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:
- Mark Williams (PHO – Left Foot Stress Reaction): Week to Week
- Jaden Ivey (CHI – Knee Soreness): Week to Week
- Anfernee Simons (CHI – Fractured Wrist): Week to Week
- Kyshawn George (WAS – Partially Torn UCL): Three Weeks
Mark Williams (Phoenix Suns) – Left Foot Stress Reaction – Week to Week
Williams suffered the injury earlier this month and will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks. While he doesn’t play high minutes for the Suns, he is a key part of the rotation with a 17.4% usage rate and also averages over eight rebounds per game.
Who Benefits?
The top trending player on the Suns in terms of roster % is Oso Ighodaro. He has started each of the last two games with Williams out and looked terrific, shooting 10 for 12 from the field with double-digit points in each, with a combined 15 rebounds. He looks the part of a starter, and over his last five starts going back to late November, he has averaged 9.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.8 blocks + steals for 26.7 fantasy points per game. Ighodaro is currently available in 50% of Fantrax leagues and is an excellent waiver wire pickup.
Another benefactor could be rookie, 10th overall pick, Khaman Maluach, who will step into a full-time backup center role behind Ighodaro. He has played a limited role all season, but with the injury, is coming off a season-high 20 minutes on Friday. If the playing time continues to trend up, he is a player worth monitoring and could end up being a late-season fantasy value.
Anfernee Simons (Chicago Bulls) – Fractured Wrist – Week to Week
Jaden Ivey (Chicago Bulls) – Knee Soreness – Week to Week
The Bulls can’t catch a break as both Simons and Ivey came over at the trade deadline and both have gone down with injuries. Ivey has been out since February 11 with knee soreness, with no real timetable for his return as he continues to build up strength. Simons has been out since the 21st of February and also has no certain timeframe for a return. The two guards were expected to play a big part for the Bulls, and the injuries have opened up opportunities for other players.
Who Benefits?
Surprisingly, Tre Jones is still available in almost 40% of Fantrax leagues. He has started each of the last three games, shooting 53% from the field with some nice usage, averaging 11 shots per contest. During those three games, he is averaging 27.4 fantasy points per game and on the season, during his 23 starts, has averaged 28.6 fantasy points per game. He is an option in all formats going forward.
Guerschon Yabusele qualifies as a forward and center and may not correlate when looking at position but he has been trending up since early February. During those 12 games(11 starts), he has averaged 11.4 points and 6.3 rebounds for just over 24 fantasy points per game. As long as the minutes continue to be there, Yabusele will remain a top fantasy value and is still just 34% rostered in Fantrax leagues.
Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards) – Partially Torn UCL – Three Weeks
George suffered a partially torn UCL in his left elbow in a game on March 2, and he will be re-evaluated in three weeks. That is a big blow for the Wizards as George leads the team in minutes(29 per game) and is second in scoring(14.8 ppg).
Who Benefits?
I will be looking towards a couple of rookies who have stepped up recently, starting with Will Riley. He has tallied double-digit points in seven of his last eight, has averaged 24.1 fantasy points over his last seven, and has put up 30+ fantasy points in each of his last three starts. He has been relatively consistent and has also flashed 40 fantasy point upside. He is currently available in 55% of Fantrax leagues.
The other rookie I got my eye on is Julian Reese, who made his debut on March 2 and has started all three games so far. After a slow start in his first game, where he tallied just nine fantasy points, he has looked terrific since, with nine points and eight rebounds in game two. He then followed that up with a historical performance on Thursday, recording 20 rebounds and coming two points short of a 20/20! He is just 23% owned, but if the playing time continues, that number is going to rise quickly.
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