus Smart steps in standard format conversations and should start with Bradley out.
Deron Williams (G, DAL): Toe. Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell should get a big boost in minutes and touches.
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.
Joel Embiid (C, PHI) Knee. Nerlens Noel takes over the process as the crowded frontcourt has been reduced with injuries.
Ed Davis (F/C, POR): Sprained left ankle. Meyers Leonard should be the main beneficiary, but he’s been unreliable all season.
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.
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 and C.J. Watson should get more run.
Out Multiple Weeks
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 is set to miss 6 -8 weeks.
Khris Middleton (G/F, MIL): Torn hamstring. The Bucks push Tony Snell to the starting lineup for his ability to space the floor. Middleton went through full contact practice on Wednesday and should be able to return around All-Star break.
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.
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 next week.
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.
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 2-3 weeks for a return.
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 4 - 6 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.
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.