Another week, another list of key players who will miss time due to injury. Atlanta, Charlotte and New Orleans are among the teams forced to navigate the loss of key players, but some are better equipped to offer viable streaming alternatives than others. Let’s look at some of the key injuries at the halfway point of Week 3, starting with the Hawks’ star point guard.
G Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
Injured during the Hawks’ October 29 win over Brooklyn, Young will be re-evaluated in four weeks (from November 2) after suffering a sprained right MCL. Nickeil Alexander-Walker (37 percent rostered, Yahoo!) has moved into the starting lineup and is a suitable option for fantasy managers seeking a boost. While his fantasy value has remained low, he’s averaged 19.0 points and 32.7 minutes in the three games the Hawks have played since losing Young. Luke Kennard (eight percent) has seen his playing time increase, but only slightly. And in the Hawks’ last three games, he’s averaged 9.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 three-pointers.
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The player whose fantasy value has received the most significant boost with Young sidelined is Dyson Daniels (98 percent), who got off to a slow start. Over the last three, he’s averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals while shooting 70.6 percent from the field. Daniels and Jalen Johnson have, according to Basketball Monster, provided third-round value over the last three games. Managers who have either of those players rostered are in a good spot going into the back end of Week 3.
G LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Ball has missed the Hornets’ last two games with a right ankle impingement. That’s the same ankle that was operated on in the spring, ending the point guard’s 2024-25 season in late March. While Ball did go through pregame shootaround ahead of Tuesday’s loss to the Pelicans, one would imagine that the Hornets will exercise caution given the injury history.
Rookie Sion James (three percent) has moved into the starting lineup, with Collin Sexton (34 percent) shifting into the point guard role. In his two starts, James totaled 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, one steal, one block and four three-pointers, shooting 58.3 percent from the field. The rookie had his best performance of the season in Charlotte’s November 2 win over the Jazz, tallying 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and three three-pointers. What works against James and Sexton more than anything is the Hornets’ schedule: Week 3 is a two-game week, and the second game (Friday at Miami) is part of an 11-game slate.
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G Coby White, Chicago Bulls
Due to a calf injury, White has yet to appear in a game this season, and a status update was expected this week. Before Tuesday’s win over the 76ers, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said the hope is that White will be able to play in a couple of weeks. While he has progressed to sprinting and cutting, he still has not played 5-on-5.
Tre Jones (32 percent) has filled in admirably, providing fifth-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats. He’s shooting well from the field and the foul line while averaging 11.6 points, 5.7 assists, and 2.3 steals in 29.4 minutes per game. However, the player whose value may have received the most significant boost is Josh Giddey (100 percent), who has been a top-20 player in eight-cat formats. He recorded his second triple-double of the season on Tuesday and is shooting nearly 42 percent from three on 4.4 attempts per game. This version of Giddey is the one many fantasy managers hoped to see earlier in his career. The question: Should managers sell high on Giddey or hold onto him?
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G Darius Garland, G Sam Merrill and C Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers
Garland could make his season debut on Wednesday when the Cavaliers host Philadelphia. While it was reported on Tuesday that he would play, the point guard was still listed as questionable on the team injury report at the time of publishing. And Garland isn’t the only starter on the mend, as Merrill’s hot start was derailed by a hip injury that has sidelined him for the last three games. Last but not least is Allen, who has missed the previous two games with a non-displaced fracture of his left ring finger. Like Garland and Merrill, he is also listed as questionable for Tuesday night.
The most recent replacements in the starting lineup were Jaylon Tyson (five percent), De’Andre Hunter (30 percent) and Larry Nance Jr. (less than one percent). Despite shooting 38.4 percent from the field and offering limited defensive stats, Hunter is ranked just outside the top-100 in eight-cat formats. Tyson is a few rounds behind him, while Nance’s 1-of-9 night against the Hawks on Sunday did not inspire anyone to grab him off the waiver wire before the start of Week 3. Hunter may have some staying power if Garland and Merrill play this week, but he shouldn’t be considered a “must-hold.”
F Tobias Harris, Detroit Pistons
Harris sprained his right ankle during the Pistons’ November 1 win over the Mavericks in Mexico City, missing the November 3 win over Memphis as a result. And it was “Beef Stew time” in Detroit, as Isaiah Stewart (22 percent) put up 26 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two three-pointers in 34 minutes. Harris is questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Jazz, but it’s worth considering whether Stewart should be rostered in more leagues regardless of Harris’ availability. Through seven games, he has been a top-100 player despite serving as Jalen Duren’s backup on most nights, thanks in part to an average of 2.3 blocks per game.
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G Stephen Curry and F Jimmy Butler, Golden State Warriors
Curry has been playing through an illness recently, and after Tuesday’s win over the Suns, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said the guard will not play Wednesday against the Kings. We’ll see what Curry’s status is for Golden State’s final two games of the week, Friday at Denver and Sunday against the Pacers in San Francisco. However, Butler’s status is more concerning, as he has been dealing with a lower back injury and played only 14 minutes on Tuesday.
He’s officially questionable for Wednesday, but it isn’t easy to envision Butler playing the second game of a back-to-back after not returning for the second half of the previous game. Moses Moody (five percent) started the second half and finished with a season-high 24 points. He and Brandin Podziemski (40 percent) are worth streaming for Wednesday’s game, and Moody may have added value for the rest of Week 3, depending on Butler’s status.
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Kuminga is showing signs of growth to begin the season while Raptors center Jakob Poeltl has struggled out of the gate.
