Fantasy Basketball News

Nuggets small forward Will Barton has been limited in training camp because of a small, albeit unspecified injury. (Source: CBS Sports)

Fantasy Impact: This setback is not good for Barton during a time when the team's small forward minutes are yet to be assorted between multiple players. Monitor his status, but his fantasy value is not very high.

2019 Nuggets draft pick Bol Bol has not been approved for preseason action. (Source: The Denver Post)

Fantasy Impact: The tall man is taking it easy in teams of rehabbing from a foot injury. He likely won't be at full strength yet, and his playing time will be limited when he returns, whenever that is. He is not an effective fantasy commodity to begin the season.

Reggie Bullock with a back injury will be re-evaluated in early November. (Source: ESPN )

Fantasy Impact: Reggie Bullock was one of the Knick's off season signings. Last season with the Pistons and the Lakers he averaged 11.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and two rebounds a game. When he does come back from injury he is expected to get minutes at shooting guard off the bench.

Damyean Dotson with a shoulder injury is expected to miss the entire preseason. (Source: ESPN )

Fantasy Impact: Damyean Dotson last season averaged 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists a game. When Dotson comes back he is expected to be the back up shooting guard to rookie RJ Barrett.

Dylan Windler suffered a left tibial stress reaction in his left leg and will be out at least four to six weeks. (Source: NBA.com)

Fantasy Impact: With Windler out, Jordan Clarkson will pick up more minutes behind starters Collie Sexton and Darius Garland. Windler is off the re-draft radar.

2018 Denver Nuggets first round pick Michael Porter Jr. won't see a minutes restriction when he finally gets on the court. (Source: The Denver Post)

Fantasy Impact: This is excellent news for the small forward. After being a highly publicized prospect coming out of Missouri, he has yet to show his abilities on the court. No minutes restriction shows the Nuggets' confidence in his progress and that he is ready to be a solid contributor to this team. With that being said, monitor his effectivity on the court before you pick him up. Getting him off the waiver wire is a good idea, but he is worth a late round pick in larger leagues where he will likely be drafted.

Chuma Okeke will sit out his rookie year while rehabbing a torn ACL, Shams Charania reports. (Source: Shams Charania on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: Okeke tore his ACL in Auburn’s Sweet 16 win over North Carolina in this year’s NCAA tournament and will spend the entire year rehabbing in preparation of the 2020-21 season. The talented forward averaged 12.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.0 combined blocks/steals in his final collegiate campaign.

Brandon Ingram has been a full participant in voluntary offseason workouts, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports. (Source: Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com)

Fantasy Impact: Ingram missed the final five weeks of the 2018-19 season while dealing with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder, but he hasn’t had any limitations in recent voluntary workouts with the Pelicans. Much like teammate Lonzo Ball, Ingram has been plagued with health issues over his last two seasons, averaging just 56 games in that span. If he can stay healthy, a productive first season in New Orleans is certainly attainable, as the 22-year-old forward figures to slot in as the starter at small forward.

Lonzo Ball hasn’t been limited in voluntary offseason workouts, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports. (Source: Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com)

Fantasy Impact: Ball missed 35 games last season due to an ankle injury, closing out his second season on a sour note. Now in a new locale, the 2017 No. 2 overall pick will have a chance to showcase his skills in an uptempo offense loaded with offensive talent. Health remains a concern, but if he can stay on the court, Ball could enjoy a career year with the Pelicans.

Isaiah Thomas underwent successful thumb surgery Wednesday and will miss 6-8 weeks, Washington Wizards official Twitter account reports. (Source: Washington Wizards on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: The official diagnosis is a “rupture of the radial collateral ligament of his left thumb.” The 6-8 week timeframe means Thomas will miss all of Wizards’ training camp, with recovery likely spilling over into the regular season, which begins October 22. Ish Smith makes a sneaky late-round selection in fantasy drafts, as he won’t have to compete with Thomas for minutes at point guard to open the season. Smith could be an even bigger value if Thomas’ injury lingers.

Marcus Smart has reportedly been shut down for Team USA's final two games at the FIBA World Cup. He underwent X-rays on a left knuckle injury that came back negative. However, Smart is dealing with hand soreness as well as a calf strain, which effectively led to him ending his participation for Team USA. (Source: NESN.com)

Fantasy Impact: This is most likely the right path for Smart to take, as he should be fully prepared for training camp in a few weeks.

