The NBA is entering a crucial phase where the top franchises already have their eyes on the playoffs. However, it’s also a time of year when injuries start mounting up. How is that affecting fans and even those players who enjoy picking fantasy teams?
What Is This Season’s Injury Crisis About?
Stars like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid have been forced to miss big chunks of the regular season due to injuries. In particular, hamstrings and ACL injuries have caused havoc in many rosters this year. This NBA report on currently injured players shows how many teams are affected, with the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers among those struggling to deal with setbacks.
A study in the National Library of Medicine points out that shooting guards tend to have the highest injury rates, with centers and point guards after them. Forbes say injuries are up this year, with calf strains in particular taking out a number of players. It’s no surprise to see that injuries are most common during the most hectic part of the season, with players already tired or carrying knocks from earlier in the year but unable to get a rest.
Some of the most serious injuries have ruled the affected players out for the rest of the season, which is a tough blow for those teams with serious title aspirations. It’s also hugely frustrating for the fans, who pay their money to watch the best players on the court and hope to see their favorites reach the Finals in style.
How This Affects Fantasy Sports Fans
Perhaps the most frustrating moment for fans is when they see that a player they picked for their fantasy selection doesn’t even play a game. If they’re forced to leave the game early due to a sprained ankle or some other soft tissue problem, this can be another major problem. The good news is that the social-first DFS app named Dabble uses a more interactive style as well as a community approach. From a run down of this Dabble promo code, we can see that using a promo code lets you get started with a bonus, meaning that you can explore the leagues and features without risking your own funds. When picking a player, you can discover how they performed in the last five games for a particular category, letting you see at a glance if injury appears to be hampering them.
What Else to Look Out For
There are certain red flags that will make you wonder whether the player you plan to pick may be about to run into injury problems. If they’ve recently returned from a soft-tissue injury, this is a worry, since this kind of injury tends to be recurring during the season. The head coach might also limit their time on the court if they’re being eased back into the team.
However, this also gives you an opportunity, as one player being missing from a game means that someone else gets an unexpected chance to shine. If you see that a team’s star player isn’t going to be playing, you might ask yourself who is going to step into their shoes and perhaps get more impressive statistics than would otherwise be the case.
There is no doubt that injuries are wreaking havoc in the 2025/26 NBA season. While this is annoying and concerning for everyone, there are some good reasons to believe that fantasy sports fans can avoid this spate of injuries from derailing their attempts to win a prize.
