This NBA season has been very busy especially with the injury department. There have been injuries before and during this season. Prior to the NBA even starting, Paul George suffered a gruesome injury while playing for Team USA. This prompted a much needed debate whether International play was important enough to risk the chances that NBA stars could be overplaying. Because of George’s injury, Kevin Durant decided to opt out of Team USA to prevent any harm done to him. However, Durant suffered a different injury in the early stages, which saved him headaches in the future. He would be out for 6-8 weeks with a foot fracture as the Thunder were also without Russell Westbrook.

In any sport, you will find that there is a huge possibility for injuries to occur. They can happen because the body is taking on too much impact or it can occur in a freak accident. Nonetheless, teams need to be able to use their remaining players to fill the void. There are a few players who are benefiting from injuries to their teammates and there are some who will begin to see an uptick in their usage.

One player in particular that should see his usage go up is Luol Deng. Deng has been known to be able to play all the minutes given to him and now that the Heat are scarce in their roster, he should be shifted to a much bigger role. Bosh and McRoberts are both out for an extended period, while Andersen and Wade aren’t the healthiest of teammates. The Heat will look for Deng to produce more for them so that they can compete in the East. Wade, Chalmers and Cole should all improve on their numbers also, but Deng should see the biggest boost. Deng is capable of playing the 3 or 4 and with the Heat low on big men; they might consider using him at the power forward position.

Another recent injury is with Robin Lopez of the Portland Trailblazers. Though Lillard and Aldridge are the team’s two star players, the surrounding cast of Matthews, Batum, and Lopez are a crucial part of their success. Lopez is key in their defensive strategy as he is able to bang with the bigs and defend the rim. He is also able to score around the rim and shoot well for a big man. Lopez does it all on the court and is a big reason why the Blazers are so successful in the West. Aldridge definitely cannot anchor the defense the way Lopez does so it is important to note how crucial Lopez is to this team. Now that he is going to be out for close to a month, Kaman should see a boost in minutes. Kaman is a veteran center who is capable of producing similar numbers as Lopez. In fact, he can score better than Lopez, but they may not need him to. Kaman should see an uptick in points, rebounds, assists and blocks and could be a good plug and play player until Lopez comes back. Do not hesitate to grab him off the waivers if you’re looking for a center who can give you great percentages from the field and the charity stripe. Hand fractures are really tricky injuries and can even last longer than the anticipated 4 weeks.

If you want to win your fantasy league then take advantage of recent injuries that will benefit another player on that team. It is important to note the possible return date and the type of injury the player is facing prior to dropping them or picking up a new player. There is also the option of stashing players if your team is considerably deep or if your league has an IR spot. Before making any hash decisions, make sure you look at every angle possible.