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Christmas Eve means that the entire NBA is off for the first time since Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, one day isn’t enough to help with the recovery of some of the league’s most important players, leaving many fantasy managers to scour the waiver wire for help in the final days of Week 10. And while there are some key injuries, most notably Luka Dončić, other teams have already shifted into “injury management” mode, opening the door for some unheralded players to step up. Let’s look at some key injuries heading into the second half of Week 10.
G Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets
Thomas has not appeared in a game since straining his left hamstring on November 5, but he is progressing in his recovery. As of Sunday, the guard was cleared to resume 5-on-5 activities, and Thomas went through a session the day prior without any issues. There still isn’t a timeline for a return to game action, but Thomas’s presence on the floor affects multiple Nets.
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Terance Mann (three percent rostered, Yahoo!) may be the player most likely to move out of the starting lineup, even though he was a starter at the time of Thomas’ injury. That’s because of the development of rookie Egor Dëmin (eight percent), as it would clearly be in the Nets’ best interest to let him develop in his current starting role. Dëmin’s fantasy value remains relatively low, but he and Danny Wolf have been the Nets’ most promising rookies thus far.
C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte Hornets
Kalkbrenner has missed the last two games with an elbow injury. Mason Plumlee (less than one percent) started the December 22 loss to the Cavaliers, but he did not play in Tuesday’s win over the Wizards due to a groin injury. Moussa Diabaté (10 percent) received the starting nod, finishing with 12 points, 18 rebounds and one assist in 36 minutes. Even when he did not start against Cleveland, Diabaté was the superior streaming option with Kalkbrenner out. Behind him, the Hornets had to go small, with Tidjane Salaün (one percent) picking up additional minutes off the bench. Diabaté is the only player to consider if Kalkbrenner remains out.
