Daily Fantasy Basketball Injury Report: Wednesday 11/2/16
It only took a week, and the NBA injury report is already filling up, Plus, we've already had multiple instances of players being ruled out right before -- or right after -- DFS rosters lock. Marc Gasol and Mike Conley owners from Tuesday night know what I'm talking about.
With 10 games on the slate and half of them tipping off at 8 p.m. EST or later, it is imperative to have a firm grasp on all the injuries.
Notable Injuries
Al Horford, Boston Celtics
Al Horford has been ruled out tonight due to a concussion he suffered in practice on Monday. This is a big blow to the Boston Celtics' front line, and it gives some big boosts to several Celtics. With Kelly Olynyk still sidelined, Tyler Zeller looks like he is the man in the middle tonight for Boston. No Horford should bump up the values of Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas, as well, and it will also have a big impact on Amir Johnson, who might be forced to play big minutes at center and power forward.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks came into Wednesday as one of the more banged up teams, but they are now looking like they could have everyone available. Dirk Nowitzki, Jose Juan Barea and Wesley Matthews all went through shootaround this morning, which usually means they will play. Deron Williams might also be able to suit up. However, against the Utah Jazz, none make for appealing fantasy options.
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Devin Booker might be one of the only question marks on tonight's slate. He did not play Monday after injuring his toe, and there has been no word on whether he will play or not on Wednesday. Without Booker, Brandon Knight started and scored 18 points, and Leandro Barbosa scored nine points in 13 minutes off the bench. Expect those two to soak up most of Booker's minutes if he is out again.
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
I told you yesterday to trust the process. Joel Embiid was a member of Tuesday's perfect DFS lineup, and now he will sit out on the second night of a back-to-back on Wednesday. Jahlil Okafor sat out last night and will likely draw the start on Wednesday, but he is only expected to see 24 minutes.
Timofey Mozgov, Los Angeles Lakers
The nastiest injury award goes to Timofey Mozgov, who got stitches and has a potential orbital bone fracture due to a Jeff Teague elbow to the face. He has been ruled out on Wednesday, which could open up a nice punt play in Tarik Black. Black had six points and eight rebounds in 19 relief minutes for Mozgov on Tuesday, but against the stacked Atlanta frontcourt, it's not the most ideal matchup unless he can get really heavy minutes.
Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
The anger one feels when they roster a player only to learn they've been ruled out 30 minutes after roster lock ranks pretty high on the rage meter. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol were surprise scratches on Tuesday's first leg of a back-to-back, but all signs point to them being ready to play on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
Marcus Smart is set to make his Celtics season debut on Wednesday, and they could use him with the Horford injury. It is unclear if he will start or come off the bench, but it pretty much eliminates Terry Rozier from the fantasy discussion. It also likely takes away most of Gerald Green's minutes.
Doug McDermott, Chicago Bulls
Doug McDermott is currently going through the league's concussion protocol and is a game-time decision on Wednesday. With Michael Carter-Williams being out for the next four to six weeks, if McDermott is forced to miss Wednesday's game, that leaves two big holes in the Bulls' bench. The biggest two winners would be Denzel Valentine and Isaiah Canaan. Both stand to see big boosts in playing time if McDermott misses Wednesday's game, and both are excellent tournament punt plays that could also be pretty contrarian, as well.
Lesser Injuries
Roy Hibbert, Charlotte Hornets
Roy Hibbert is out again on Wednesday, which should give a little extra value to the other members of the Hornets' frontcourt. However, Spencer Hawes, Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky are all splitting the center minutes, which doesn't bode well for finding fantasy value out of the situation.
Lucas Nogueira, Toronto Raptors
Lucas Nogueira has been out with a sprained ankle, but he could be a game-time decision tonight. If he does play, Jakob Poeltl will likely be a healthy scratch, and it could slightly hurt the value of Jonas Valanciunas.
Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies
Tony Allen looks like he is ready to make his season debut on Wednesday. He has been ruled probable, so knock down Andrew Harrison and James Ennis.
Randy Foye, Carl LeVert and Greivis Vasquez, Brooklyn Nets
It's only fitting to have the Brooklyn Nets at the end, because they should continue to be on the bottom all season. Randy Foye, Caris LeVert and Greivis Vasquez are all looking like they'll miss Wednesday's game, which should continue to provide value to a bunch of players -- most notably Bojan Bogdanovic.
