The fantasy basketball playoffs are upon us. As the 2013-14 season would have it, it also happens to be a time when an obscene amount of stars are hindered by injuries. Some of the injuries that are of a long-term nature will force plenty of owners to turn to their trusty waiver wires for players on an upswing or ready to break out of mediocrity.
For injuries that don’t seem to be of long-term consequence, we have your playoffs edition update.
Anthony Davis (infection) – There’s not much worse than losing one of fantasy ball’s golden gods. Even if for a day. An upper respiratory infection won’t keep AD out of humiliating the opposition for long but it could sway a matchup or two.
LeBron James (back) – Before tip-off, Wade was the most likely candidate to sit out Wednesday’s battle with Beantown. Instead, back spasms removed James from competition. It’s unclear if he’ll play against Memphis on Friday.
Russell Westbrook (knee) – Fantasy playoff rest rears its ugly head. Westbrook is expected to miss his first fantasy playoff game of the season with his status unsure for Thursday’s and/or Friday’s happenings. Thursday against the Cavs is the likelier miss.
Dwight Howard (ankle) – Ankle injuries for big men, especially for big-framed, athletic ones like Howard, are never good news. He’s currently day-to-day, having already missed one game, and could see another few DNPs down the line.
Goran Dragic (year-long wear and tear) – The Dragon is beat. Dragic recently admitted that playing like an MVP contender has taken a toll on his output as he’s had a long year of many basketball duties. His recent drop-off could be lasting.
Nikola Pekovic (ankle) – No Nikola, no good, as ankle issues can become nightmares for bigs. Keep a careful eye on Pek’s status going forward. He could be a candidate for dumping if news doesn’t better soon.
Amir Johnson (ankle) – The boost in Johnson’s play took a scary hit a few days ago as he underwent a minor ankle injury. Luckily he won’t be missing any time and should see a further boosts in cats with Valanciunas (see below) out.
Tyson Chandler (personal) – A personal matter took Chandler out of competition for two weeks. Though that was a blow for his owners it should mean good news for his expected output now that he’s returned. He’s at full health and a great source of rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage.
Wilson Chandler (hip) – Hip injection shots and low playoff hopes are never a good mix. Chandler just had a shot administered to his ailing hip, which alone could put him out for a handful of days. With Denver’s playoff hopes dashed, he has little incentive to come back quickly.
Andre Iguodala (knee) – Officially sidelined until March 28 with a nasty case of knee tendonitis, Iggy has quickly turned into a should-drop candidate. The Warriors league-worst playoff schedule doesn’t help his case.
Jonas Valanciunas (back) – As a big boy, a lower back sprain wasn’t enough to keep Valanciunas out of team warmups but was enough of a hindrance to sideline him officially. He’s likely to return to court on Friday.
