Just like Wednesday, where we had a smaller NBA slate but a lot of injuries to dissect, Friday’s six-game NBA slate is also full of injuries to keep an eye on with special interest in Golden St. and Oklahoma City. Status of players on those teams will shape lineup construction so find out who is suiting up and who is ruled out then consult the Matrix below to find the DFS values and pivots.
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 16
| Team | Player | Status | If OUT |
| Celtics | Marcus Smart | Out | Terry Rozier (minutes/usage)* Shane Larkin (minutes/usage) Guerschon Yabusele (minutes/usage) Jayson Tatum (usage)* |
| Celtics | Jaylen Brown | Out | Terry Rozier (minutes)* Shane Larkin (minutes) Guerschon Yabusele (minutes) Al Horford (usage)* Greg Monroe (usage) 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 | Daniel Theis | Out | Greg Monroe (minutes) Aron Baynes (minutes) Guershchon Tabusele (usage) |
| Celtics | Al Horford | Probable | Greg Monroe (minutes)* Aron Baynes (minutes/usage) Marcus Morris (usage)* Jayson Tatum (usage)* Terry Rozier (usage)* |
| Clippers | None | ||
| Heat | Josh Richardson | Doubtful | Justise Winslow (minutes/usage)* Wayne Ellington (minutes)* Goran Dragic (usage)* Bam Adebayo (usage)* |
| Heat | Hassan Whiteside | Out | Kelly Olynyk (minutes/usage)* Bam Adebayo (minutes)* James Johnson (minutes/usage)* Goran Dragic (usage)* |
| Heat | Dwyane Wade | Out | Tyler Johnson (minutes)* Wayne Ellington (minutes)* |
| Kings | Skal Labissiere | Questionable | Zach Randolph (minutes/usage) Kosta Koufos (minutes/usage) |
| Lakers | Kyle Kuzma | Questionable | Isaiah Thomas (minutes/usage)* Travis Wear (minutes) |
| Magic | Evan Fournier | Out | Mario Hezonja (minutes) Jonathan Simmons (minutes/usage)* Nikola Vucevic (usage) Aaron Gordon (usage) |
| Magic | Aaron Gordon | Questionable | Mario Hezonja (minutes) Jonathan Isaac (minutes) Jonathan Simmons (usage)* Nikola Vucevic (usage) |
| Mavericks | Wesley Matthews | Out | Doug McDermott (minutes) Yogi Ferrell (minutes/usage) Dirk Nowitzki (usage) Dwight Powell (usage) JJ Barea (usage) Harrison Barnes (usage) |
| Nets | Jarrett Allen | Probable | Dante Cunningham (minutes) Quincy Acy (minutes) D’Angelo Russell (usage)* |
| Nets | Allen Crabbe | Questionable | Joe Harris (minutes) Caris LeVert (minutes)* |
| Raptors | Norman Powell | Questionable | CJ Miles (minutes) Malcolm Miller (minutes) |
| Sixers | None | ||
| Thunder | Steven Adams | Questionable | Jerami Grant (minutes/usage)* Patrick Patterson (minutes)* Russell Westbrook (usage)* Paul George (usage)* Carmelo Anthony (usage)* |
| Thunder | Paul George | Questionable | Corey Brewer (minutes/usage)* Josh Huestis (minutes) Carmelo Anthony (minutes/usage)* Russell Westbrook (usage)* Steven Adams (usage) |
| Warriors | Stephen Curry | Out | Shaun Livingston (minutes/usage) Quinn Cook (minutes) Kevin Durant (usage)* Nick Young (usage)* Andre Iguodala (usage) |
| Warriors | Klay Thompson | Out | Nick Young (minutes/usage)* Quinn Cook (minutes/usage) Andre Iguodala (usage)* |
| Warriors | Jordan Bell | Probable | Kevon Looney (minutes) |
| Warriors | Draymond Green | Probable | Jordan Bell (minutes) Kevon Looney (minutes) Omri Casspi (minutes/usage)* Kevin Durant (usage)* JaVale McGee (usage) |
| Warriors | David West | Probable | Jordan Bell (minutes) Kevon Looney (minutes) |
| Warriors | Kevin Durant | Questionable | Andre Iguodala (minutes/usage)* Omri Casspi (minutes/usage)* Nick Young (usage)* |
