Nets' Spencer Dinwiddie's Fantasy Outlook After Kyrie Irving's Injury
The Brooklyn Nets announced point guard Kyrie Irving is out for his team's road game against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday with a right shoulder impingement.
Per Kane Pitman of NBA.com, "The severity of the injury is unknown, though Irving has been wearing tape on his shoulder for the last stretch of games."
Brian Lewis of the New York Post cited WebMD when describing the injury.
"The condition occurs when there is impingement of tendons or bursa in the shoulder from the bones of the shoulder," Lewis wrote.
"The website also states overhead activity of the shoulder is a risk factor, which would include things like shooting."
The Nets' schedule is jam-packed with eight games left in November, so if Irving is forced to miss more action, then the Nets must make do for some time without their scoring and assists leader.
It's unlikely any replacement will replicate Irving's 28.5 points and 7.2 assists in the starting lineup, but sixth man Spencer Dinwiddie figures to see extra minutes now. He was announced as the team's starter at point guard for the Bulls game.
The productive guard is second on the Nets with 17.1 points and 4.6 assists per game despite playing just 26.1 minutes on average.
Irving plays 33.8 minutes per evening, so that court time has to go somewhere. Dinwiddie should be the primary beneficiary and play 30-plus minutes a night at minimum.
The 26-year-old is likely unavailable in most season-long leagues, as his current production makes him a solid option off the fantasy bench.
However, consider starting him if Irving misses more games, and take a look at rostering him in daily fantasy as well.
Daily sites will likely have adjusted Dinwiddie's salary by Monday, when the Nets play next against the Indiana Pacers at home following the Bulls game.
Still, four of the Nets' five games after Saturday are against teams 15th or worse in defensive efficiency, per ESPN.com.
Ultimately, Dinwiddie will see a massive usage bump with Irving off the floor: Per RotoGrinders' Court IQ tool, Dinwiddie's usage rises 5.1 percent when he's not sharing the court with the Nets star. He also averages 0.1 more fantasy points per minute in his absence as well.
Dinwiddie should have every opportunity to stuff the stat sheet, and the same goes for Caris LeVert, whose usage rises 7.6 percent sans Irving.
In sum, Dinwiddie is a must-start in season-long leagues and a great option in daily contests until Irving returns.
