Brooklyn Nets Roster
- Eastern Atlantic
- Stadium
- Barclays Center
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (knee) will miss at least a month. The former MVP sustained a sprained left MCL during Saturday's win over New Orleans, and he will now be on the shelf for four-to-six weeks. The 33-year-old has played well this year, averaging 29.3 points, 7.4 boards, and 5.8 assists. However, his workload has been a concern, so he may see a slight reduction in minutes upon his return in an attempt to preserve him for the postseason. Nonetheless, with Joe Harris (ankle) out as well, James Harden and Kyrie Irving will likely be the top producers moving ahead, although guys like Bruce Brown, DeAndre' Bembry, and Kessler Edwards could also benefit.
Brooklyn Nets center LaMarcus Aldridge (foot) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) is also sidelined, so the Nets are going to be shorthanded in the front court. Aldridge will miss his fifth straight game here and can be dropped in most fantasy formats at this point. Day'Ron Sharpe and Blake Griffin should be asked to pick up the slack. Sharpe is the better fantasy option between the two right now. He could be worth a look as a streaming option with the Nets being shorthanded.
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (personal) won't be available for Saturday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Irving is ineligible to play home games due to his vaccination status. There are rumors that Irving could become a full-time player soon, but who knows when that will happen. Until then, James Harden and Kevin Durant will run the show while Irving is sidelined. Also, Patty Mills should see a boost in value with Irving unavailable for Saturday. Both Harden and Durant should be popular DFS options for Saturday's slate.
Brooklyn Nets center Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) has been ruled out for Thursday's game vs. the Thunder due to a sore left hamstring. It marks the second consecutive absence for Claxton, paving the way for Dayron Sharpe -- who dropped 20 points Wednesday -- to make another start at the five. Claxton had developed a fantasy relevant offensive rhythm prior to the injury, scoring in double figures in nine of his last 11 games. Shooting 65.6 percent overall and pitching in 1.2 blocks on a nightly basis, Claxton is worth a look in season-long formats due to his hold on top center duties when healthy. His next chance to suit up comes Saturday against New Orleans.
Brooklyn Nets power forward Kevin Durant (rest) and point/shooting guard Patty Mills (rest) will be held out of Thursday's contest against the Thunder due to rest purposes. Durant, the league's leading scorer at 29.7 points per game, has been on a scoring tear as of late, having dropped at least 24 points in each of his last 17 outings. The absence of Mills marks his first of the year, paving the way for Cameron Thomas to see a larger role, and thereby higher DFS exposure. James Harden should garner enormous DFS appeal as well with Kyrie Irving (vaccination status) unavailable. Fantasy managers can anticipate Durant and Mills to return for Saturday's game vs. New Orleans.