Week 7 won’t be a standard one in Yahoo leagues, as the lack of a schedule for next week has led to the two weeks being combined. The two games each team will play during the second half of Week 7 will be determined after the NBA Cup group play concludes on Tuesday. Most teams will play four games during the first half of Week 7, and there are still numerous injuries to consider when crafting your lineups and waiver wire strategies. Here are some critical injury situations impacting fantasy basketball in Week 7.
Rankings source: Basketball Monster
Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks
While Luka Doncic returned from a wrist injury on Sunday, the Mavericks were down multiple rotation players for the win in Portland. Irving (shoulder), Thompson (foot), Lively (knee), and Naji Marshall (illness) were all absent, freeing up rotation minutes for multiple players. Quentin Grimes (13% rostered, Yahoo) scored a season-high 28 points and has tallied 21 or more in three straight; he’ll have value as long as Thompson remains out due to the 3-point shooting ability. Also worth a look is Spencer Dinwiddie (21%), who finished Sunday’s win with 20 points, five assists, two steals, and two 3-pointers. If Irving is sidelined for longer than one game, he will be worth a look. While Jaden Hardy started alongside Doncic and Grimes, he and Maxi Kleber won’t be worth the risk in most leagues. Dallas plays five games during Week 7, three during the first segment.
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, Boston Celtics
Brown and White were held out of Boston’s loss in Cleveland on Sunday, with the former sitting due to an illness and the latter a foot injury. Fantasy managers with rostered Celtics players are in a tricky spot heading into Week 7, as Boston hosts Miami on Monday. In addition to the statuses of Brown and White, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis also need to be considered. Horford’s a safe bet not to play on Monday since he hasn’t played both ends of back-to-backs, and Porzingis only returned from offseason surgery on November 25. Payton Pritchard (44%) and Sam Hauser (3%) would be the first two players to seek on waiver wires, while Neemias Queta (2%) may return to the rotation after being a DNP-CD in Cleveland.
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Initially available for Saturday’s loss to the 76ers, Cunningham (hip) was a late scratch after playing 33 minutes in Detroit’s blowout of the Pacers. The stakes may have impacted the decision to hold him out, as the Pistons host Milwaukee in their NBA Cup Group B decider on Tuesday. Malik Beasley (33%) and Jaden Ivey are the players most impacted by Cunningham’s availability should he not play. Beasley becomes a worthwhile streamer, while Ivey (who’s already rostered in 85% of Yahoo leagues) will have the ball in his hands more as Detroit’s primary playmaker.
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
Just when Butler appeared to be “getting right” health-wise, he had to exit Sunday’s loss to the Raptors with an apparent knee injury. Not many details were provided following the game in Toronto, but fantasy managers may want to operate assuming he won’t be available for Monday’s game in Boston. With Nikola Jovic (ankle) and Josh Richardson (illness) also at less than full strength, there may not be as many options at Erik Spoelstra’s disposal if he’s forced to craft a gameplan without Butler. Duncan Robinson (8%) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (13%) can be productive, with the former having moved into the starting lineup recently, but they’ve underwhelmed thus far regarding fantasy value.
Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic, Phoenix Suns
Beal (calf) and Nurkic (ankle) sat out Saturday’s win over the Warriors, with Grayson Allen (12%) and Mason Plumlee (1%) being their replacements in the starting lineup. Allen (17 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and three 3-pointers) is a worthwhile streamer if Beal continues to miss time, while fantasy managers can afford to leave Plumlee alone. However, rookie center Oso Ighodaro will be worth tracking. He played 31 minutes off the bench on Saturday, finishing with six points, eight rebounds, and two blocked shots. It’s not the best stat line, but when he plays nearly twice as many minutes as Plumlee (16), that should grab one’s attention.
Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
After taking a hard fall during Friday’s loss to Oklahoma City, Reaves was the lone starter to miss Sunday’s win over the Jazz. Like Butler in Miami, fantasy managers will have to wait and see if Reaves will be available for Monday’s game in Minnesota. Also sitting on Sunday were D’Angelo Russell (illness) and Cam Reddish (illness), with the former being rostered in 84% of Yahoo leagues despite providing disappointing fantasy value. As was the case when he moved into the starting lineup last week, replacing Reddish, rookie Dalton Knecht (45%) is a player who should be added in more leagues. He’s scored 14 points or more in six of his last seven starts, with Sunday night (six points on 2-of-10 shooting) being the exception. Gabe Vincent (< 1%) started for Reaves on Sunday, offering modest streaming value but playing 32 minutes.
Gradey Dick, Bruce Brown, and Kelly Olynyk, Toronto Raptors
The Raptors received some good injury news last week, as it was announced that Brown (knee) and Olynyk (back) are ramping up their conditioning. A return to the court for those two may not be too far away. As for Gradey, he’s missed the last four games with a calf contusion but could return sometime during Week 7. Toronto plays six games, beginning with the Pacers on Tuesday. Ochai Agbaji (24%) remains ranked within the top 100 and averages more than 31 minutes per game. Chris Boucher (9%), Davion Mitchell (4%), and Ja’Kobe Walter (2%) are risky streaming plays, even if Gradey is not able to return during Week 7.
Jeremy Sochan and Tre Jones, San Antonio Spurs
Sochan, who has not played since November 4 after suffering a fractured thumb, could be back sometime in Week 7, possibly as soon as Tuesday night in Phoenix. The Spurs tend to take a more conservative approach when working previously injured players back into the rotation, so he may not play starters’ minutes immediately. However, Julian Champagnie (23%) and Stephon Castle (27%) are the players to watch here, especially with Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson also back in the lineup. Champagnie has been the far more reliable fantasy option, heading into Week 7 as a top 100 player. Still, it’s fair to wonder if Castle’s minutes will be prioritized because he is a lottery pick. San Antonio plays six games in Week 7, including four during the first segment.
Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers
Already playing without Joel Embiid (knee), the 76ers lost Drummond during Saturday’s win over Detroit when he landed on the foot of a Pistons player and rolled his right ankle. It’s unknown when Embiid or Drummond will return to action, which boosts Guerschon Yabusele’s fantasy value. Rostered in 13% of Yahoo leagues, his fantasy value hasn’t been great, but the minutes will be there. Two other low-rostered players who may pick up rotation minutes if Embiid and Drummond sit are KJ Martin (1%) and Ricky Council IV (< 1%). Martin started the second half of Saturday’s win, finishing with 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. He and Council (17/5/1/1/1) played 27 minutes in Detroit. The 76ers play six games in Week 7, beginning with a Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back against the Hornets (road) and Magic (home).
Cameron Johnson and Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets
While Johnson and Simmons did play in Sunday’s loss to the Magic, both suffered injuries that ended their nights prematurely. Johnson reinjured his left ankle during the game’s final minute, while Simmons exited earlier with a left knee contusion. Ziaire Williams also exited Sunday’s game due to injury, and Dorian Finney-Smith missed four of Brooklyn’s last five games. Nets coach Jordi Fernandez won’t be operating with a full roster when his team visits the Bulls on Monday. Streaming-wise, fantasy managers may have to look to other teams for relief. Jalen Wilson (4%) has been an 11th-round player over the last week, while Tyrese Martin’s improved standing is mainly due to his 30-point explosion in Phoenix last week.
