Daily Fantasy Basketball Injury Report: Anthony Davis Ailing Again
In daily fantasy basketball, a few things are certain.
One is that we don't know anything -- no matter how obvious value plays look on paper. The other is that Anthony Davis will get hurt when you finally think he's safe to play.
After avoiding the injury bug for more than a month, Davis exited the New Orleans Pelicans' tilt against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.
Sure, it was because he dove into the stands, but he got hurt nonetheless, and your fantasy squads suffered if you rostered him.
What do you need to know about the Davis absence? Who will benefit? And what other injuries around the league do you need to know from the past week of NBA action?
Of course, there are basically countless bumps and bruises in the NBA, so we can't break down everything, but these are some of the most noteworthy injuries of the past week.
Notable New Injuries
Jeff Teague, PG and Thabo Sefolosha, SG, Atlanta Hawks
Teague sprained his ankle on Saturday during the first quarter of a game against the Chicago Bulls but returned to action and played 25 minutes total. While he may not miss time, his previous ankle issues make this a situation to watch. If Teague misses action, Dennis Schroder could wind up a point guard value this week. Atlanta actually has a higher Offensive Rating (108.8) without Teague over 817 minutes than with him (105.7 in 1,007 minutes). They are 7 points better in Defensive Rating without him (107.8 with and 100.8 without).
Sefolosha missed the Bulls game on Saturday with his wrist injury and hasn't played 30 minutes since December 10th. With Thabo, the Hawks have an Offensive Rating of 104.8; without him, it's 108.7. The defense with him has actually been worse (105.0 compared to 104.4 without). Less Sefolosha is good for Kent Bazemore.
Jameer Nelson, PG, Denver Nuggets
Nelson had averaged 32.5 minutes per game since December 11, when Emmanuel Mudiay sustained an ankle injury. Nelson, though, missed the team's game on Sunday with a hip injury. Mudiay returned (more on that later), so Nelson's stint as a heavy-minutes guy is likely at its end.
O.J. Mayo, SG, Milwaukee Bucks
Mayo missed the Bucks' tilt with the Knicks on Sunday because of a hamstring injury. Mayo has struggled with injury this year, namely his hamstrings, so this could lead to an extended absence. However, he did want to play on Sunday, suggesting it might not be a serious injury. Without him, Rashad Vaughn saw 29 minutes of action and scored 10 points with 2 boards, 2 assists, a steal, and a block. Michael Carter-Williams struggled and played just 22 minutes. Khris Middleton played 38 minutes, and Giannis Antetokounmpo played 35 minutes.
Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans
Davis may not miss much time, but if he does, Dante Cunningham will likely be the biggest beneficiary. On Sunday, Cunningham played 35 minutes in the Pels' overtime loss to the Clippers. He scored 8 points on 3-of-10 shooting while adding 7 boards, a steal, and an assist. Ryan Anderson (16 points, 10 boards) played 42 minutes. The team's Pace is basically the same with the Brow on (96.9 possessions per 48 minutes) as off (96.5). Their Offensive Rating (104.4 with him on and 102.5 without him) is surprisingly similar.
Tyreke Evans has a Usage Rate of 24.5 with Davis (and a 96 Offensive Rating); without him those are 26.3 percent and 115. On Sunday, he played 40 minutes on Sunday and scored 26 points with 7 points, 7 assists, and 5 turnovers. Jrue Holiday scored 29 with 11 boards, 4 assists, and 3 steals in 36 minutes on Sunday.
DeMarre Carroll, SF, Toronto Raptors
Carroll could be out six to eight weeks after knee surgery. Without Carroll on the floor, DeMar DeRozan has posted an Offensive Rating of 112 over 829 minutes. His Usage Rate hovers near 30 percent. Kyle Lowry owns an Offensive Rating of 109 without him but 114 with him. Terrence Ross' Offensive Rating has been an eye-popping 116 without Carroll albeit on a modest 17.1 percent Usage Rate.
John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards
Wall sustained a knee bruise this weekend and is day-to-day. Washington's Pace without Wall (97.1 possessions per 48) is pretty much a wash (97.7 with him), but the team's Offensive Rating (104.3 with and 100.9 without) takes a hit. Ramon Sessions has a 23.7 percent Usage Rate over 430 minutes without Wall (and a 107 Offensive Rating). With him, though, his Usage Rate is 18.3 percent, and his Offensive Rating is 113. Garrett Temple has a 16.1 Usage Rate and a 107 Offensive Rating without Wall. With him, Temple's marks are 15.4 percent and 102.
