We have an eight-game NBA slate on Wednesday and as usual, there are some injury situations to keep an eye on. Key players already ruled out today include Kyrie Irving, Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Love and Marvin Williams. Who might join the list next and which players benefit? Find out in today’s NBA What If.
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 tip off, 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.
This article series will be a work in progress and I welcome any and all feedback on its usefulness and format either in the Comments below or directly to me on Twitter @Rotopilot.
NBA What If – Wednesday, January 31
| Team | Player | Status | If OUT |
| Bulls | Lauri Markkanen | Out | Nikola Mirotic (minutes)* Bobby Portis (minutes)* Justin Holiday (usage) Jerian Grant (usage) |
| Bulls | Nikola Mirotic | Questionable | Bobby Portis (minutes)* |
| Cavaliers | Kevin Love | Out | Tristan Thompson (minutes/usage) Jae Crowder (minutes) Jeff Green (minutes/usage)* Isaiah Thomas (usage)* LeBron James (usage)* Dwyane Wade (usage) |
| Celtics | Marcus Smart | Out | Terry Rozier (minutes)* Jayson Tatum (usage)* |
| Celtics | Kyrie Irving | Out | Terry Rozier (minutes/usage)* Shane Larkin (minutes/usage)* Al Horford (usage)* Marcus Morris (usage) Jayson Tatum (usage)* |
| Celtics | Shane Larkin | Questionable | Terry Rozier (minutes)* Jayson Tatum (usage) |
| Grizzlies | JaMychal Green | Doubtful | Jarell Martin (minutes)* Andrew Harrison (usage) |
| Grizzlies | Mario Chalmers | Questionable | Tyreke Evans (minutes)* Andrew Harrison (minutes) |
| Grizzlies | Deyonta Davis | Questionable | Brandan Wright (minutes) |
| Grizzlies | Dillon Brooks | Questionable | Wayne Selden (minutes/usage)* Kobi Simmons (minutes/usage) Andrew Harrison (usage) |
| Grizzlies | Ben McLemore | Questionable | Wayne Selden (minutes)* Kobi Simmons (minutes) |
| Hawks | None | ||
| Heat | None | ||
| Hornets | Marvin Williams | Out | Frank Kaminsky (minutes)* Johnny O’Bryant (minutes) Nicolas Batum (usage)* Jeremy Lamb (usage) |
| Knicks | Tim Hardaway Jr. | Rest? | Courtney Lee (minutes/usage)* Michael Beasley (minutes/usage)* Jarrett Jack (usage) Enes Kanter (usage) |
| Lakers | None | ||
| Magic | Aaron Gordon | Doubtful | Mario Hezonja (minutes)* Marreese Speights (minutes)* Khem Birch (usage) Jonathan Simmons (usage)* Elfrid Payton (usage)* |
| Mavericks | JJ Barea | Questionable | Yogi Ferrell (minutes/usage)* Devin Harris (minutes) Dennis Smith (usage)* |
| Nets | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | Doubtful | Joe Harris (minutes) Jarrett Allen (minutes) Jahlil Okafor (minutes) DeMarre Carroll (usage) Caris LeVert (usage) Spencer Dinwiddie (usage) |
| Nets | Caris LeVert | Questionable | Nik Stauskas (minutes/usage)* Joe Harris (minutes) Allen Crabbe (usage) |
| Nets | D’Angelo Russell | Rest? | Spencer Dinwiddie (minutes) Nik Stauskas (minutes)* Caris LeVert (usage) DeMarre Carroll (usage) |
| Pacers | Lance Stephenson | Questionable | Bojan Bogdanovic (minutes) Corey Joseph (minutes) |
| Sixers | Jerryd Bayless | Probable | TJ McConnell (minutes) Timothe Lawauw-Caborrot (minutes) |
| Sixers | JJ Redick | Probable | TJ McConnell (minutes) Timothe Lawauw-Caborrot (minutes) |
| Suns | Marquese Chriss | Questionable | Dragan Bender (minutes) Josh Jackson (usage) |
| Suns | Tyson Chandler | Questionable | Greg Monroe (minutes)* Alex Len (minutes) |
| Suns | Alex Len | Questionable | Greg Monroe (minutes)* Tyson Chandler (minutes) |
| Suns | Devin Booker | Questionable | Tyler Ulis (minutes/usage)* Troy Daniels (minutes/usage) Isaiah Canaan (minutes/usage) Josh Jackson (minutes)* TJ Warren (usage)* |
| Trail Blazers | None |
