RotoBaller has assembled NBA injury updates for Week 11, 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 Eleven
Questionable To Play
Gerald Henderson (SG/SF, PHI): Hip. Nik Stauskas stuck with the starters, but seems to be better off the bench. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot saw an increased role off the bench as well.
Sergio Rodriguez (PG, PHI): Left ankle. T.J. McConnell has stepped into the starting role and looked solid. Rodriguez could be looking at a reduced role when he returns.
Kristaps Porzingis (PF/C, NYK): Left achilles. Lance Thomas has gotten the starts and looks to be getting the bulk of the power forward minutes.
JaMychal Green (PF, MEM): Face contusion. Jarell Martin steps into the starting four spot, but Zach Randolph will be the one to own as long as Green is out.
Luol Deng (SF/PF, LAL): Right bicep. Brandon Ingram looks to be next in line to receive minutes.
Kenneth Faried (PF/C, DEN): Back. Jusuf Nurkic has looked great as the primary backup center.
Andrew Bogut (C, DAL): Knee. Dwight Powell and Salah Mejri could get an increase off the bench if Bogut is held out.
Kyrie Irving (PG, CLE): Hamstring. Jordan McRae gets the start and Kay Felder has seen an increase in production and minutes.
Kevin Love (PF/C, CLE): Illness. Channing Frye steps into the starting unit and James Jones steps into the rotation as well.
George Hill (PG, UTA): Concussion. Shelvin Mack is enjoying a huge boost in a starting role with Hill out.
Damian Lillard (PG, POR): Ankle. Allen Crabbe gets a major boost while Dame recovers.
Dante Exum (PG, UTA): Knee. Raul Neto moves back into the rotation, but Shelvin Mack has gotten most of the PG minutes.
Rodney Stuckey (PG/SG, IND): Hamstring. C.J. Miles will take on heavy minutes off the bench and Aaron Brooks slides into some relevancy.
Out Short Term
Patrick Patterson (PF/C, TOR): Left ankle. Pascal Siakam will see an uptick in minutes and Jakob Poeltl slides into the rotation.
Brandon Knight (PG/SG, PHX): Wrist. Tyler Ulis and Leandro Barbosa have swept up all the backcourt bench minutes.
Matthew Dellavedova (PG, MIL): Hamstring. Malcolm Brogdon has been a revelation for the fantasy world and could hold value even when Dellavedova returns.
Hassan Whiteside (C, MIA): Eye. Willie Reed has seen a boost in minutes, but James Johnson might be the better player to own while Whiteside is out.
Chris Paul (PG, LAC): Hamstring. Raymond Felton and Austin Rivers get a noticeable boost as the Clippers will be careful in bringing back their star point guard.
J.J. Barea (PG/SG, DAL): Achilles. Seth Curry moves into the primary backup bench role if Barea misses more time.
Cody Zeller (C, CHA): Concussion. Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes will fill-in until Zeller clears the NBA’s concussion protocol.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (SG/SF, BKN): Right hip. Caris LeVert stands in line to gain a few extra minutes.
Rudy Gay (SF/PF, SAC): Hip. Matt Barnes, Anthony Tolliver and Omri Casspi see an uptick in minutes and role, but they’ll likely trade off productive nights.
Gerald Henderson (SG/SF, PHI): Hip. Nik Stauskas should get a noticeable bump in minutes. Hollis Thompson also becomes a short-term option in deep leagues.
No Timetable to Return
Josh McRoberts (PF/C, MIA): Left foot. Luke Babbitt slides into the start spot, but James Johnson has been the better fantasy producer even off the bench.
Jeremy Lin (PG, BKN): Hamstring. Isaiah Whitehead gets to start more games, but Sean Kilpatrick gets most of the floor general duties. The Nets haven’t set a return date yet.
Quincy Pondexter (SG/SF, NOP): Knee Surgery. E’Twaun Moore, Tim Frazier and Solomon Hill have gotten starts, while Langston Galloway has carved out deep league value.
Cameron Payne (PG, OKC): Foot. Semaj Christon has looked serviceable in real-life, but it hasn’t translated to fantasy ball just yet.
Out Multiple Weeks
J.R. Smith (SG/SF, CLE): Thumb. DeAndre Liggins is drawing the starts for the duration of Smith’s absence, while Iman Shumpert has some value as well. The Cavs have projected a late-March return.
Alec Burks (PG/SG, UTA): Left Ankle. Suffered a setback after off-season surgery. Rodney Hood should continue to earn the starts as long as he stays on the court. Inching closer to a return.
Rashad Vaughn (SG/SF, MIL): Ankle. Malcolm Brogdon has been trending up and will likely keep his large bench role even when Vaughn returns. Jason Terry will see more minutes as well.
Larry Nance Jr. (PF, LAL): Bone bruise, knee. Thomas Robinson has looked solid in a backup bench role.
Blake Griffin (PF/C, LAC): Knee. Paul Pierce will start, but Marreese Speights, Brandon Bass, and Wesley Johnson will see a bump in minutes for the next month or two.
Clint Capela (C, HOU): Leg. Montrezl Harrell has claimed the starting role, which will probably be the trend for the next month or so.
Ben Simmons (SF/PF, PHI): Foot. Ersan Ilyasova looks to be starting for the next few months with Dario Saric getting the bench minutes. Slowly making progress.
Jared Sullinger (PF/C, PHI): Foot surgery. Pascal Siakam will draw starts with Patrick Patterson getting most of the minutes until Sully returns. He’s finally shed the walking boot.
Likely Out for the Season
Justise Winslow (SF/PF, MIA): Right Shoulder. James Johnson becomes essential to the Heat frontourt, while Rodney McGruder and Wayne Ellington should see increased run.
Josh McRoberts (PF/C, MIA): Foot. Derrick Williams will likely draw the starts, but James Johnson is the better fantasy option.
Brandan Wright (PF/C, MEM): Ankle surgery. Wright has struggled with injuries his entire career and hasn’t played this season yet.
Jerryd Bayless (PG/SG, PHI): Wrist surgery. Spanish Chocolate and T.J. McConnell will go back to their roles they started the season with.
Khris Middleton (SG/SF, MIL): Torn hamstring. The Bucks push Tony Snell to the starting lineup for his ability to space the floor. Middleton has begun some 1-on-1 work.
Chris Bosh (PF/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.