Injuries shape the fantasy basketball landscape more than any other variable, and staying ahead of each team’s rotation changes can be the difference between winning and falling behind. Each week, we will be bringing you an Injury Impact Report, where we break down the most important injuries around the league and highlight the players most likely to benefit. Let’s get started!
NBA Fantasy Basketball Injury Impact Report
Three Key Injuries Across the League:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo(MIL – Right Calf Strain): Out 2-4 Weeks
- Jarrett Allen(CLE – Right Finger Strain): Week to Week
- Devin Booker(PHO – Groin): Day to Day
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) – Right Calf Strain – Out 2-4 Weeks
Giannis went down early in last Wednesday’s game with a calf injury. It was confirmed via MRI that it is a sprain, and the initial timeline is 2-4 weeks. He will miss at least five games, which opens up some opportunity for other players to see a boost in minutes, usage, and overall production for fantasy.
Who Benefits?
The biggest beneficiaries for fantasy on the Bucks, unfortunately, are guys who are already highly rostered in FanTrax fantasy basketball leagues. From a usage standpoint, Kevin Porter goes over 30% usage with no Giannis and, since his return from a month-long absence, has averaged 38.9 fantasy points over four games. Two other players who see huge boosts in production are Myles Turner and Ryan Rollins. Turner averages 31.1 fantasy points per game with Giannis out(26.5 on the season) while Rollins is averaging 42.2 over seven games with no Giannis(33.8 on the season).
If you are in need of a center, Jericho Sims is just 11% rostered in FanTrax leagues and has seen a huge boost in playing time with Giannis going down. It started on Wednesday when he ended up playing 30 minutes, going 7 for 7 from the field while dominating the glass with 14 rebounds. He picked up a start on Saturday, playing just 29 total minutes, and while he tallied just one shot, he did pick up another nine rebounds.
Jarrett Allen (Cleveland Cavaliers) – Strained Right Finger – Week to Week
Allen had been playing through a fracture in his left ring finger when he then sprained a finger on his right hand. He missed three games and attempted to return on Friday, November 19, but reaggravated the injury and is out at least another week.
Who Benefits?
Evan Mobley has been very consistent all season and sees a slight uptick in fantasy production with Allen out. He has tallied double-doubles in five of the seven games Allen has missed recently. If you are looking for someone who is possibly available on the waiver wire in your FanTrax league, consider Jaylon Tyson, who is just 62% rostered at this time. He has seen an increase in both points per game(14.5 to 16.9) and rebounds(4.8 to 7.1), resulting in 30.4 fantasy points per game with Allen out of the lineup. With Allen’s status still up in the air, it is worth picking up Tyson if available.
Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns) – Groin – Day to Day
Booker suffered the injury in a road matchup against the Lakers on December 1. The initial one-week timeline is approaching, with Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reporting Booker could be back for Wednesday’s matchup against the league-leading Thunder.
Who Benefits?
While it has been a small sample size, Dillon Brooks has been, by far, the biggest beneficiary. His usage has spiked over the last two games with 24 and 26 shot attempts and despite struggling from beyond the arc(2-11), has tallied 30+ fantasy points in both games. Surprisingly, he is only 84% rostered in FanTrax leagues, so grab him if he is still available.
Jordan Goodwin comes off the bench and has also seen an uptick in usage over the last two games, playing 22 and 24 minutes and tallying double-digit shot attempts in each of them. He isn’t likely to jump into the starting lineup, but if you are in need of some guard help in the short term, he is widely available in FanTrax leagues at just 26% rostered.
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