The year 2024 will conclude during Week 10, and the games are well-distributed. Each day will have a minimum of six games, with Wednesday (eight games), Friday (nine), and Saturday (nine) being the busiest. And there are a lot of injuries for fantasy managers to consider when putting together their lineups for each day. Let’s look at some key injuries, trades, and suspensions that will impact Week 10 in fantasy basketball.
PG/SG Luka Doncic and SG/SF Naji Marshall, Dallas Mavericks
Doncic and Marshall are listed together because the latter was supposed to help pick up the slack when Dallas lost its star point guard to a strained calf. Unfortunately, Marshall was suspended four games for his role in a fight with Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic (PJ Washington was suspended one game). As a result, Marshall will not be available for any of Dallas’ games during Week 10, with Washington eligible for Monday’s game against Sacramento. With Doncic out for at least one month, fantasy managers can hold onto suitable streaming options.
Spencer Dinwiddie (19%, Yahoo) and Quentin Grimes (19%) will have added value, while standard league managers will hope that Doncic’s absence results in more opportunities for Washington (78%) and Klay Thompson (77%). Marshall (5%), who had a run of four straight games of 20 points or more in late November with Doncic out of the lineup, will be back on the streaming radar for Week 11, but he can’t help any fantasy managers right now.
PF/C Kristaps Porzingis and PG/SG Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics
Porzingis suffered a sprained ankle during Boston’s Christmas Day loss to the 76ers and has missed the last two games. Also of note is the status of Holiday, who has missed the previous three games with a shoulder injury. Al Horford (36%) starts whenever one of Boston’s starters isn’t available, and Sam Hauser (3%) joined him in the lineup for both of the Celtics’ games against the Pacers.
Before seeking out Hauser or Horford, fantasy managers must ensure Payton Pritchard (54%) is not sitting on their waiver wire. He should be the primary target with Porzingis and Holiday out, and Pritchard will have value even after they return. And with Boston’s four-game Week 10 slate including a back-to-back, Horford will likely be available for only three games (which may also be the case for Porzingis and Holiday if they play against Toronto on Tuesday).
SF/PF Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Leonard’s reported target date for a return to the court is January 4, with the Clippers hosting the Atlanta Hawks. There are three games on the team’s Week 10 schedule before that, but there aren’t many suitable options on the waiver wire. Kris Dunn (7%) has been a fixture in the starting lineup, but fantasy managers are better off looking elsewhere than relying on a player barely holding onto top-150 status in 9-cat formats. The bigger question will be how Leonard’s return impacts the values of James Harden, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac. Harden’s efficiency can certainly use a boost, while Leonard’s presence will likely cut into Powell and Zubac’s usage rates.
PG/SG Jordan Poole, Washington Wizards
After suffering a hip contusion during Thursday’s win over the Hornets, Poole did not play in Saturday’s overtime loss to the Knicks. He’s considered questionable for Monday’s rematch, the first of four games the Wizards will play during Week 10. Malcolm Brogdon (28%) started on Saturday and will be worth streaming if Poole cannot play on Monday, and Kyle Kuzma has been removed from the injury report after missing 12 games with a rib injury. He’ll help Washington offensively, even with his underwhelming numbers for the season.
Kuzma’s return impacts Justin Champagnie (16%) the most, but we’re approaching the point where the Wizards could be even more intentional about getting their young players additional minutes. Alexandre Sarr (46%) and Bilal Coulibaly (56%) are already fixtures in the starting lineup, while Bub Carrington (6%) and Kyshawn George (2%) are playing credible rotation minutes whether they start or come off the bench. The young players may have limited value now, but they’re worth watching before the “silly season.”
SF/PF Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
Due to a stomach illness and the need to get his conditioning up to par, Butler has missed Miami’s last five games. The Heat begin a three-game Week 10 at home against the Pelicans on Wednesday, which may be when Butler returns to action. His status has added importance after Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier were ejected from Sunday’s win over the Rockets due to their roles in a fight between Herro and Amen Thompson. The league should have its say by Monday, giving fantasy managers time to pivot if anyone is suspended.
The issue: none of Miami’s current wings have genuinely separated themselves in Butler’s absence. Nikola Jovic (5%) was excellent in Houston but has been inconsistent, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. (21%), Duncan Robinson (14%), and Haywood Highsmith (4%) have also had that issue. Robinson did not play on Sunday due to right foot inflammation, and his 3-point shooting may make him the “safest” option when healthy. Jovic’s play against the Rockets may qualify him as having the “hot hand,” but this is not an excellent streaming spot.
PG Ja Morant and PF/C Santi Aldama, Memphis Grizzlies
Morant and Aldama were the most impactful (from a fantasy standpoint) players among those who did not play in Sunday’s loss to the Thunder. Morant injured his shoulder during Friday’s win over the Pelicans, while Aldama sprained his ankle in the game prior. Add in Marcus Smart’s finger injury and Zach Edey landing in the league’s concussion protocol, and Memphis could be without at least four rotation players during their three-game Week 10. Making matters worse is the fact that the slate ends with a Friday/Saturday road back-to-back against the Kings and Warriors.
Whenever Morat sits, Scotty Pippen Jr. (34%) is on the fantasy radar. He didn’t play well against Oklahoma City, but few teams have this season. John Konchar (
PG/SG Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic
Add Suggs’ name to the list of injured Magic players, as he sprained his right wrist during Sunday’s win over the Nets. The hero was Cole Anthony (4%), whose runner with a second remaining capped Orlando’s 22-4 run to end the game. Anthony played all 17 of his minutes in the second half, and he should be back in the rotation (at a minimum) if Suggs misses time. However, a better target on waiver wires may be Tristan da Silva (9%), ranked just outside the top 100 in 8-cat formats over the past week. He’s been in the starting lineup since December 8, and that may remain the case for the rookie forward until Paolo Banchero returns from his oblique injury. Da Silva scored a career-high 21 points on Sunday and has accounted for at least 15 in five of his last seven games.
