We’ve seen major injuries occur over the last week and there’s still time to find injury replacement players. In Basketball, an injury always impacts multiple players because of the change in the distribution of playing time and shots. Injuries also keep players who help with the intangibles on defense in the game longer. Playing time translates to points for your fantasy team. Take advantage of injured teams and always account for variable change.

OWNERSHIP PERCENTAGES: Yahoo! Sports

Ish Smith PG DET-37% Ownership: Reggie Jackson started the season hot and that’s kept Ish Smith in check, but with Jackson now out, Smith gets full usage for the next few weeks and he’s scored in double figures over his last four games and has grabbed four or more boards in four of his last five games. Smith is a better defender than Jackson and knows how to read and avoid screens at the top of the key. Smith scores a lot of his points at the elbow and takes advantage of the open lane. Smith doesn’t take too many three-pointers and has been compiling assists consistently. Smith has dished at least four assists in five of his last six games and the pace of the offense doesn’t slow down without Jackson in the lineup. Familiarity is key and for Smith, he’s a perfect injury-fill in and there’s still time to grab him. Expect more 30 plus minute games, double digit scoring efforts, steals (recorded one in two of his last three games) and he’ll grab boards.

Jordan Bell PF/C GSW-38% Ownership: The Warriors have not been the healthiest or most skilled up front. Draymond Green is a monster when it comes to protecting the paint, but the Warriors Center spot is suspect as Zaza Pachulia hasn’t been good this season and he’s been hurt as well. Bell has been playing steadily in the 20’s and he’s clearly shown improvement over the last couple of weeks. Bell has been very productive over the last week and with Pachulia activated, Bell should be able to keep his minutes consistent. Bell will get starts. Bell has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 3 of his last 4 games. He’s recorded steals in his last five games, blocks in five of his last six games and he’s even given owners an assist boost. The scoring will eventually improve, but because of the assist consistency we’ve seen, he’s more than just a defensive specialist and the trust in this Rookie will grow as the season continues and Draymond Green hasn’t been the healthiest.

Tyus Jones PG MIN-30% Ownership: With Jeff Teague sidelined for the next few weeks, Jones will be filling in for the most part and he’ll make quick passes, attack the rim and provide a scrappy defensive effort. In his first game since the Teague injury, he was given 35 minutes of playing time after playing consistently in the teens. Jones will grab boards and has grabbed four in his last two games. Jones also had a five-steal game and will grab steals consistently. This isn’t our first rodeo with touting Jones because he was an ideal injury-replacement fantasy option when Teague was dealing with Achilles soreness. Expect Jones to see open shots from the arc and he cuts to the rim nicely. He’ll give most defensive stats a boost for owners and his scoring will be match up dependant. The ‘Wolves have a lot more organization when it comes to shot distribution. If one of the other players are having an off night shooting, expect Jones to pick up more shots. Expect him to play consistently in the late 20’s-early 30’s.

Mason Plumlee PF/C DEN-29% Ownership: Need a defensive specialist playing consistently in the 20’s? Plumlee’s play allows Jokic to work more from the elbow and he and Trey Lyles have filled in nicely for the injured Paul Millsap. Plumlee will mainly help with boards and steals, but he recently had a five-block game and he’s been a bit more consistent in giving owners a minor assist boost. Despite averaging 5.7 rebounds per game for the season, Plumlee has grabbed eight or more boards in six of his last seven games. Plumlee will score in double figures every few games as he produces mainly from right under the basket. To Plumlee’s credit, he is good at attacking the rim with the ball without turning the ball over by committing offensive fouls in the lane. He’s a smart player and his consistency down low took out Kenneth Faried and sent him to the bench despite producing at a high level right when Millsap got hurt. Plumlee will bang in the post and he has good hands. When Jokic draws the double, he’ll be open on the low block.

T.J. McConnell PG PHI-12% Ownership: McConnell has shown a lot more aggressiveness on defense and he’s been rewarded with more playing time over the last two games. The Sixers are in a unique situation because of Ben Simmons playing the “Point Forward” and handling a lot of possessions himself. McConnell and even Jerryd Bayless are used more as off guards, but McConnell helps in other areas. On defense he plays with a ton of tenacity and has grabbed eight steals total over his last three games. McConnell has scored in double figures in three of his last five games and he’s even blocked shots in two of his last four games. McConnell see’s a lot of open looks from downtown and he’s even grabbed at least three boards over his last two games. The more scrappy he plays without fouling, the more late 20’s-early 30’s games we’ll see from him. He can also serve as a traditional Point Guard and has dished 4.8 assists per game. He does a bit of everything and can be trusted as a fantasy bench option.

