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:
- Evan Mobley (CLE – Left Calf Strain): One to Two Weeks
- Domantas Sabonis (SAC – Partially Torn Meniscus): Week to Week
- Ivica Zubac (LAC – Left Ankle Sprain): Week to Week
Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers) – Left Calf Strain – One to Two Weeks
After talking about Mobley in last week’s report, we are going to provide a quick update. Mobley suffered a left calf strain on Friday, December 12, with an original timetable of between two and four weeks. If recovery goes well, that puts him back just after Christmas at the earliest, with a worst-case scenario sometime in the new year. Going into week 10, he has already missed three games.
Who Benefits?
Obviously, the biggest fantasy benefactors are Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Jarrett Allen, but all three of those players are nearly 100% rostered in FanTrax leagues. I mentioned Dean Wade in last week’s article, and while he has started all three games that Mobley has missed, he has been very inconsistent. In his first start, he looked terrific, going 5 for 9 with 14 points and eight rebounds, but he has since gone just 2 for 7 with seven rebounds over the last two games.
He is still just 25% rostered and can help out if you are in need of a forward or in a deeper league. Jaylon Tyson is up to 71% rostered and is someone who can help your team. The usage has been there with double-digit shots in each of the last three games while shooting 55% from the field. He has also picked up some slack on the defensive end with 20 rebounds across those three games.
Finally, it isn’t a correlated position, but rookie Tyrese Proctor got his first NBA start on Friday, going 6 for 15 while adding six rebounds, three assists, and one steal for 29 fantasy points. He is just 16% rostered, and if he continues to get starts or even sustained minutes off the bench, he is a viable option in almost all fantasy leagues.
Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings) – Partially Torn Meniscus – Week to Week
Sabonis suffered a knee injury back in mid-November and, despite an initial timeline of two to four weeks, has suffered a setback. He will be out at least another four to five weeks, putting his return around mid-January at the earliest.
Who Benefits?
The biggest beneficiary since Sabonis’ injury has been Keegan Murray, who returned from his own injury on November 20. While Murray has averaged just 15.1 points over 12 games, he has been terrific defensively, averaging 7.1 rebounds, 1,7 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game for an average of 32.3 fantasy points.
He is nearly 100% rostered, so if you want exposure, you will need to enter the trade market. If looking for a waiver wire add, you need to consider rookie Maxime Raynaud, who is just 57% rostered at this time. Over his last eight games, he is averaging 16.3 points and 7.5 rebounds for 29.2 fantasy points per game. He has also stepped into the starting lineup over the last five games, so I fully expect that ownership number to rise quickly.
Ivica Zubac (Los Angeles Clippers) – Left Ankle Sprain – Week to Week
Zubac, who hasn’t missed a game all season, left early during Sunday’s game after suffering a left ankle sprain. The sprain is considered to be Grade 2 and will sideline Zubac for at least three weeks.
Who Benefits?
The Zubac injury opens the door for Brook Lopez to make his first start of the season on Tuesday. He stepped up on Saturday after Zubac went down playing 25 minutes, going 4 for 7 from the field, including 3 for 6 from beyond the arc. He also added five rebounds and two blocks for 17 fantasy points. We can most likely count on him starting and playing 25-30 minutes a gam,e and being just 40% rostered in FanTrax leagues, he is a must-add if you need help at the center position.
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