The 2017-18 NBA season tipped off with an exciting doubleheader but the mood quickly turned sour after Gordon Hayward suffered a gruesome injury and was lost for the season. However, there was no shortage of fantasy studs on the floor on Thursday night but there was at least one notable absence that is among the most relevant when it comes to fantasy leagues. Here is a look at the key injuries to keep an eye on in fantasy basketball leagues.
Isaiah Thomas, Cleveland Cavaliers
Thomas was the one notable piece that wasn’t on the floor when the Cavaliers opened their season against the Celtics on Tuesday night. Thomas is still dealing with a hip injury that nearly negated his trade to Cleveland and he is expected to be out until December. With Thomas sidelined, Derrick Rose figures to take on a bigger role with the Cavaliers over the next couple of months. It will be important for fantasy owners to keep an eye on Thomas’ status over the next couple of weeks in order to monitor his timetable for a return to action.
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Embiid is still recovering from an ankle injury that could limit his playing time early on this season. Considering his boom or bust potential, fantasy owners will be monitoring his situation closely. Embiid revealed on Tuesday that he expects to play around 16 minutes when the 76ers open their season against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. As much as fantasy owners want to see what Embiid is capable of without any limitations, it makes sense that the team would limit his minutes early on to make sure that he doesn’t aggravate the injury and end up missing even more time for Philadelphia this season.
A lot of fantasy owners were surprised by the fact that Embiid played 27 minutes in the opener and Embiid was too. Keep an eye on this situation.
Tony Allen, New Orleans Pelicans
Allen has the potential to be fantasy relevant this season but he will need to stay healthy in order for that to happen. The Pelicans expect Allen to be available on Wednesday but his minutes could be limited as he continues to deal with a nagging ankle injury. New Orleans won’t want to force the 35-year-old to play too many minutes early on as they don’t want to risk him doing any further damage to the ankle. Fantasy owners will need to monitor Allen’s status to make sure that he isn’t limited any further over the next couple of weeks.
Allen was eased into action on opening night, playing just 11 minutes in total. He could have low minutes as he gets himself back to full health.
Nicolas Batum, Charlotte Hornets
Batum is expected to be out until late November as he continues to recover from an elbow injury. However, the veteran shooting guard was seen taking shots at practice on Tuesday, sparking some optimism that his recovery and return to action could be ahead of schedule. Batum could provide a nice boost for fantasy owners that could afford to hang on to him until he is ready to return for the Hornets. Considering his versatility, scoring ability and three-point shooting, it’s worth it to keep an eye on Batum’s status if he isn’t owned in your fantasy basketball league.
Gordon Hayward
Hayward’s injury was seen around the world as it rocked everyone in the basketball realm. While he’s out for the season, that means that a couple of Celtics players will benefit in NBA fantasy. Jaylen Brown will be counted upon to play big minutes now. That was likely expected anyways but now he has to deliver. Also, first-round pick Jayson Tatum figures to be a big beneficiary. You’ll want to own both of these guys.
Jeremy Lin
Lin tore his patellar tendon and is going to miss the season. That’s bad news for Brooklyn and it has some important significance in NBA fantasy. For the Nets, it means D’Angelo Russell is going to get used even more now. As far as who else benefits that you’d want to own, Caris Levert should get used a lot more and have much more fantasy value now.
The 2017 NBA futures are out. It’s been a wild offseason already, but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest NBA betting lines right here.