Shabazz Napier PG POR-7% Ownership: When Lillard is hurt, Napier thrives and even though once Lillard can play pain free his minutes will take a hit, the Blazers can’t deny that the quickness he brings makes him a hard player to guard and he’s scored in double figures in his last five games and scored over 20 points in his last 2 games. Napier dished five assists in two of his last three games and at least three boards in his last three games. The defensive impact he’s made should keep his playing time in the 20’s even though he’s played over 30 minutes in his last three games. Napier hits three’s and will frequently look to drive the lane and draw contact. Napier is a big steals help as he’s swiped three balls in each of his last three games. Looking at it big picture, when Lillard is fully healthy, both he and C.J. McCollum provide most of the offense, but because the Blazers inside weapons don’t produce offensively and their mid-court can’t be trusted, Napier should be able to be the priority scorer in the second unit. The wave of production may be ending, but there’s still time to get on board and test Napier’s hot streak, even for the short term.

Jamal Crawford SG/SF MIN-16% Ownership: Even though Tyus Jones is the injury replacement player for Jeff Teague, Crawford is indirectly impacted because he’ll see more playing time and he can run the point for a few minutes thus he’ll see more shots. Crawford will give owners mainly a scoring boost and he’ll help owners compile three-pointers. Crawford has played over 20 minutes in 5 of his last 6 games and he’s scored in double figures in his last six games. Crawford will still mainly run with the second unit, but Teague getting hurt opens things up for him in the rotation a bit more. Crawford has been helpful with assists lately as he’s dished at least three dimes in four of his last five games. Crawford doesn’t need a lot of time to create his shot and has spent his entire career creating shots for himself on the ball. Crawford has also stolen the ball in two of his last three games. Expect mainly consistency in scoring and he’ll be a priority scorer in the ‘Wolves second unit, and view the steals and assists as an added bonus despite the recent consistency.

Reggie Bullock SG/SF DET-9% Ownership: Not only is Reggie Jackson hurt, but Avery Bradley is as well and Bullock has stood out over the last few weeks. He’ll mainly help with scoring and steals. Bullock has scored in double figures in six of his last seven games. Bullock has also seen playing time in the 20’s and 30’s over his last 8 games. Bullock is a reliable three-point shooter and because Andre Drummond and Tobias Harris command attention in the paint, the Pistons see a lot of open three-pointers. Bullock has also grabbed steals in seven of his last eight games including two three-steal games. Despite grabbing just 1.6 rebounds per game for the season, Bullock has grabbed at least three boards in three of his last five games. He’s clearly wowed the Pistons coaches enough to play deep into games and he’s been shooting at least six shots per game and due to the Pistons lack of backcourt depth, both Bullock and Ism Smith will continue to thrive.

Ed Davis PF/C POR-4% Ownership: If you’re getting crushed in rebounding, Davis has been dominant on the glass lately and has been playing over 20 minutes per game for the most part. Davis is a short-term solution and has grabbed at least seven boards in five of his last six games. He’ll occasionally help with blocks and steals and he’ll score in double figures every few games, but expect mainly defensive stats. Davis mainly produces from right under the basket and it’s not so easy to box him out. Noah Vonleh has been in and out of the lineup and Jusuf Nurkic has been inconsistent lately and that has given Davis a bit of a longer leash. The Blazers frontcourt struggles to provide consistent offensive efforts and it’s a revolving door regarding who gets more playing time on a given night, but Davis should be able to stay above the 20-minute threshold because of his consistent defensive effort.  

WILD CARD PICK UP: Josh Hart SG LAL-6% Ownership: At this time, we don’t know how much longer the Lakers will be without Lonzo Ball, but Hart has stepped up and scored in double figures in three of his last five games. Hart has also been a big help in the rebounding department over his last three games and he’s even provided owners a minor assist boost. He takes a good amount of long-range shots. Hart has also grabbed steals in four of his last five games he’s grabbed at least six rebounds over his last three games. Hart has seen at least 30 minutes of playing time per game over his last three games and he was still able to produce with Brandon Ingram back in the lineup. He’s been a nice compliment to Jordan Clarkson while Ball’s been out. As we await the status of Ball, take a look at Hart for points, boards and steals.