Week 5 of the fantasy basketball season brings some good news on the injury front: Damian Lillard is nearing a comeback. Sidelined for three games due to the league’s concussion protocols, he is considered probable for Monday’s game against the Rockets. Filling the void left by a player who provides top-20 value per game in 8- and 9-cat formats is never easy, especially when his team lacks solid streaming options. In the three games Lillard missed, the Bucks started Ryan Rollins (who has a shoulder injury) once and Delon Wright twice.

In games against the Pistons and Hornets, Wright shot 3-of-14 from the field and produced seven points, seven rebounds, 14 assists, three steals and three blocked shots. He enters Week 5 in the top 1% of Yahoo leagues, and it’s down one percentage point in the last 24 hours (at press time). Either way, managers looking to account for Lillard’s absence had to look to other rosters to find a replacement. The good news is that that fantasy nightmare is coming to an end. Here are some more critical injuries/player absences that will affect how Week 5 is approached in fantasy basketball.

Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

For personal reasons, the Nuggets have been without the three-time MVP for the past two games, losses at New Orleans and Memphis. Dario Šarić (1% listed) stepped into the starting lineup, contributing 19 points, 18 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and three three-pointers. He finished Sunday’s loss to the Grizzlies with his first double-double of the season and has been a top-100 player for the past week (Denver has only played twice). The Nuggets wrap up their current road trip in Memphis on Tuesday, so it’s fair to wonder if they’ll wait until Friday’s home game against Dallas for Jokić’s return. If so, this could be a two-game week for the reigning MVP.

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Dončić sat out Sunday’s win over the Thunder with a right knee contusion, prompting Quentin Grimes (2%) to step into the starting lineup. Grimes played 21 minutes, finishing with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists and two three-pointers. More influenced by Dončić’s absence was PJ Washington (68%), who returned to the starting lineup in the second game following a knee injury. With more freedom to score, he went for 27 points, 17 rebounds, two assists, a block and three 3-pointers in the win, playing 28 minutes. Dallas hosts New Orleans on Tuesday and then doesn’t play until Friday at Denver. Grimes is likely only a look in deeper fantasy leagues if Dončić remains on the sidelines, while Washington’s value in shallow leagues would increase.

Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

Towns returned to the court Sunday night after sitting out Friday’s win over the Nets with a bruised left knee. Although he was productive, he landed hard on his back during the third quarter of Sunday’s 114-104 win. Towns stayed in the game then, but trailed with 7:20 to go in the fourth and never came back (the Knicks were in control at that point). While he looked good after Sunday’s game, how Towns’ body responds on Monday will be something to watch as the Knicks host the Wizards. Jericho Sims (< 1%) and Ariel Hukporti (< 1%) handled the center responsibilities on Friday, with the latter being more productive, but neither sparking much fantasy fantasy. New York plays three games in Week 5, finishing with road games against the Suns (Wednesday) and Jazz (Saturday).

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Curry, who missed three games in late October with an ankle injury, is questionable for Monday’s game against the Clippers with bursitis in his left knee. The Warriors have used various options to fill the gap in the three games he has missed. Buddy Hield (64%) made one start, as did Lindy Waters III (< 1%), while Brandin Podziemski (61%) made three. Waters and De'Anthony Melton are currently out with knee injuries, so they won't be among Steve Kerr's options if Curry can't play on Monday. Podziemski, who seemed to be on his way out as a league-standard option, is back on the radar, while Hield should be the preferred option if he's available on your league's waiver wire.

Jimmy Butler and Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat

Butler has missed Miami’s last four games since spraining his right ankle in a Nov. 8 loss to the Nuggets. Jaquez, one of the players asked to fill the void, injured his left ankle during Sunday’s loss to the Pacers. Haywood Highsmith (3%) started all four games Butler missed, averaging 7.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 2.3 steals, 0.5 blocks and 1 .0 3-pointers in 29.0 minutes. The heist production was phenomenal, but there wasn’t much to write home about. Sunday’s game was the first of a back-to-back, and Butler was initially questionable before being ruled out. After Monday’s game against Philadelphia, the Heat won’t play again until Sunday against Dallas. Regardless of what happens to Butler when one of his former teams arrives in Miami, there isn’t a streamer worth it during the Heat’s two-game week.

