Tuesday’s eight-game NBA slate has a few spots to keep an eye on for injury news as we close in on tipoff. The main places to watch include the Pacers who have numerous players questionable and the status of Devin Booker which could both open up some value options along with additional usage for some of the top players on their team.
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 – Tuesday, January 8
| Team | Player | Status | If OUT |
| Cavaliers | Rodney Hood | Out | Alec Burks (minutes) Jordan Clarkson (minutes/usage)+ |
| Cavaliers | Matthew Dellavedova | Probable | Collin Sexton (minutes) Cameron Payne (minutes) |
| Clippers | None | ||
| Hawks | Miles Plumlee | Out | Alex Len (minutes) |
| Hawks | Dewayne Dedmon | Probable | Alex Len (minutes) Jeremy Lin (usage) |
| Hawks | Kevin Huerter | Questionable | DeAndre Bembry (minutes) Tyler Dorsey (minutes/usage) |
| Heat | None | ||
| Hornets | Cody Zeller | Out | Willy Hernangomez (minutes)+ Bismack Biyombo (minutes)+ Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (usage) |
| Hornets | Jeremy Lamb | Questionable | Devonte Graham (minutes) Malik Monk (minutes) Kemba Walker (usage) Bismack Biyombo (usage)+ Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (usage) Willy Hernangomez (usage)+ |
| Kings | Iman Shumpert | Questionable | Bogdan Bogdanovic (minutes/usage)+ Justin Jackson (minutes) De’Aaron Fox (usage)+ |
| Kings | Marvin Bagley | Questionable | Nemanja Bjelica (minutes/usage)+ |
| Knicks | Frank Ntilikina | Out | Trey Burke (minutes) |
| Nuggets | Gary Harris | Questionable | Malik Beasley (minutes/usage)+ Monte Morris (minutes/usage)+ Nikola Jokic (usage) |
| Pacers | Darren Collison | Questionable | Cory Joseph (minutes)+ Aaron Holiday (minutes) Tyreke Evans (minutes/usage)+ Victor Oladipo (usage)+ Domantas Sabonis (usage)+ |
| Pacers | Cory Joseph | Questionable | Darren Collison (minutes)+ Tyreke Evans (minues)+ Aaron Holiday (minutes) |
| Pacers | Myles Turner | Questionable | Domantas Sabonis (minutes/usage)+ Kyle O’Quinn (minutes)+ Victor Oladipo (usage)+ Tyreke Evans (usage) |
| Raptors | Kawhi Leonard | Probable | OG Anunoby (minutes) Norman Powell (minutes/usage)+ Kyle Lowry (usage)+ Serge Ibaka (usage)+ Danny Green (usage) Pascal Siakam (usage)+ |
| Sixers | Jimmy Butler | Probable | Furkan Korkmaz (minutes) Landry Shamet (minutes) Joel Embiid (usage)+ Ben Simmons (usage)+ |
| Sixers | Wilson Chandler | Probable | Jonah Bolden (minutes) Jimmy Butler (usage) |
| Sixers | Ben Simmons | Questionable | T.J. McConnell (minutes/usage)+ Joel Embiid (usage)+ |
| Suns | Devin Booker | Questionable | Josh Jackson (minutes)+ Troy Daniels (minutes) De’Anthony Melton (usage)+ Kelly Oubre (usage) DeAndre Ayton (usage) T.J. Warren (usage)+ |
| Thunder | None | ||
| Timberwolves | Robert Covington | Out | Josh Okogie (minutes) Anthony Tolliver (minutes) Jeff Teague (usage) Tyus Jones (usage) |
| Timberwolves | Derrick Rose | Out | Jeff Teague (minutes)+ Tyus Jones (minutes) Andrew Wiggins (usage)+ Josh Okogie (usage) Karl-Anthony Towns (usage) |
| Warriors | Shaun Livingston | Out | Quinn Cook (minutes/usage) |
| Wizards | None |
