Injuries are starting to pile up in the Association. In addition to old-news injuries like Joel Embiid, Zach LaVine and Shaedon Sharpe, we have more than a handful of key players going down over the past few days. With most fantasy playoffs on the horizon and NBA teams starting the tanking process soon, it's an important time to keep up to date with absences. Streaming at this time of the year can make a massive difference.
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, 76ers
While not a recent injury, Embiid is a big-name enough player to warrant providing an update. Earlier this week, we got word that the center began on-court workouts and is 100 percent in the weight room. That's fantastic news, but the expectation remains that last season's MVP probably won't return until early April. And even then, he'll presumably be under limitations in his first few games back.
Maxey is dealing with a concussion and will miss a second consecutive game Wednesday against the Grizzlies. Concussions have varying recovery times, so it's something to keep watch on. In the meantime, Cameron Payne and Buddy Hield should take on more playmaking responsibilities, especially with Kyle Lowry and De'Anthony Melton sitting out Wednesday.
Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl, Raptors
On Monday, Barnes underwent surgery to address a broken hand. A timetable hasn't been announced for his potential return, but players typically miss about a month and a half after undergoing surgery. Most likely, Barnes will not return for Toronto this season. It's probably safe to drop him in fantasy.
Poeltl tore a ligament in his pinky and also underwent surgery – the Raptors again not yet providing a timeline for a return. I'd also be comfortable dropping him in fantasy, especially with the Raptors owning a top-six protected pick to the Spurs. Toronto has incentive to lose as much as possible, so why bring Poeltl or Barnes back?
Both Barnes and Poeltl missed Tuesday's loss to the Pelicans – a 139-98 blowout. Notably, we've seen Kelly Olynyk, Gradey Dick and Jordan Nwora get increased run. Olynyk would be the priority add in fantasy. We've seen year after year that he can be rostered with minutes in the mid-20s. But I'm not convinced Dick or Nwora need to be added. They're fairly one-dimensional and inconsistent offensive players. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley will get usage boosts, but they're rostered everywhere.
It was announced Monday that Booker would miss 7-to-10 days with an ankle injury. He's missed two games already. In those, we got predictable outcomes in terms of role and usage increases. Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal ran more actions, while Royce O'Neale, Grayson Allen, Eric Gordon and Saben Lee saw more court time. I believe O'Neale and Allen are worth roster spots – maybe for the rest of the year – but not much else is actionable. Thankfully, it's just a short-term setback for the star guard.
Donovan Mitchell (and maybe Evan Mobley), Cavaliers
Speaking of star guards, Mitchell received a Platelet-Rich Plasma injection in his knee. He's expected to miss at least two more games following Tuesday's electric comeback win over the Celtics. Mitchell is in the midst of the best fantasy season of his career, so this is a tough blow to fantasy managers. Max Strus and Evan Mobley are also dealing with injuries, complicating Cleveland's rotation. But we generally know what to expect – more Caris LeVert playmaking, plus more minutes for Isaac Okoro and other wings who have shown varying, but ultimately limited, fantasy upside.
Mobley was seen leaving the arena on crutches following Tuesday's win and is considered doubtful for Wednesday's game. We don't have a lot of information right now, but Dean Wade could certainly see more run after a heroic effort to topple Boston.
Brunson suffered a bruised knee one minute into Sunday's win over the Cavaliers, subsequently missing Tuesday's loss to the Hawks. It seemed like Brunson could miss a significant amount of time, but New York is treating his status as game-to-game, which is excellent news for fantasy managers. Monitor the situation, but the 45-minute Miles McBride experience will likely come to an end sooner than later.
Westbrook underwent surgery for a broken hand Monday, hoping to be back for the playoffs. That wording should be enough for fantasy managers to feel comfortable dropping him, though he hardly had to be rostered in anything shallower than 16-team leagues. It looks like the primary beneficiaries will be Norman Powell and Bones Hyland, who re-entered the rotation March 1 after not seeing action since Jan. 31. However, Hyland has yet to see more than 16 minutes in these past three games. Powell is a solid pickup, but he's really only worth it in 12-team formats if you're desperate for points.
Seth Curry and Cody Martin, Hornets
Curry and Martin are both dealing with ankle injuries and are both out at least two weeks. If only Hornets players were in sync on the court. Tre Mann and Vasilije Micic will continue to handle the bulk of the backcourt minutes. The duo warrant being rostered in standard leagues at this point. Davis Bertans and Bryce McGowens should continue seeing increased run as well. Bertans is fine to roster if you need 3s, but we haven't seen anything really encouraging from McGowens lately. And if you're rostering Brandon Miller or Grant Williams, simply continue to enjoy what you're getting.
Hendricks sprained a toe ligament and will be out a week – frustrating for fantasy managers who just picked him up recently. He made six consecutive starts and has flashed a bit of upside, but that's on hold for now. During the game in which Hendricks suffered the injury, Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler were both sidelined, leading to a ton of extra run for Luka Samanic, Brice Sensabaugh, Johnny Juzang and Omer Yurtseven. Both Markkanen and Kessler remain out Wednesday as well, so keep an eye on the workloads for the aforementioned players.