According to the Associated Press, Boston Celtics and Team USA forward Jayson Tatum returned to practice on Monday for the first time since spraining his left ankle in Team USA's win last week against Turkey in the FIBA World Cup. (Source: Associated Press)

Fantasy Impact: Tatum was injured with one-tenth of a second left in regulation in the win against Turkey. Luckily, it appears as though he avoided a major injury. He even has a chance to play in Team USA's upcoming game against France on Wednesday in the FIBA World Cup quarterfinals. While this appears to be a minor, passing injury, those who own Tatum in a dynasty or keeper league will have to hope that there is no re-injury as he returns to action for Team USA.

In a statement released yesterday by the Japanese Basketball Association, through the Washington Wizards, it was announced that Rui Hachimura would miss the final two games of the FIBA World Cup. The statement cited, “knee discomfort and general fatigue,” as the reason for the decision (in light of NBA training camp beginning in a few weeks). (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Hachimura is quickly becoming the face of Japanese basketball since being chosen by the Wizards in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft. Although there have been conflicting reports regarding Hachimura’s role at the start of the season, there is little doubt that he is being groomed for a starting role (and could seize it sooner rather than later). He is a worthy sleeper pick in the later rounds of redraft leagues and even more so in dynasty and keeper leagues.

Darius Miller underwent surgery Thursday to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon. The forward is expected to be sidelined for 7-to-8 months. (Source: Malika Andrews on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Miller presumably suffered the injury during a recent workout. There's a chance Miller misses the entire 2019-2020 season. His injury opens up more minutes for Brandon Ingram, Nicolo Melli and Josh Hart.

Blake Griffin will have his workload monitored and expects to rest more in 2019-2020. (Source: Keith Langlois of Pistons.com)

Fantasy Impact: Griffin is coming off of a productive season in which he appeared in 75 games, but it came at a cost, as the veteran's body began to break down late in the year. The Pistons are expected to be more cautious with Griffin, especially in back-to-back situations. Griffin could ultimately end up being limited to fewer than 70 total games. The Pistons added Markieff Morris to provide reliable depth behind Griffin, which something they didn't have last season.

Victor Oladipo (knee) resumed one-court work in June but his full recovery timetable remains murky. (Source: Scott Agness of the Athletic)

Fantasy Impact: Oladipo returned to Indianapolis last week to host his annual basketball camp, but he didn't offer much in terms of details on his rehab from a torn quad tendon. "I'm getting there," Oladipo told Agness. "I'm working my way there. You can't rush these things, you just got to take your time. At the end of the day, Rome wasn't built in one day." The expectation is that he will return sometime in December or January, but the team may handle his workload with caution. Oladipo averaged 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.7 steals in 36 games last season.

According to President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas, Robert Covington is "on course" for training camp. He underwent surgery in the last two weeks of the season, and was set to miss 4-6 weeks. Covington has had a tough history with knee problems, and Minnesota likely wants to be very cautious bringing him back into action. (Source: CBS Sports)

Fantasy Impact: Rosas additionally discussed that the Timberwolves intend to play Covington at power forward more often, where he will be tasked with guarding 1-4. His previous knee issues are concerning for his fantasy outlook, but with strong upside, Covington is a high-risk, high-reward pick in drafts.

Zach Collins was recently cleared for contact workouts, after sustaining an ankle injury last month. He is expected to be 100% for training camp. Collins has spent the off-season bulking up to 250 pounds, from 230 last season. (Source: The Athletic)

Fantasy Impact: Expected to be the starting power forward for Portland, Collins could be a sneaky late-round pick on draft day.

Ja Morant (knee) said he's back to 100 percent after undergoing minor knee surgery in June. (Source: Peter Edmiston on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Morant underwent a procedure on June 3rd to clean up his knee. The time recovery entailed only a three-to-four-week recovery period, but the Grizzlies opted to hold him out of summer league as a precaution. Morant is back at full strength and won't face any limitations when camp opens next month. Morant will be one of the top options for the Grizzlies, and could be in the mix as a top-50 overall pick in fantasy.

J.J. Barea (Achilles) said he expects to be ready for full participation in training camp. (Source: Tim MacMahon on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Barea tore his Achilles back in January, but he's apparently making strong progress, as training camp will mark roughly nine months since he underwent surgery. He figures to fill a reduced role off the bench after re-signing with the Mavs on a one-year, veteran's minimum deal. Barea averaged 10.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 0.6 steals in 38 games last season.