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:
- Cade Cunningham (DET – Collapsed Lung): Two Weeks
- Michael Porter Jr. (BKN – Left Hamstring Strain): Week to Week
- Joel Embiid (PHI – Oblique): Day to Day
- Kelly Oubre Jr. (PHI – Left Elbow Strain): Week to Week
- Tyrese Maxey (PHI – Tendon in Finger): Week to Week
Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons) – Collapsed Lung – Two Weeks
Cunningham left last Tuesday’s game with what is now confirmed as a collapsed lung. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks and with the Pistons having already clinched a playoff spot, with a four-point lead in the conference, he likely sits out the remainder of the regular season.
Who Benefits?
The first player who is already benefiting is Daniss Jenkins, who is guard eligible and only 46% rostered in Fantrax leagues. He has started both games since Cunningham went down and is getting a ton of run, playing 33 and 38 minutes in those games. He was average in the first game, scoring 21 fantasy points, but exploded in the last game, shooting 7 for 12 for 22 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists for 41.8 fantasy points.
Duncan Robinson is mostly shooting-dependent and doesn’t have the same upside as Jenkins, but is viable in deeper leagues. He has seen a usage bump recently, tallying nine or more shots in three straight, but shot just 43% from the field. He has averaged 19.6 fantasy points over his last 11 games and is just under 50% rostered in Fantrax leagues.
Michael Porter Jr. (Brooklyn Nets) – Left Hamstring Strain – Week to Week
Porter suffered the hamstring injury back on March 10, and an MRI on March 19 confirmed the injury. He will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks, and it’s highly likely he misses the rest of the season. The Nets are one of five teams that have already been eliminated from the playoffs, so I am expecting some young guys to get more playing time.
Who Benefits?
With not much to play for, there is a lot of risk with Nets players, so I would reserve them for deeper leagues only from here on out. First up is rookie Danny Wolf, who has averaged 10.3 points and 7.1 rebounds for 23.2 fantasy points per game over his last seven games. He has only topped 30 minutes once this season, but could start to see his minutes trend that direction down the stretch. He is currently available in 50% of Fantrax leagues.
Another rookie, Nolan Traore, is viable in deep leagues at the guard position. He jumped into the starting lineup in late January and has averaged 20 fantasy points per game during that stretch. He has a very low floor shooting just 34% over his last 11 games, but if the minutes and usage continue, you could sink your hook in a late-season hot streak.
Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) – Oblique – Day to Day
Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers) – Tendon in Finger – Week to Week
Kelly Oubre (Philadelphia 76ers) – Left Elbow Strain – Week to Week
The 76ers have been hit hard with injuries in the second half, so let’s lump them together and update them all. Joel Embiid was originally expected back this week at some point, but no word from the coaching staff as of Monday morning. Maxey is still a week out from his original timeline of being re-evaluated after injuring a tendon in his pinkie finger. Oubre has been dealing with injuries all season, and the latest elbow sprain has him out until the end of this week at the earliest.
Who Benefits?
Missing three starters has put a lot of pressure on rookie VJ Edgecombe ad it hasn’t fazed him at all as he has put up some monster numbers recently. While he is nearly rostered in every league, the 76ers have multiple other players under 50% rostered who have provided solid fantasy returns.
Justin Edwards has started six straight games and, even with a dud against Utah(11 FP), still averaged 30.1 fantasy points per game during that stretch. Edwards should be considered in all formats.
Adem Bona has started nine of the last 10 games at center, averaged 19.6 fantasy points per game during that stretch, and has topped 22 fantasy points in two straight. He is a value deep league play until Embiid returns.
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