Fantasy Basketball 2020: Waiver-Wire Advice for Injured NBA Players After Feb 12

The latest injury news involving Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers could cause a rush to the fantasy basketball waiver wire.

The 29-year-old suffered a right groin strain that forced him out of the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo.

Even if Lillard feels better after the All-Star break, it is worth picking up his backups for a week or two to boost your fantasy basketball playoff push. Anfernee Simons and Gary Trent Jr. are the two best Portland bench options to choose from, and both are available in a majority of Yahoo leagues.

Lillard is not the only star dealing with an injury, as Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaylen Brown are among the players not at 100 percent.

While monitoring the status of those players, it is worth adding reinforcements on the waiver wire so your team does not suffer out of the All-Star layoff.

Waiver-Wire Pickups

Anfernee Simons and Gary Trent Jr., G, Portland

Steve Dykes/Associated Press

Depending on how long Lillard is out for, Simons and Trent could both benefit during his absence.

The Athletic's John Hollinger pointed out that Stephen Curry missed 11 games and LeBron James sat out for 17 contests with groin injuries last season. The good news for Lillard is he has a week off to recover, but if he continues to feel pain, rushing back from the injury won't be recommended.

Simons erupted for 22 points in Wednesday's defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies that pushed the Blazers four games back of the Western Conference's No. 8 seed. The 20-year-old has reached double digits in points in three of his past five games after going five straight contests with single-number totals.

Before producing back-to-back four-point showings, Trent racked up a string of four straight 10-plus-point outings, including a 22-point performance versus the Miami Heat Sunday.

If Lillard continues to deal with the groin injury, one, or both, of the guards could replace his production, starting with the February 21 clash against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Even if Lillard is healthy, the progress of Simons and Trent is worth monitoring as potential spot starters on some fantasy rosters. 

Jae Crowder, SF, Miami

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Jae Crowder is worth a waiver-wire pickup even if you are not rearranging your roster due to injuries.

Since he was traded to the Miami Heat before the deadline earlier in February, the 29-year-old small forward has eclipsed double digits on three straight occasions. The key to his success has been three-point shooting, as he has knocked down 12 of his 20 three-point attempts since coming over from the Memphis Grizzlies.

Crowder has also chipped in on the boards, after hauling in 11 rebounds as part of a double-double against the Trail Blazers Sunday. He is one of the players to monitor on the waiver wire who is healthier than Brown and others.

The Boston Celtics star banged up his left calf in a collision with another player's knee Tuesday, per NBC Sports Boston's A. Sherrod Blakely. Even if it is just a small knock, he may not be at 100 percent and could produce less than others at his position on certain nights.

Since Crowder is eligible as a power forward in Yahoo leagues, he could be a boost to fantasy frontcourt depth, especially for owners with Towns on their respective rosters.

The Minnesota Timberwolves man missed Wednesday's contest with the Charlotte Hornets because of a wrist injury, per the team's official website.

Even if injured players come back from the All-Star break with a clean bill of health, Crowder is worthy of a pickup because of his production in a short span with the Heat.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.