Fantasy Basketball Week 17 Injury Report, Part 2: Kyrie Irving's done for the season

The news many expected eventually came to pass on Wednesday, when the Dallas Mavericks announced that Kyrie Irving will not play this season. He suffered a torn ACL last March and had not played since. With the Mavericks likely headed back to the draft lottery and having already traded Anthony Davis, strengthening the team's draft lottery odds became the priority.

Regarding the fantasy impact of Irving's absence, not much changes regarding potential targets. Brandon Williams (11 percent rostered, Yahoo!) has had moments of fantasy relevance this season, but he has not been consistent enough to merit being trusted in most fantasy leagues. Ryan Nembhard (one percent) remains on a two-way deal, and with the Mavericks adding Tyus Jones (two percent) at the trade deadline, it appears unlikely that the rookie is shifted onto a standard deal anytime soon.

If anything, managers who have Cooper Flagg (99 percent) rostered will hope that the Rookie of the Year candidate spends even more time on the ball the rest of the season. And with him being the franchise cornerstone, it would be unsurprising if that were the case. Let's look at some other key injuries ahead of the resumption of Week 17 in fantasy basketball.

F Jonathan Kuminga, Atlanta Hawks

Due to a bone bruise in his left knee suffered while with the Warriors, Kuminga has not made his Hawks debut. And those who are holding onto him will have to wait a bit longer for that to happen, with the Hawks announcing on Wednesday that Kuminga (20 percent) will be re-evaluated in one week.

Given the lack of game time in Atlanta, Kuminga's continued absence doesn't change anything within the rotation. CJ McCollum (61 percent) remains Atlanta's top offensive option off the bench, with Corey Kispert (one percent) and Jock Landale (10 percent) also logging consistent minutes.

C Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets

Having missed the Nets' final game before the All-Star break, Claxton will remain out for Thursday's game against the Cavaliers with a sprained right ankle. The Nets are another team prioritizing its draft lottery odds the rest of the way, which means we should see a lot of Day'Ron Sharpe (18 percent). Not only is he worth streaming in the short term, but Sharpe is a player worth holding onto even after Claxton is deemed healthy enough to play. Danny Wolf (three percent) is another Nets post player whose opportunities will increase, though he has been affected more by Michael Porter Jr. (97 percent) than by Claxton in terms of availability.

G Stephen Curry and F/C Kristaps Porziņǵis, Golden State Warriors

Unfortunately, only one of these two is on track to play on Thursday against the Celtics. While Porziņǵis felt good after scrimmaging on Wednesday and is expected to be under a minutes restriction against his former team, Curry did not practice and will remain out. His continued absence means that Gui Santos (16 percent) remains a relevant streaming option in deep leagues, and fantasy managers can also look into Moses Moody (18 percent) and De'Anthony Melton (10 percent).

As for Porziņǵis, the minutes limit, whatever it may be, likely tempers his fantasy impact in his first few games as a Warrior. While there shouldn't be much of a change for Al Horford (six percent) regarding his playing time, Quinten Post (one percent) may take another hit after seeing his minutes decrease in the lead-up to the All-Star break.

F Obi Toppin and C Ivica Zubac, Indiana Pacers

The good news is that Toppin and Zubac are making "steady but gradual progress" in their respective recoveries, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after Tuesday's practice. However, for both players, it will be "a while" before they're healthy enough to play. Zubac, acquired from the Clippers at the trade deadline, has yet to make his Pacers' debut. And with the team headed for the draft lottery and needing to hold onto its first-round pick (the Clippers get the pick if it lands between five and nine), we may not see much of Zubac once he is healthy enough to play.

The continued absences of Zubac and Toppin mean that Jay Huff (21 percent) remains a player worth rostering. Beyond him, there's Jarace Walker (21 percent), especially on nights when Pascal Siakam isn't available. Micah Potter (two percent) is only worth the risk if the Pacers lose Huff to an injury.

G Darius Garland, LA Clippers

Garland is another player yet to debut for his new team, with the point guard still recovering from a toe injury suffered while with the Cavaliers. He was a limited participant in Tuesday's practice, not taking part in the "live" portions. According to Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, Garland "felt good" after the practice.

However, he remains without a return timeline, leaving the Clippers to rely on Kris Dunn (nine percent) to run the show. While Dunn playing a position of need makes him worth a look in deep redraft leagues, he is not a must-stream player.

G Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers won't play their first post-break game until Friday against the Clippers, and all signs point toward Dončić being available. He played briefly during Sunday's All-Star Game; that wouldn't have happened if the Lakers weren't confident in their star guard's strained left hamstring. Dončić has yet to come off the bench in a game this season, so his return may push Rui Hachimura (14 percent) to the bench.

Also worth watching are Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton, with the latter missing the Lakers' last two games before the break. Jaxson Hayes (two percent) served as the starting center in those games, offering modest streaming value. As for Reaves, his minutes restriction led the Lakers to bring him off the bench in his first few games back from a strained calf. If Reaves moves back into the starting lineup on Friday, Marcus Smart (eight percent) will likely head to the bench.

