We're approaching the end of many Fantasy seasons, but there's still work to be done. We've had plenty of players return from injury, but just as many heading to the sidelines. Most notably, Jarrett Allen is out indefinitely, Lu Dort is out for the year, and Draymond Green will return next week. Below is an outline of who's in and who's out, plus the Fantasy ramifications.
Jarrett Allen, Cavaliers
Allen broke his finger Sunday against the Raptors after 10 minutes of play, and he's been deemed out indefinitely. It's a massive loss for Cleveland, though the team has no shortage of frontcourt options between Evan Mobley, Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen, plus fringe options like Dean Wade and Ed Davis.
The Mobley, Love and Markkanen trio figure to be the most actionable options in Fantasy, though Mobley is likely universally rostered. While playing center, he's provided 42 points, 29 rebounds, seven assists, five steals, and four blocks in the past two games. Markkanen has provided 43 points and 17 rebounds across the past two games, while Love has offered 24 points and 13 rebounds, surprisingly playing just 15 minutes during Tuesday's win over Indiana.
John Collins, Hawks
A strained right foot kept Collins out for seven games from Feb. 13 through March 3. In his first game back, he came off the bench and saw limited action. He re-joined the starters Monday against the Pistons and looked like himself, posting 17 points, 11 rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes. Collins has struggled with consistency this season, but he's still providing managers with top-60 value on a per-game basis in eight-category leagues with 16.6 points on 54/38/79 shooting, 8.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 blocks.
Victor Oladipo, Heat
Oladipo has been a forgotten story this season. The injury-riddled former two-time All-Star has been in the back pocket of Miami the whole season, rehabbing from a bothersome knee injury in hopes of returning for the playoffs. He made his season debut Monday against the Rockets, posting a solid 11 points, four assists and one rebound in 15 minutes. Fantasy managers in 12-teamers should at least keep an eye on Oladipo, but it's more likely he'll be appropriate for 14-team and deeper leagues. In his past 53 games, he's averaged 17.7 points on 41/33/77 shooting, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 30.6 minutes. Oladipo's presence also threatens the roles of Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, who combined for six minutes in Oladipo's debut.
Markelle Fultz, Magic
Fultz has made four appearances since returning from a torn ACL. He's averaged a nice 9.5 points, 3.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 16.8 minutes on 54.8 percent shooting from the field and 80.0 percent from the charity stripe (five attempts). That translates well per-36, but he's yet to cross the 20-minute threshold, and he's expected to sit out one half of back-to-backs. Fantasy managers need to pay attention to his production, but he's not a must-add for most leagues as it stands, unless you have a bench spot that's not providing upside at all.
Kevin Durant, Nets
A sprained MCL kept Durant out for a month and a half, but he hasn't looked rusty at all. In his first three games back, he's averaged 27.3 points on 18.3 shots, 6.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 38.0 minutes. His usage will fluctuate night-to-night given Kyrie Irving's part-time player status, and it's not clear how Ben Simmons (back) will eventually affect things, but Fantasy managers rostering Durant should continue expecting roughly 30/7/6 out of him. His return, combined with Irving's appearances and Goran Dragic's addition, has killed the roles of Blake Griffin, Kessler Edwards, James Johnson and Cam Thomas.
Malcolm Brogdon, Pacers
Brogdon finally overcame his Achilles issues and returned Feb. 25, appearing in six games since. He hasn't missed a beat, averaging 21.8 points, 6.2 assists and 5.8 rebounds on 44/39/83 shooting. Fantasy managers should expect Brogdon to remain out on one half of back-to-backs, but his production is encouraging. Managers in deeper leagues rostering Duane Washington, Keifer Sykes and Lance Stephenson probably have to start looking elsewhere for back-end production.
Isaiah Stewart, Pistons
Stewart suffered a bone bruise in his right knee Monday against the Hawks, and he'll be re-evaluated in one week, meaning he's likely to be out longer than that. Detroit also has no reason to rush him back, given their place in the standings. That means likely more minutes out of Marvin Bagley, who was acquired at the deadline. Managers should also look toward Kelly Olynyk as a potential beneficiary. It's also possible Luka Garza gets into the mix, but he hasn't looked too intriguing at the NBA level despite excellence in the G League. Bagley played 36 minutes in the contest Stewart got hurt in, and he posted 19 points on 16 shots, 10 rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block. Per 36 minutes this season, he's averaged 16.2 points and 11.4 rebounds.
Fred VanVleet, Raptors
VanVleet has been dealing with a bothersome knee injury and has missed five straight games, though he said that he'll return to the lineup Wednesday. That's huge for Fantasy managers that have leaned on his production all season – 21.4 points, 6.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 38.2 minutes. He may be limited out of the gate, but the hope has to be that he'll ease back into a full workload sooner than later. VanVleet's return will kill Malachi Flynn's minutes and will reduce the usage rates of Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes.
Josh Giddey and Lu Dort, Thunder
Coach Mark Daigneault said Sunday that he won't have an update on the rookie's availability for a couple of weeks, meaning it's possible Fantasy managers have gotten their last game out of Giddey (hip), as many leagues end before April. If that's the case, his campaign should be considered a success, with averages of 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists, despite some inefficient shooting. Combined with the absence of Lu Dor (shoulder)t, who is out for the season, more minutes have fallen into the hands of Tre Mann, Aleksej Pokusevski, Aaron Wiggins, Vit Krejci, and other guards/wings. Mann and Poku are probably the most reliable of the group, though that term is used loosely given their NBA experience and the Thunder's poor offense outside of Shail Gilgeous-Alexander.
Draymond Green, Warriors
Green is targeting a March 14 return. He's been out since early January due to a back issue, with the Warriors struggling in his absence. While it sounds like Fantasy managers will get him back for the stretch run, he'll presumably be limited in his first few games back, if not longer. Golden State's priority is likely to keep him as fresh as possible for the playoffs. Green's return could also mean a reduction in minutes for Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Kevon Looney.
