NBA Injury Analysis: Injuries That Could Impact Fantasy Playoffs

While rotisserie leagues still have three weeks left to play, this week marks the start of championship matchups in numerous head-to-head leagues. As a result, I'm going to try to touch base on as many injuries as possible instead of focusing on the specifics of a few noteworthy cases.

Kevin Durant: The Warriors forward is progressing through the various phases of his rehab protocol as he works his way back from a knee injury. The former MVP hasn't played in Golden State's last 12 games after suffering a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) and tibial bone contusion on February 28. Durant has completed numerous individual drills, including several that have involved lateral movement, a motion that applies stress to the MCL. However, the team recently admitted he remains a "couple weeks away" from returning and will be on a minutes restriction when he is cleared for games. This news should be the final push needed for fantasy owners still clinging to Durant in hopes of an early return to at long last move on from the forward. He should be fine entering the 2017-18 season and will remain a top five pick.

James Harden: Harden has made a strong case for league MVP, and fantasy owners invested in the Rockets guard would be the first to acknowledge his remarkable season. Unfortunately, a lingering injury could impact his close to the regular season. Harden took a hard fall early last week and has continued to feel pain and soreness in his left wrist ever since. While Harden's play hasn't been noticeably impacted, he has played the last three games with the wrist taped and came close to sitting out the team's win over New Orleans. He also appeared to aggravate the issue in Sunday's win over the Thunder. Houston plays four games in the week ahead, including a road back-to-back against Portland and Golden State, creating a scenario that could force the team to consider giving him a night off. Still, Harden has been too good to bench at this point of the fantasy season so owners relying on his availability just have to cross their fingers and hope he remains in the lineup.

Ryan Anderson: There's no questioning Anderson's availability for the week ahead, as the Rockets have already ruled him out for the next five games. Anderson suffered an ankle sprain over the weekend while contesting a shot by DeMarcus Cousins. Tests performed on the injured joint revealed the damage to be less severe than initially feared though Anderson's remaining fantasy value plummets. Eric Gordon shifted to the starting lineup with Sam Dekker and Nene Hilario seeing heavy minutes off the bench.

DeMarcus Cousins: Oddly enough Cousins also suffered an ankle sprain in the game against the Rockets and didn't play Sunday against the Nuggets. Cousins' injury is less severe than Anderson's, and the Pelicans indicated his absence on Sunday was precautionary. However, this makes his value for the week ahead difficult to gauge. Expect New Orleans to provide an update late Monday about his status for their scheduled game against Utah.

Carmelo Anthony: New York has played their last two games without the services of Melo. The team has listed knee soreness as the reason for his absence though head coach Jeff Hornacek told his veteran players that the team would begin to limit their minutes just a few days prior to Anthony's first missed outing. The combination of Anthony's history of knee problems and the Knicks sudden commitment to evaluating talent leaves the All-Star forward's fantasy value significant reduced for the remainder of the season.

Marc Gasol: The Grizzlies were without their starting center on Sunday after he popped up on the injury report with a strained left foot. The team has been vague on specifics, which can make pinpointing the issue for analysis difficult. The foot has numerous muscles surrounding it, including multiple layers of muscles on the plantar (bottom) surface. A strain lets us know one of these muscles is damaged but without the exact muscle involved the affected function remains a bit of a mystery. On the plus side, this is NOT the same foot Gasol fractured at the end of last season. For now, consider him day-to-day. Zach Randolph returned to the starting lineup Sunday and will see his value remain elevated for the immediate future. Z-Bo played 29 minutes Sunday, scoring 15 points to go with five rebounds.

Gordon Hayward: In Salt Lake City, Hayward has already been ruled questionable for Monday's matchup against the Pelicans. The first-time All-Star is nursing a left quadriceps contusion suffered in the team's loss to the Clippers. While it is good to see Hayward avoided a more significant injury like a bone contusion to his patella, a quad contusion shouldn't be taken lightly. The impact that causes the injury can result in damaged muscle fibers and the development of a hematoma. These issues can result in a decrease in leg strength and range of motion at both the hip and knee. The Jazz seemed to downplay the severity of the injury, but I would keep a close eye out for updates on Monday before you confidently plug Hayward into your lineup.

Brandon Ingram: The Lakers rookie continues to be limited by lingering pain in his knee. He was questionable entering Friday's game over Minnesota with tendinitis in his right knee though he managed to play 30 minutes in the win. Unfortunately, the issue flared up during the game and he didn't appear in Sunday's game against the Trail Blazers. While his absence was the first time he has missed a game due to injury this season, Ingram has reported pain related to tendinitis in this knee as far back as October. Given the chronic nature of the condition, Ingram becomes a fantasy reliability, especially with the Lakers currently focusing on the future of the franchise. Consider him day-to-day in daily formats, but those in weekly leagues need to strongly mull over alternatives.

Hassan Whiteside: Last week was a rough one for Whiteside as he endured two injuries in back-to-back games. The center's first injury occurred in a win over the Suns when he suffered a laceration between his right middle and ring fingers. The cut required 13 stitches to close. Many believed Whiteside would miss at least one game with the issue, considering a cut in the exact spot cost him four games during the 2014-15 season. However, he surprised his critics and was in uniform two days later. Unfortunately, he sprained his left ankle late in the blowout loss to the Raptors and was a question mark entering Sunday's game against the Celtics. Fortunately, he was cleared prior to the game and failed to disappoint, collecting 19 points and 15 rebounds. Employ him as usual despite the two injuries.