G Ja Morant and G/F Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Memphis Grizzlies

Due to a UCL strain in his left elbow, Morant has been out since January 21. On Wednesday, the Grizzlies announced that he'll be re-evaluated in another two weeks. The question: how much will Morant play the rest of this season, especially with the Grizzlies clearly pivoting to a rebuild? Ty Jerome (35 percent) is the best option for fantasy managers, while Cam Spencer (17 percent) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (eight percent) are options for managers in deeper leagues who missed out on Jerome.

As for Caldwell-Pope, he will undergo surgery on Thursday to address the misalignment of his right pinky finger, after which a return timeline will be provided. His production did not affect fantasy basketball when healthy, so this news won't move the needle. However, KCP being out should create more opportunities for Taylor Hendricks (two percent), who recorded a double-double in Memphis' February 9 loss to the Warriors.

G Tyler Herro, Miami Heat

Due to a rib injury, Herro has not appeared in a game since January 15. That could change soon, as the plan is for him to participate in Thursday's practice. If all goes well, Herro could be back on the floor "in the coming days." Simone Fontecchio (two percent) and Myron Gardner (less than one percent) saw their opportunities increase in Herro's absence. Still, neither has been consistent enough to be anything more than a deep-league streamer.

F Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

While Antetokounmpo said this past weekend that he felt 100 percent as he continues to recover from a strained right calf, the Bucks have not offered a concrete return timeline. While Bobby Portis (37 percent) and Kyle Kuzma (24 percent) have been the most consistent streaming options in Giannis' absence, another option emerged after the trade deadline. Ousmane Dieng (eight percent) played well in wins over Orlando and Oklahoma City ahead of the All-Star break, and he may have added value if the Bucks were to fall off the pace in the race for a play-in spot.

Milwaukee went into the break tied in the loss column with tenth-place Atlanta, and the Bucks have three games in hand. Staying close while Giannis recovers is certainly within the realm of possibility, especially when considering the bottom half of the Eastern Conference. Regardless of what happens, Dieng's skill set may continue to prove useful to the Bucks. At a minimum, his start in Milwaukee is an encouraging development for dynasty league managers.

G/F Terrence Shannon Jr., Minnesota Timberwolves

Shannon has been out since Christmas with a sprained left foot, but he may be closing in on a return to action. The Timberwolves' wing was recently recalled from the G League, another step in the right direction regarding his health. In Minnesota's last game before the break, they effectively went with a seven-man rotation, with eighth man Bones Hyland (three percent) logging nine minutes.

Shannon and Mike Conley, who is being re-signed after being traded twice at the deadline and then waived, will offer increased depth. However, neither player will be worth the risk in most fantasy leagues. The concern for some fantasy managers is what those returns will mean for Ayo Dosunmu (31 percent), who logged 25, 30 and 28 minutes in his first three games with the team.

F Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic

Wagner's return from a high left ankle sprain has been a struggle, as he's appeared in four games since the December 7 injury. His most recent outing was Orlando's February 11 loss to the Bucks, with the Magic forward looking like a shell of himself in 21 minutes on the floor. On Wednesday, the Magic announced that Wagner will miss at least three weeks as he continues to recover from the ankle injury. Fantasy managers will hope that he'll be a full go for the playoff weeks in default leagues, at a minimum. As for whose fantasy value is affected the most with Wagner back on the sideline, Anthony Black (55 percent) remains a player who needs to be rostered in 12-team leagues.

C Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Embiid missed Philadelphia's final two games before the All-Star break due to a sore right knee, and he will also miss Thursday's game against the Hawks. Andre Drummond (four percent) has been the replacement in the starting lineup on most nights, but that was not the case for the February 11 loss to the Knicks. Adem Bona (one percent) received the starting nod, with Drummond playing 11 minutes off the bench. Drummond offers a higher fantasy ceiling due to his rebounding ability, but both players are challenging to trust in most fantasy leagues.

G/F Zach LaVine, C Domantas Sabonis and F Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings

The good news for the Kings is that Murray will be available for Thursday's game against the Magic, his first since January 4. Given the time missed and the Kings' position in the draft lottery, it would be surprising if Murray's minutes weren't restricted. Precious Achiuwa (two percent) was the starting power forward on most nights when Murray wasn't available, but he wasn't consistent enough to merit streaming. And due to injuries at the center position, the Kings may need Precious to spend more time at the five than the four.

Speaking of centers, Sabonis has undergone surgery to repair his partially torn left meniscus and is out for the rest of the season. Add in Dylan Cardwell's sprained ankle, which will cost him at least four weeks, and that leaves Maxime Raynaud (23 percent) as a player who has to be rostered in 12-team leagues. Unfortunately for the Kings, Sabonis isn't the only player ruled out for the rest of the season. LaVine's right hand injury will sideline him, meaning that fantasy managers will see a lot of Nique Clifford (16 percent) the rest of the way. Devin Carter (four percent) is someone to watch if Russell Westbrook's minutes are reduced or he's unavailable.

C Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards

Due to a strained right hamstring suffered just before the All-Star break, Sarr will be re-evaluated at the end of February. In their final pre-break game, the Wizards employed a starting lineup that lacked a traditional center, with Jamir Watkins (one percent) logging 29 minutes. The Wizards were also without Tristan Vukčević (four percent) for that game; he is off the injury report for Washington's February 19 game against the Pacers. Rolling the dice on either player wouldn't be the best choice for fantasy managers; there will likely be better options among the non-Wizards players on the waiver wire.