Fantasy Basketball Forecast: Navigating An Injury-Ravaged Playoffs

The Fantasy Playoffs, for just about everyone at this point, are here. 

And boy, so are the injuries. 

This month has been hell for injury reports league wide. It's annoying, it's frustrating, and it's worrisome if you're a fantasy basketball player.

(Insert mandatory goodwill statement of player health, wishing everyone well, etc.)

This week, at the cost of elongated written blurbs about certain things, I'm electing to give you more with less, really honing in on the injury section and risers and fallers with more names. To do that, the written stuff will be chopped down in the interest of not droning on for 2,000 words. 

For fantasy teams, we're also just going to list the game amounts for every team instead of highlighting just two.

Why? Because it's the damn playoffs. 

Let's go win some championships. 

Four-Game Teams:

Boston Celtics
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Detroit Pistons
Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards

Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Los Angeles Clippers
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
San Antonio Spurs

Notes:
Every team listed here plays on Monday except for the Clippers and Wizards. The Wizards are the only team in the NBA who play a Saturday-Sunday back-to-back this week.

The Blazers, Hornets and Bulls are the only four-game teams who do not play on Sunday.

The Nuggets, Pistons and Raptors are without back-to-backs, meaning they each play Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The Pistons and Spurs are at home for all four games.

The Clippers, Suns and Wizards play three games in the final four days of the week.

The Suns are the only NBA team with four road games this week.

Three-Game Teams:

Atlanta Hawks
Brooklyn Nets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Indiana Pacers
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
New York Knicks
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers

Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Memphis Grizzlies
New Orleans Pelicans
Oklahoma City Thunder
Sacramento Kings
Utah Jazz

Notes: Only the Cavs and the Warriors play on Monday of this group.

The Hawks, Nets, Heat, Bucks and Magic are the only teams who play on Sunday. Everyone else plays Saturday.

The Hawks, Nets, Heat, Pelicans, and Magic don't play until Wednesday.

Two-Game Teams:

Los Angeles Lakers
Minnesota Timberwolves

Notes: The T-Wolves play Tuesday and Saturday, the Lakers play Wednesday and Saturday.

INJURY RADAR: Players Likely OUT for the Playoffs

Key players injured last week and likely gone for most standard fantasy seasons

• Minnesota Timberwolves: F/C Karl-Anthony Towns (torn meniscus)
• Atlanta Hawks: G Trae Young (finger) / F Saddiq Bey (torn ACL)
• Houston Rockets: C Alpren Sengun (leg)
• Brooklyn Nets: G/F Ben Simmons (back)

Notes: If you have anyone here, drop them, they won't be back in time for the playoffs. 

OUT to start the Week (with a chance to return)

• Golden State Warriors: G Steph Curry (ankle)
• Cleveland Cavaliers: F/C Evan Mobley (ankle)
• Atlanta Hawks: C Onyeka Okongwu (ankle)
• Atlanta Hawks: F Jalen Johnson (ankle)
• Cleveland Cavaliers: G Donovan Mitchell (knee)
• Philadelphia 76ers: G Tyrese Maxey (concussion)
• Miami Heat: G Tyler Herro (foot)
• Milwaukee Bucks: F Khris Middleton (ankle)
• New York Knicks: F OG Anunoby (elbow)
• Portland Trail Blazers: F Jerami Grant (hamstring)
• Utah Jazz: F Lauri Markkanen (quadrecips)

Notes: Some of these guys won't be back this week and have lingering injuries. Given the nature of the league, it's difficult to project who actually might return sooner from the group, but everyone on the list is likely on hold for now.

Of the drop candidates here, Markkanen and Grant are the ones you worry about since their teams aren't playing for anything.

Okongwu is inching toward a drop candidate if his reevaluation, scheduled for later this week, is cloudy. 

Herro's role upon return is unknown, as is the severity of his injury, so he becomes a drop candidate if he doesn't play Wednesday against the Nuggets if you're screwed up and down the injury report. 

RISERS

Horford hasn't been playing back-to-backs, the Celtics have one to start the week, and have the first end of one this coming Sunday. On any night he plays, he is stream-worthy, especially if Kristaps Porzingis sits. 

If they're somehow on your waivers, they might be a keeper for the playoffs — Dosunmu especially. 

Saddiq Bey has a torn ACL, Trae Young is already out, as is Jalen Johnson right now. Somebody gotta get these buckets.

Sneaky good waiver add who has double-digit scoring upside, generally off threes, and adds stocks. 

He's averaging 22.8 points per game in his last six — five of those off the bench. He's also recording about six boards and three assists per game and has made six or more threes in four of his last six — including a 10-three-point effort.

Averaging 15-4-2 in Detroit on 48/43/84 shooting and has four games this week. 

Heavy workload this week plus the possibility of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and or James Harden sitting makes him an attractive option. 

Both back, both have four games this week for an injury-saddled team who has little incentive to play veterans. 

Four games, getting consistent minutes and producing as of late averaging 11-8-2 in his last five. 

Primed candidate to breakout if LaMelo Ball remains out — Tre Mann also to a lesser extent. Started four straight, averaging 14-6 in his last five. 

Olynyk is the starting center for Toronto now — maybe it was worth trading for him after all…

22.8 points per game in his last five along with over six boards and about three assists per game — only shooting 40/25/78 in even that stretch, but if Maxey remains add, he's worth a stream in points leagues.

FALLERS

The center position in Dallas is too all over the place to trust. If you want to hold, cut after March 14 — he has three games in the next four days and just three in the week and a half after. 

Despite opportunity via injuries to others, has been mostly a bust since the trade. 

Similar to Valanciunas' situation except Drummond doesn't start and isn't as good. 

If you're still rostering him beyond an occasional stream, why? He delivered for you like three, maybe just four, times last month. 

The whole starting Larry Nance Jr. in the third quarter thing is stupid. You can hold because he's a double-double threat even when limited, but boyyyyy do they limit him sometimes.