Whether you’re in the thick of a fantasy basketball playoff battle or about to start, the game always throws that injured player variable to make your life more difficult. Do you hold? Do you say good riddance? The fantasy basketball playoff stretch is brutal, and nothing makes it worse than staring at an IL slot, wondering if your guy is ever coming back. Let’s talk through some of the top names filling your IL spots.
Jayson Tatum, SF/PF – Boston Celtics
I’ll be the first to admit it: I was wrong. I didn’t think he was worth the pickup and Boston just threw him in there playing 27 minutes in each of the last three games. And here he is, stuffing the stat sheet despite not shooting great and still rounding back into game shape. Congrats if you have him. Oh, and the Celtics have zero back-to-backs the rest of the fantasy playoffs. That’s huge. Keep riding.
LeBron James, SF/PF – Los Angeles Lakers
He’s missed his last four games with foot and hip injuries. To be fair, he’s 41 and still playing at a high level. He’s listed as questionable for Thursday, but I expect him back by the weekend. With so much offense going through Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, there’s no point in chasing some replacement-level guy for James, because he doesn’t exist.
Stephen Curry, PG/SG –Golden State Warriors
Curry has missed a lot of time due to patellofemoral pain syndrome and a bone bruise in his right knee. Recent reports say he’s still not practicing with contact and will likely miss at least 10 more days from Wednesday. If you’ve been holding onto him, your time is running out. It’s time to make backup plans and continue to hold De’Anthony Melton.
Joel Embiid, C – Philadelphia 76ers
Embiid was ruled out for another week, but with Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre both looking at minimum three-week absences, what exactly is Philly running out there? The 76ers’ situation gets worse by the day.
I’m still holding Embiid, but a drop is likely coming in the near future. Adem Bona isn’t the answer — in deeper leagues, give Trendon Watford a shot before you write the whole situation off.
Tyrese Maxey, PG/SG – Philadelphia 76ers
Maxey has a tendon injury in his right pinkie and will be reevaluated in about three weeks. Drop him. There isn’t enough regular season left to keep him on your roster or in an IL spot. Pick up Cameron Payne, who will take on a bigger role in the backcourt.
Jalen Williams, SF/PF – Oklahoma City Thunder
There’s no timetable for his return, plus OKC isn’t sharing any updates, and honestly, it makes sense — they want to keep him healthy for the playoffs. Fantasy managers don’t have that luxury, though. Move on, because at this rate, he’s not helping in your road to a championship.
Ja Morant, PG – Memphis Grizzlies
I’ve been saying Ja’s not coming back for a while now. Marc J. Spears reported that Morant will miss at least the next two weeks, providing further evidence that he’s likely done for the season, and in Memphis altogether. It’s messy between Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., Cam Spencer and Javon Small, but piece it together based on your schedule and matchups.
Norman Powell, SG/SF – Miami Heat
Powell hasn’t played since February 26 and keeps getting ruled out ahead of game days. The “week-to-week” timeline is holding, but it would be great to get a meaningful update. I’m running out of patience, and you should be, too. The Heat’s 3-4-3 playoff schedule doesn’t look too appealing, knowing that they’ll be playing on the biggest slates until Week 23.
Anthony Davis, PF/C – Washington Wizards
Don’t bite. AD hasn’t been ruled out for the season and a re-evaluation is reportedly coming soon. But don’t bite.
There’s not enough time left when you factor in potential minute restrictions and rest days, but the risk isn’t worth the reward. This isn’t a Tatum situation. The Wizards are one of the worst teams in basketball and are far too volatile to trust streaming anyone from their frontcourt — let alone a fragile AD.
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Jarrett Allen, C – Cleveland Cavaliers
Allen’s knee injury feels more day-to-day than looking at a prolonged absence. Don’t drop him yet — especially if your playoffs are ongoing or about to start. Give it another few days before you make any moves.
Ivica Zubac, C – Indiana Pacers
Zu is on the verge of returning, as he was upgraded to questionable ahead of Thursday. Could he see real minutes down the stretch for a Pacers team that’s tanking but also wants to evaluate what they got from the Clippers? We shall see, but I’m skeptical that he’ll be a top-100 type guy. His return would eat into Micah Potter more than Jay Huff — I’d still hold Huff either way. This doesn’t smell like a reasonable time to play Zu crazy minutes.
Isaiah Hartenstein – C, Oklahoma City Thunder
Calf injuries are concerning. Recurring calf injuries are even more detrimental. Calves are not something to play with. That’s why I’m getting out of the Hartenstein business. Injuries and surprise absences are commonplace late in the season, so freeing up any space for someone who’s playing and being productive is a wise move if you’re in survival mode.
Keyonte George – PG/SG – Utah Jazz
I think it’s a wrap, folks. George injured his hamstring in Wednesday’s game against the Knicks and did not return. If, for some reason, Isaiah Collier was dropped in your league, pick him up because with George likely out, he’s going to be one of the best assist generators in the league.
As a guy who’s had a lot of George shares, it’s a disappointing ending, but at the same time, every other starter for the Jazz has been shelved — so I guess it was inevitable?
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