SF/PF Cameron Johnson and PG D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets
Already shorthanded due to injuries and the trade that sent Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the Lakers in exchange for Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks, the Nets lost Johnson to a hip injury during Sunday’s loss to Orlando. With Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroder gone, keeping Johnson healthy may be just as much about his trade value as it is about the medical staff doing what it’s supposed to do. Noah Clowney (17%) is well-positioned to benefit from DFS’s departure, even though he didn’t offer great value on Sunday, while Jalen Wilson (2%) and Keon Johnson (13%) are players to be mindful of if Cameron misses time.
The other question: what are the Nets’ plans for Russell? There’s a need for a point guard on this roster, but that could also be used to evaluate further Cam Thomas’ ability to make plays for others. He returned from a hamstring injury on Sunday and played 25 minutes off the bench in his first action since November 25. The Russell question also impacts Ben Simmons (32%), who has been the primary playmaker since the Schroder trade (when available). Russell can provide fantasy value if given a prominent role, but we’ll have to see what head executive Sean Marks’ plans are.
SF/PF Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
It’s time to get concerned if you have Eason rostered. Sunday’s game against the Heat was the sixth in a row he has missed due to what has been labeled as lower left leg injury management. However, the same leg limited him to 24 games last season, and a benign growth was removed during an early March surgery. Cam Whitmore (10%) has played rotation minutes with Eason sidelined, but he only logged 12 off the bench on Sunday due to the return of Dillon Brooks (21%). Brooks hasn’t been a great fantasy option, but he may be worth the risk in deep leagues if Eason’s injury becomes a long-term issue.
SF/PF Jerami Grant and SF/PF Toumani Camara, Portland Trail Blazers
Camara sat out Portland’s most recent game, a win over the Mavericks on Saturday, while Grant suffered a facial injury. Both are questionable for Monday’s game against Philadelphia, the first of three games Portland will play in Week 10. Deni Avdija (65%) replaced Camara in the starting lineup and has been one of Portland’s better fantasy options, especially in 8-cat formats.
And while he doesn’t play the same position as any of these wings, Scoot Henderson (27%) has provided 10th-round value over the last two weeks, and he plays good minutes off the bench despite backing up Anfernee Simons. Unlike last season, fantasy managers who roster Scoot for “silly season” may not take as big of a hit efficiency-wise, as the second-year point guard is making positive strides.
PG/SG/SF Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago Bulls
Rostered in 36% of Yahoo leagues, Dosunmu has provided top 40 value in 9-cat formats over the past month. Unfortunately, he has missed Chicago’s last two games with a right soleus injury and will likely sit out Monday’s game against the Hornets. That’s the first of three games the Bulls play during Week 10, and there aren’t any great streaming options, either. Patrick Williams (12%) has been starting since Josh Giddey sprained his ankle, and Dosunmu’s injury has kept him in that role despite Giddey returning over the weekend. Williams has been a top 100 player over the past two weeks, so there may be something to gain from striking while the iron is hot. However, he’s rarely been a dependable fantasy option, making this a “buyer beware” situation.
C Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks
Lively missed Dallas’ last two games with a hip injury and is questionable for Monday’s game against Sacramento. His absence has resulted in more minutes for Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell, who aren’t worth the risk regardless of league size. The other beneficiary has been Daniel Gafford, who played 29 and 28 minutes in the two games Lively missed. Averaging 20.7 minutes per game on the season, that’s a big deal for a player rostered in 76% of Yahoo leagues. If Lively remains out for the start of Week 10, shallow league managers should not hesitate to add Gafford if he’s sitting on their league’s waiver wire.
C Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans
Missi took a hard fall during Friday’s loss to the Grizzlies, the most recent game New Orleans has played. He’s considered questionable for Monday’s matchup with the Clippers, the first of four games the Pelicans play during Week 10. Should deep league managers even consider streaming Daniel Theis (
PG/SG Keyonte George and PF/C John Collins, Utah Jazz
Since suffering a sprained ankle during Utah’s December 19 win over the Pistons, George has missed four straight games and is questionable for Monday’s game against the Nuggets. Most recently, Jordan Clarkson (34%) started Saturday’s loss to Philadelphia in his first game back from plantar fasciitis, pushing Isaiah Collier to the bench. Clarkson will be worth a look in deep leagues if George remains sidelined, and Collin Sexton (84%) has benefitted from having the ball in his hands more. Over the past week, Sexton has provided 6th-round value in 9-cat formats.
As for Collins, a hip injury has sidelined him for Utah’s last three games. Svi Mykhailiuk (2%) started the first two and Cody Williams (
SF/PF Royce O’Neale and C Jusuf Nurkic, Phoenix Suns
The Suns are already without Devin Booker, and O’Neale suffered a sprained ankle during Saturday’s loss to the Warriors. While he isn’t the best fantasy asset, O’Neale has been a solid contributor this season, especially when one of Phoenix’s “big three” is unavailable. Add in Grayson Allen (concussion), and the Suns could be without three rotation perimeter players when they host the Grizzlies on Tuesday. Ryan Dunn (1%) started against the Warriors and had a productive game, as did Josh Okogie (
The situation is slightly different for Nurkic, as he has to serve the final two games of his three-game suspension. We know he isn’t playing, which places Mason Plumlee (2%) and Oso Ighodaro (