G Quenton Jackson, Indiana Pacers
The Pacers can’t buy a break when it comes to injuries. Jackson is the most recent guard to go down, as he strained his right hamstring during Monday’s loss to Milwaukee. While the Pacers have not provided a definitive timeline, hamstring injuries are ones that teams generally exercise caution with. There aren’t any appealing options among the Pacers who could be moved into the starting lineup, including Ben Sheppard (three percent). But this is a time to go “all-in” on Jarace Walker (17 percent) and Aaron Nesmith (27 percent), even if their current fantasy values aren’t all that impressive. Also, center Isaiah Jackson (17 percent) has played well recently and is worth a look, despite the inconsistency concerns.
F Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers
Following Friday’s win over the Pelicans, Leonard said he was not restricted in any way and planned on playing both games of the Clippers’ Monday/Tuesday back-to-back to begin Week 3. Unfortunately, he sprained his left ankle in the fourth quarter of Monday’s loss to the Heat, which led to Leonard not playing in Tuesday’s loss to the Thunder. Bradley Beal (74 percent) was also held out of the matchup with the reigning champs, but that was due to knee injury management.
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Kris Dunn (four percent) and Nicolas Batum (less than one percent) moved into the starting lineup on Tuesday, but neither offered much in the way of streaming value. Derrick Jones Jr. (seven percent), who has been a fixture in the starting lineup, is worth a look in deep leagues, especially if Leonard’s ankle injury limits his availability for the Clippers’ final two games of Week 3 (at Phoenix on Thursday, host Phoenix on Saturday).
G Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
While Luka DonÄić was removed from the Lakers’ injury report after sitting out Monday’s win over the Trail Blazers – the team’s second game in as many nights – Reaves was not. He’s questionable for Wednesday’s matchup with the Spurs due to a sore right groin. His availability impacts Jake LaRavia (31 percent), who logged 36 minutes on Monday and finished with 11 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals. Even if Reaves can play against San Antonio, LaRavia is worth holding onto, at least until LeBron James can return from his case of sciatica.
F Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
On Tuesday, the Pelicans announced that Williamson would be re-evaluated in 7-10 days after suffering a low-grade left hamstring strain. New Orleans was also without starting center Yves Missi for Tuesday’s win over the Hornets, leading to Jordan Poole (94 percent) and Kevon Looney (one percent) moving into the starting lineup. Poole isn’t available in most leagues, and there isn’t much to be gained from rostering Looney. But could this be a time when rookie Derik Queen becomes more valuable?
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While he only played 18 minutes against the Hornets, Queen and fellow reserves Jose Alvarado (one percent) and Saddiq Bey (two percent) gave New Orleans a much-needed boost. The Pelicans can’t afford to punt on this season, especially after trading their 2026 first-round pick to move up and draft Queen. But, they also can’t afford not to play him rotation minutes. There may not be much to gain from rostering Queen in the short term, but keep an eye on him in the Pelicans’ final two games of Week 3.
G Jalen Green and F Dillon Brooks, Phoenix Suns
Green may be closing in on a return to the court, as he has played 5-on-5 as recently as Tuesday morning ahead of the Suns’ loss to the Warriors. Could Thursday’s game against the Clippers be in play for the guard to make his Suns debut? If so, one would imagine that Green’s minutes will be restricted due to the amount of time missed. His availability impacts Grayson Allen (34 percent) the most, and managers who have Allen rostered should not drop him immediately.
Phoenix is also waiting on Brooks, who has missed the last five games with a core muscle strain. Royce O’Neale (25 percent) has been effective as his replacement in the starting lineup, providing top-75 value in eight-cat formats (as has Allen). He’s another player to hold onto until Brooks is on the court and able to play without restrictions.
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G Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
Harper injured his left calf during Sunday’s loss to Phoenix, with the rookie leaving the arena on crutches while wearing a walking boot. He’s expected to miss multiple weeks, leaving the Spurs down another rotation guard with De’Aaron Fox still recovering from a hamstring injury. Is there anyone worth targeting behind starters Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell? No. Jordan McLaughlin (less than one percent) played 19 minutes off the bench on Sunday, but that isn’t enough time to impact fantasy basketball, and his upside is minimal.
San Antonio’s overall depth could be boosted soon, as Jeremy Sochan, Kelly Olynyk and Lindy Waters III are all questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Lakers. However, none are likely to get the run needed to impact fantasy basketball immediately.
C Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz
Kessler has missed Utah’s last two games with left shoulder bursitis and will miss at least two more, as the team sent him home early for further evaluation. Utah ends its four-game road trip with games against Detroit (Wednesday) and Minnesota (Friday), then begins Week 4 with a Monday/Tuesday home back-to-back against the Timberwolves and Pacers. The concern is that Kessler also dealt with left shoulder bursitis during the preseason, missing all but one exhibition.
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Jusuf Nurkić (11 percent) has started the last two games, totaling 14 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, two steals and one blocked shot. While the scoring can be inconsistent, the rebounding production is what makes Nurkić an appealing streamer for Utah’s final two games of Week 3. Also, Isaiah Collier (hamstring) was available for Monday’s win over the Celtics but did not play, possibly a byproduct of how well Keyonte George (63 percent) has played to start the season. Walter Clayton Jr. (two percent) will likely take the more significant hit to his playing time once Collier begins to play in games.
F Khris Middleton, Washington Wizards
Wednesday’s game against the Celtics will be Middleton’s second missed game, this one due to a sore right knee. Justin Champagnie (less than one percent) started Monday’s loss to the Knicks, finishing with four points, one rebound and one assist in 17 minutes. Rookie Tre Johnson (12 percent) played 21 minutes off the bench and was reasonably productive, tallying 10 points, four rebounds, one assist, one block and two three-pointers. He’s a better streaming option than Champagnie, especially for fantasy managers who have the room to consider holding onto Johnson for the long haul once Middleton is cleared to return.
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