Buckle up it is going to be a wild ride on Friday’s 10-game NBA slate. There are a ton of impactful injuries to dissect and monitor. Key players already out or doubtful include Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, and Aaron Gordon. Check out the What If Matrix below for players to consider from their respective teams as many of them will be very highly owned on Friday’s DFS slate.
This article will attempt to list all of the relevant injury situations to monitor for the day’s NBA slate and provide guidance on which players will benefit with either an increase in minutes or usage or both if that player is ruled out. I will also place an asterisk (*) by players that I think are worth DFS consideration if that player is ruled out. Players that have been out for at least five consecutive games I will not list as general playing time and usage patterns should be established.
This will NOT be an interactive article that is continually updated throughout the day as I hope to capture all of the potential relevant injury situations that could impact DFS lineups for the night and pre-determine what players benefit. Ideally, you monitor late-breaking news leading up to tipoff, find out a player is ruled out and come check the matrix below to see who the players are you should consider for your DFS lineups based on that news.
NBA What If – Friday, March 9
| Team | Player | Status | If OUT |
| Bucks | Tyler Zeller | Questionable | Thon Maker (minutes) |
| Bulls | Robin Lopez | Probable | Cristiano Felicio (minutes) Denzel Valentine (usage) |
| Bulls | Paul Zipser | Questionable | Denzel Valentine (minutes) |
| Cavaliers | Tristan Thompson | Out | Larry Nance Jr. (minutes)* Ante Zizic (minutes) Jordan Clarkson (usage) Rodney Hood (usage)* |
| Clippers | None | ||
| Grizzlies | Chandler Parsons | Out | Dillon Brooks (minutes/usage)* Myke Henry (minutes) |
| Grizzlies | Andrew Harrison | Out | Xavier Rathan-Mayes (minutes) Ben McLemore (minutes/usage)* Kobi Simmons (minutes) Wayne Selden (minutes/usage) |
| Grizzlies | Mario Chalmers | Out | Xavier Rathan-Mayes (minutes) Ben McLemore (minutes/usage)* Kobi Simmons (minutes) Wayne Selden (minutes) |
| Grizzlies | Jarell Martin | Questionable | JaMychal Green (minutes)* Ivan Rabb (minutes) |
| Hawks | Malcolm Delaney | Out | Isaiah Taylor (minutes/usage) Jaylen Morris (minutes) Tyler Dorsey (minutes) |
| Jazz | None | ||
| Kings | De’Aaron Fox | Questionable | Frank Mason (minutes)* Garrett Temple (minutes/usage) Buddy Hield (usage) |
| Kings | Willie Cauley-Stein | Questionable | Zach Randolph (minutes/usage)* Kosta Koufos (minutes)* Skal Labissiere (minutes)* Frank Mason (usage) Justin Jackson (usage) De’Aaron Fox (usage) |
| Kings | Zach Randolph | Rest? | Kosta Koufos (minutes) Skal Labissiere (minutes)* Garrett Temple (usage) Bogdan Bogdanovic (usage) Willie Cauley-Stein (usage) |
| Knicks | Courtney Lee | Out | Frank Ntilikina (minutes) Trey Burke (minutes/usage) Tim Hardaway Jr. (minutes/usage) Troy Williams (usage) |
| Lakers | Brandon Ingram | Out | Kyle Kuzma (minutes)* Isaiah Thomas (usage) Brook Lopez (usage) Julius Randle (usage) |
| Lakers | Josh Hart | Out | Isaiah Thomas (minutes/usage)* Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (minutes) |
| Magic | Aaron Gordon | Out | Mario Hezonja (minutes/usage)* Jonathan Isaac (minutes)* Jonathan Simmons (usage)* Nikola Vucevic (usage)* |
| Magic | Evan Fournier | Out | Jonathan Simmons (minutes/usage)* Mario Hezonja (minutes)* Nikola Vucevic (usage)* |
| Magic | DJ Augustin | Probable | Shelvin Mack (minutes)* |
| Nuggets | None | ||
| Pacers | Darren Collison | Questionable | Cory Joseph (minutes/usage) Joe Young (minutes) Victor Oladipo (usage) Domantas Sabonis (usage) |
| Pelicans | Anthony Davis | Doubtful | Emaka Okafor (minutes/usage) Cheick Diallo (minutes/usage) Nikola Mirotic (minutes/usage)* Jrue Holiday (usage)* Darius Miller (usage) |
| Pelicans | Cheick Diallo | Questionable | Emaka Okafor (minutes) Nikola Mirotic (minutes)* |
| Pistons | Stanley Johnson | Doubtful | Luke Kennard (minutes) James Ennis (minutes) Blake Griffin (usage) |
| Raptors | Delon Wright | Out | Fred VanVleet (minutes) Norman Powell (minutes) |
| Raptors | OG Anunoby | Out | Norman Powell (minutes) CJ Miles (minutes) DeMar DeRozan (usage) Kyle Lowry (usage) |
| Rockets | Ryan Anderson | Out | PJ Tucker (minutes) Luc Mbah a Moute (minutes) James Harden (usage)* Chris Paul (usage)* Joe Johnson (usage) |
| Rockets | Brandan Wright | Out | Nene Hilario (minutes) |
| Rockets | Clint Capela | Probable | Nene Hilario (minutes) Tarik Black (minutes) James Harden (usage)* Chris Paul (usage)* |
| Rockets | Joe Johnson | Probable | Gerald Green (minutes) |
| Rockets | Nene Hilario | Probable | Tarik Black (minutes) |
| Trail Blazers | Moe Harkless | Probable | Evan Turner (minutes) Shabazz Napier (minutes) |
| Warriors | Stephen Curry | Out | Shaun Livingston (minutes)* Quinn Cook (minutes) Kevin Durant (usage)* Klay Thompson (usage)* Nick Young (usage)* JaVale McGee (usage) Draymond Green (usage)* |
| Warriors | Jordan Bell | Out | JaVale McGee (minutes)* Kevon Looney (minutes) David West (minutes) |
| Warriors | Klay Thompson | Probable | Nick Young (minutes/usage)* Kevin Durant (usage)* JaVale McGee (ussage) Quinn Cook (usage) |
| Warriors | Andre Iguodala | Questionable | Nick Young (minutes/usage)* Omri Casspi (minutes/usage) JaVale McGee (usage) |
| Warriors | David West | Questionable | JaVale McGee (minutes)* Kevon Looney (minutes/usage) |
| Wizards | Otto Porter | Questionable | Kelly Oubre (minutes/usage)* Markieff Morris (minutes)* Bradley Beal (usage) |