Returning From Injury
Tiago Splitter, C, Atlanta Hawks
Splitter hasn't played more than 20 minutes since November 21st but did end a four-game absence on Thursday against the 76ers. He played 14 and 15 minutes in two games since his return.
Avery Bradley, SG, Boston Celtics
Bradley's return from a hip injury -- he missed three games -- led to 38 minutes on Sunday. He scored 14 points. More noteworthy is that Isaiah Thomas dropped 35 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, and a steal. While playing alongside Bradley (1,387 possessions), Thomas has posted a Usage Rate of 29.1 percent and an Offensive Rating of 114. Without him, his Offensive Rating is just 101 with a Usage of 29.6 percent. In fact, the Celtics' Offensive Rating with Bradley in 968 minutes has been 107.7; without him in 748 minutes, it's been 98.3. Take note.
Jusuf Nurkic, C and Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Denver Nuggets
Nurkic returned to action on January 2nd but didn't surpass 15 minutes until the 6th. He showed his upside with a 15-point, 10-board, 5-block game, but his fouling is still high. He had netted five fouls in both of his games with at least 15 minutes since returning. On Sunday he played just 13 minutes but managed seven points, seven boards, a steal, and a block.
Mudiay had been out since December 11th. He had averaged just 10.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.0 turnovers on 31.1 percent shooting. However, if Nelson is out for a period of time, Mudiay could be forced into extended minutes immediately. On Sunday, Mudiay wound up playing 38 minutes. He scored 11 points (5-of-15 shooting), grabbed 4 rebounds, dished 6 helpers, stole 2 balls, and blocked a shot. He, naturally, had four turnovers.
Ty Lawson, PG, Houston Rockets
Lawson was suspended, not hurt, but he should come back January 13. Without Lawson on the court, the Rockets own an Offensive Rating of 108.1 over 999 minutes. With him in 792 minutes, it's 103.4. The Pace is higher with Lawson (98.6 possessions per 48 compared to 96.0 without him), but Lawson's ill-fitting role should be noted.
D'Angelo Russell, PG, Los Angeles Lakers
Russell missed Sunday's game against the Jazz, as did Kobe Bryant. The Lakers lost 86-74. Jordan Clarkson led the team with 37 minutes and 19 field goal attempts. Lou Williams, fresh off a 44-point showing, dropped 18 in 32 minutes. It's hard to put much stock into this because Kobe missed, too. The Lakers' Pace is identical (96.5) with and without Russell, but their Offensive Rating with (99.5) is a bit worse than their mark without him (102). A prolonged absence is good for Clarkson.
Mike Conley, PG and Courtney Lee, SG, Memphis Grizzlies
Both Conley and Lee missed the team's game Sunday. Mario Chalmers and Tony Allen benefited from a minutes standpoint. During Conley's three-game absence, Chalmers has played 39, 40, and 33 minutes. Allen has played more than 30 minutes in four of his last six, though he isn't a reliable fantasy scorer, as most of his numbers come from steals. Still, Conley should be back this week, meaning Chalmers' minutes should go down. With Conley on the floor, Memphis' Offensive Rating is 103.9 (99.5 without him), though their Pace is slower (92.1 with to 95.3 without).
Lee is day-to-day, so all we can do is track his return, which would complicate the backcourt further for guys like Allen and Chalmers.
Elfrid Payton, PG, Orlando Magic
Payton has missed four games with an ankle injury but was nearing a return this weekend, so he might be returning this week. In Payton's absence, Victor Oladipo had been seeing big minutes (37.5) but not a big role (21.6 percent Usage). In fact, 'Dipo's 22.2 percent Usage Rate with Payton (and awful 89 Offensive Rating), per NBAWowy.com, isn't too far from his mark with him off the floor (25.0 percent), though his Offensive Rating of 102 is much better.
Rudy Gobert, C, Utah Jazz
Gobert returned to action on Thursday night and started on Saturday. In 28 minutes, he scored nine points, collected five rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and a steal. On Sunday night against the Lakers, Gobert played 30 minutes. He scored 10 points and added 5 boards, an assist, a steal, and 3 blocks. Jeff Withey's fantasy relevance is diminished unless Gobert's minutes are reduced. Withey played 20 minutes on Sunday. Derrick Favors should also return this week after missing 10 games, another hit to the value picks in Utah's frontcourt.
