We have a busy NBA schedule tonight with nine games starting tonight. Here’s a look at the injury report of the day, along with relevant fantasy and betting implications.
NBA Injury Report: Jan. 18
Atlanta Hawks vs. Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic (ankle) – Probably
Dorian Finney-Smith (right abductor) – Doubtful
Doncic was out of Sunday’s game against the Blazers with ankle pain but is expected back tonight against the Hawks. Meanwhile, Finney-Smith is expected to be back on the ground for the first time in a month. DFS averaged a solid 18.7 fantasy points per game in DFS, but I wouldn’t include him back in your lineups for a couple of games.
New York Knicks vs. Washington Wizards
Bradley Beal (hamstring) – Doubtful
Beal has missed eight of the last nine games for the Wizards with a hamstring injury and his status is up in the air for tonight’s showdown against the Knicks. Averaging nearly 40 fantasy points per game in DFS, Kyle Kuzma is always a viable option, but Monte Morris also stepped it up in Beal’s absence.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Houston Rockets
Gordon Hayward (hamstring) – Doubtful
Cody Martin (knee) – Doubtful
Kevin Porter Jr. (Foot) – Doubtful
Veteran Heyward has been out of action since the beginning of the month and is unlikely to play tonight. Keep looking at Jalen McDaniels as a viable fantasy stand-in. On the other hand, Porter has missed three straight games for the Rockets and his status is up in the air for tonight. While his shot rate wasn’t great, Jalen Green was also a solid fantasy contribution from the Houston backfield.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Donovan Mitchell (Bar) – Doubtful
Mitchell suffered a groin injury in Monday’s win against the Pelicans and likely won’t play tonight. Darius Garland will simply slide in to fill the gap while Caris LeVert could see more minutes.
Miami Heat vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Kyle Lowry (knee) – Doubtful
Caleb Martin (quad) – Probably
Udonis Haslem (Achilles) – Probably
Lowry has missed the last three games for the Heat and it’s doubtful he’ll hit the ground against the Pelicans tonight. This is standard practice for the heat at this point, and you should probably continue to consider Victor Oladipo as a viable value fantasy option.
Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Tyrese Haliburton (elbows, knees) – OUT
Haliburton will miss its fourth straight game for the Pacers and that opens up another opportunity for TJ McConnell to improve. He provided 29 points and nine assists in Monday’s loss to the Bucks.
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz
Paul George (hamstring) – OUT
Kawhi Leonard (Injury Management) – TBD
Luke Kennard (Calf) – TBD
John Wall (stomach) – OUT
Lauri Markkanen (hip) – Doubtful
Kelly Olynyk (ankle) – OUT
George returned from a five-game absence and recorded about 30 minutes in yesterday’s loss to the 76ers. He will miss tonight’s game against the Jazz and will most likely be joined by Kawhi Leonard, who has yet to play both games in a row. This will give Normal Powell another chance to become a nice value play in DFS.
Markkanen’s status is up in the air for tonight’s game due to his hip injury. If he can’t leave, Malik Beasley will step into his role.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets
Anthony Edwards (hip) – Questionable
Rudy Gobert (groin) – Doubtful
Bull Prince (Ankle) – Doubtful
Jordan McLaughlin (Wade) – OUT
Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) – OUT
The T-Wolves will be without Gobert and Edwards in their matchup against the Nuggets tonight. Edwards missed the previous game against the Jazz, a 126-125 loss in which Gobert only played five minutes.
Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James (ankle) – Doubtful
Austin Reaves (hamstring) – OUT
Lonnie Walker (knee) – OUT
Anthony Davis (foot) – OUT
The biggest injury question of the day concerns the status of LeBron James, who has had left ankle pain for quite some time. He lost 48 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in Monday’s win over the Rockets and has carried the weight for the Lakers while Antony Davis is still out. One forward to consider if James doesn’t go tonight is Troy Brown Jr., who has played over 30 minutes in four of his last five games.