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Week 5 of the fantasy basketball season brings some good news on the injury front: Damian Lillard is closing in on a return. Sidelined for three games due to the league’s concussion protocols, he is considered probable for Monday’s game against the Rockets. Filling the void left by a player providing top-20 per-game value in 8- and 9-cat formats is never easy, especially when his team lacks solid streaming options. In the three games Lillard has missed, the Bucks have started Ryan Rollins (who’s out with a shoulder injury) once and Delon Wright twice.
In games against the Pistons and Hornets, Wright shot 3-of-14 from the field and produced seven points, seven rebounds, 14 assists, three steals, and three blocked shots. He enters Week 5 rostered in one percent of Yahoo leagues, and that dropped by a percentage point over the last 24 hours (at the time of publishing). If anything, managers looking to account for Lillard’s absence had to look to other rosters to find a replacement. The good news is that said fantasy nightmare is nearing its end. Here are some more critical injuries/player absences that will impact how Week 5 is approached in fantasy basketball.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
For personal reasons, the Nuggets have been without their three-time MVP for the last two games, road losses in New Orleans and Memphis. Dario Saric (1% rostered) moved into the starting lineup, contributing 19 points, 18 rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and three 3-pointers. He finished Sunday’s loss to the Grizzlies with his first double-double of the season and has been a top-100 player over the last week (Denver only played twice). The Nuggets end their current road trip in Memphis on Tuesday, so it’s fair to wonder if they’ll wait until Friday’s home game against Dallas for Jokic’s return. If so, this could be a two-game week for the reigning MVP.
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Doncic sat out Sunday’s win over the Thunder with a right knee contusion, which led to Quentin Grimes (2%) moving into the starting lineup. Grimes played 21 minutes, finishing with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two 3-pointers….
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy-basketball-week-5-key-161434385.html
Author : NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-11-18 16:14:00
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