Wayne Ellington MIA: left quad contusion
Wayne Ellington suffered a left quad contusion in the second quarter of last Tuesday’s game and has not played since. Ellington missed time last season to a contusion in his right quad, but this is the first time he’s had problems with the left side. At 30 years old, Ellington has a relatively short injury history, with only a few minor injuries starting to accumulate in recent years. He’s an Elevated Injury Risk but should return to an Above Average Health Performance Factor within 1-2 weeks.
Steph Curry GS: right ankle injury
Steph Curry tweaked his right ankle for the fourth time this season on Friday, and we can’t say we are too surprised. Curry has had problems with his right ankle dating back to 2012, but they picked back up at the beginning of the season when he suffered a moderate sprain. He missed 11 games recovering from the first sprain, but he’s played through each of the other rolls. There is obviously lingering instability in Curry’s ankle that may require another off-season surgery. He’s going to be High Injury Risk for the rest of the season.
Tristan Thompson CLE: sprained ankle
Even though he was able to play through the injury on Saturday, a sprained ankle is expected to hold Tristan Thompson out for “multiple games.” He twisted his ankle during Saturday’s game and experienced “significant swelling” overnight. Thompson isn’t the most reliable fantasy option anyways, so there is no reason to start him for at least the next 2-3 weeks, according to the Inside Injuries algorithm. This is Thompson’s first ankle sprain, so he’s at less risk of experiencing a setback.
Kelly Oubre WAS: sore left foot
Apparently Kelly Oubre’s left foot has been bothering him “for several days” now, which explains his dull stat line last week. Oubre missed his first game of the season on Sunday to the injury, and Inside Injuries’ analytics show he should miss at least the next four games before his performance will improve.
Cody Zeller CHA: sore left knee
This is the same knee that Zeller had surgery on in December, which is why it’s such a concern. The surgery was to repair a torn medial meniscus, and he missed about six weeks of action. Because Zeller only missed six weeks recovering, he likely only had his meniscus trimmed rather than fully repaired. This type of procedure comes with a shorter recovery time, but a full repair has better long term results. The Hornets insist Zeller is just dealing with some swelling, but this is something to keep an eye on.
LaMarcus Aldridge SAS: right ankle sprain
LaMarcus Aldridge suffered a right ankle sprain last Wednesday and has yet to return to practice. Aldridge reportedly underwent an MRI on his injured ankle on Thursday, but the Spurs haven’t released the results. The Inside Injuries algorithm has calculated a mild, grade 1 sprain and a 2-3 week Optimal Recovery Time. The other concern here is that Aldridge is also dealing with a minor shoulder injury. The Spurs are generally cautious with their injuries players, and Aldridge could use a few weeks of rest to fully heal both injuries. If he is going to lead the Spurs in the playoffs sans Kawhi Leonard, he is going to need to be 100%.
Moe Harkless POR: left knee strain
The Blazers forward injured his left knee on Thursday and has missed one game to the injury so far. Harkless is considered questionable going forward, and Inside Injuries’ analytics show a 1-2 week Optimal Recovery Time. The Blazers are describing the injury as a “mild strain” which is in line with our metrics’ grade 1 calculation. If you own Harkless, don’t trust him as a fantasy start for at least the next week.
Tyler Johnson MIA: left thigh contusion
While it’s good news that Johnson’s injury isn’t to his troublesome ankle, the left quad contusion has still held him out of the past two games. Like Ellington, Johnson has yet to practice and is considered questionable for games this week. Johnson shouldn’t be trusted in season-long or daily fantasy leagues this week, and he won’t return to an Above Average Health Performance Factor for at least two weeks, according to the Inside Injuries algorithm.
Danilo Gallinari LAC: right hand fracture
Danilo Gallinari injured his right hand last week, and the initial X-rays came back clean. The swelling and bruising in his hand did not subside, prompting an MRI. It wasn’t until the more detailed scans came back that the doctors saw the non-displaced fracture in Gallinari’s shooting hand. At this point, Gallinari’s fantasy owners should drop him because it’s unlikely that he returns before the fantasy playoffs, and if he does, he won’t be effective.
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