Deandre Ayton, Portland Trail Blazers

Ayton has been sidelined for Portland’s last three games with a sprained right index finger. Rookie Donovan Clingan (29%) started all three, averaging 9.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 4.0 blocks in 24.8 minutes. The rebounds, blocks and percentages (57.9% FG, 100% FT) stand out from the rookie starter’s tenure, and Clingan will have added value later in the season. Robert Williams (27%) also played well against the Timberwolves (Nov. 12) and Hawks (Nov. 17), sitting out the Nov. 13 rematch with Minnesota due to injury management. While Clingan is not restricted in any way, Week 5 will likely be a two-game week for the Time Lord as Portland hosts Houston on Friday and Saturday.

Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz

With right hip bursitis, Kessler has missed Utah’s last four games. John Collins (90%) entered the starting lineup, and a good start to the season was made even better for the eighth-year forward. In those starts, he averaged 21.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.5 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.0 3-pointers in 33.3 minutes, shooting 56.9% from the field and 100% from the foul line. Drew Eubanks (1%) has played 16 or 17 minutes in Utah’s last three games, but hasn’t been productive enough to warrant consideration. The Jazz play three games in Week 5, starting with the Lakers on Tuesday. It’s worth noting that according to Cleaning the Glass, Kessler and Collins have only shared the floor for 110 possessions this season. So sustaining his recent level of production may be difficult once the 7-footer is cleared to return.

Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics

Holiday sat out Saturday’s overtime win over the Raptors with a knee problem, his absence coinciding with Al Horford’s return. As a result, the Celtics went big, keeping Neemias Queta (3%) in the top five. In two starts (one for Horford and one for Holiday), Queta produced 20 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots, shooting 10-of-12 from the field. While he has given the Celtics good minutes in that role, this remains a spot where fantasy managers would be better off looking for Payton Pritchard (45%) on their waiver wire. Boston has three games on the Week 5 schedule, starting with the undefeated Cavaliers on Tuesday.

Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets

On Friday, it was announced that Claxton will receive an epidural to treat a back strain and will be out for at least a week. Ben Simmons (27%) returned to the starting lineup and had four points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists, one steal and one blocked shot in two losses to the Knicks. We’ve been down this road with Simmons before, and that doesn’t even touch on his availability concerns. Dorian Finney-Smith (15%), who played well in both games against the Knicks, would be a better bet to take while Claxton sits. The Nets play three games this week, ending with back-to-back Sunday/Monday road trips against the Kings and Warriors.

Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards

Coulibaly took an elbow to the face during Sunday’s loss to the Pistons, exiting during the fourth quarter. After the game, Wizards coach Brian Keefe said the second-year wing was checked out as a precaution, so fantasy managers should expect Coulibaly to be questionable for Monday’s game against the Knicks. Malcolm Brogdon (20%) played 22 minutes off the bench in his season debut, while rookies Kyshawn George (16%) and Corey Kispert (7%) are other players capable of filling the void if Coulibaly misses time. After Monday, the Wizards don’t play again until Friday night against the Celtics and close out Week 5 against the Pacers on Sunday.

Rui Hachimura and Cam Reddish, Los Angeles Lakers

Hachimura has missed the Lakers’ last two games with a sprained right ankle, while Reddish sat out Saturday’s win over the Pelicans with a right fibula strain. Max Christie (< 1%) started for Reddish on Saturday, but he's not the player fantasy managers Lakers fans are talking about right now. That would be rookie Dalton Knecht (20%), who has scored 14 points or more in three straight games (starting the last two for Hachimura). Saturday's performance was outstanding, with Knecht recording 27 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and five triples in 37 minutes. Clearly, the Lakers believe in him, and Knecht has returned the faith. He might be worth holding on to even after Hachimura is cleared to return because of the offensive production the rookie is providing. The Lakers play three games at home in Week 5, starting with the Jazz on Tuesday.

Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies rookie sprained his left ankle twice during Sunday’s win over the Nuggets, the second instance ending his night during the third quarter. Edey has come off the bench in Memphis’ last five games, with Brandon Clarke (2%) making four starts and Jay Huff (9%) making one. Is it worth the risk as a streamer? Huff has reached double figures in four of his last six games, but has only reached 20 minutes once in that span. Memphis will play three games in Week 5, starting with a Tuesday/Wednesday home back-to-back against the Nuggets and 76ers.