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Our guide gives you a gander at top fantasy candidates to rebound from injuries, and what fantasy managers need to know before drafting them.<\/p>\n
Top Injury Bounce-Back CandidatesSanti Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies)![\"Santi](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/751d0bca9213138131518a0fb4ac9c24.jpeg\"\/)
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Santi Aldama\u2019s knee recovery positions him for increased usage and multi-category production in Memphis rotation.\u00a9 Petre Thomas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
(\u00a9 Petre Thomas-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
The Spaniard was a multi-cat savior on an injury-riddled Grizzlies roster in 2025-26. In fact, Aldama set career-highs as one of Memphis\u2019s best scorers (14.0 PPG) and rebounders (6.7 RPG) before needing season-ending surgery <\/a>on his right knee. He will be a key part of the Grizzlies’ rotation if he makes a full recovery ahead of the 2026-27 season, which would ensure big minutes and high usage in fantasy leagues.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Jaren Jackson Jr. (Utah Jazz) Jaren Jackson Jr.\u2019s return combines efficient scoring with defensive stats, boosting category league reliability post-injury.\u00a9 Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

<\/p>\n (\u00a9 Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

)<\/p>\n JJJ led the Grizzlies<\/a> in points, blocks, and steals even after he was traded to the Jazz in February. His debut in Utah was cut short, but he has already resumed individual on-court workouts<\/a> and should return in 2026-27. Jackson is an efficient shooter (47.6% from the field) and adds value in category leagues with blocks (1.4 BPG) and steals (1.1 SPG).<\/p>\n Anthony Black (Orlando Magic) Anthony Black\u2019s recovery supports starter-level minutes with balanced production across assists, steals, scoring, and threes.\u00a9 Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

<\/p>\n (\u00a9 Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

)<\/p>\n While injuries didn\u2019t completely derail Black\u2019s season, an abdominal strain<\/a> sidelined him in early March when his team (and fantasy managers, for that matter) needed him the most. He\u2019s a fantasy asset in points, 3-pointers, assists, and steals, and was averaging over 30 minutes per game. Black\u2019s two-way play could make him a starter in 2026-27 if he\u2019s healthy.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets) LaMelo Ball\u2019s healthy return unlocks elite playmaking, three-point volume, and high-usage fantasy production across categories.Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images<\/p>\n (Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n You probably noticed Athlon is high on Ball<\/a> to have a big impact in 2026-27. Recurring ankle injuries have hurt his fantasy stock, but Ball is so productive on the court that there are high expectations for the future. He is an efficient shooter who adds 3-point shooting and has one of the best assist averages in the league, making him fantasy gold when he\u2019s healthy.<\/p>\n Strategies for Evaluating Injured Players for 2026-27<\/p>\n The con of drafting a player coming off an injury is not knowing how quickly they can return to form. The pro, however, is that managers can draft them at a bargain before injuries dent their ADPs.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Smart fantasy managers should target these players in middle fantasy draft rounds (rounds 4-7) as complementary pieces to early-round superstars. Monitor offseason workouts, summer league, and preseason play before locking in your final draft decisions.<\/p>\n Conclusion: Comeback Kids<\/p>\n Post-injury outlooks are already in full swing for the 2026-27 season, and these players are already set to come back strong and boost your fantasy roster. Grab them now before ADP rises, and watch them boost your roster with proven production and propel you to a fantasy basketball title run.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n People Want To Know More About These Bounce-Back Candidates<\/p>\n Who are the top fantasy basketball post-injury bounce-back candidates for 2026-27? Is Santi Aldama a fantasy basketball bounce-back in 2026-27? What is Jaren Jackson Jr.\u2019s fantasy outlook for 2026-27? Advertisement<\/p>\n What is Anthony Black\u2019s fantasy outlook for 2026-27? What is LaMelo Ball\u2019s fantasy outlook for 2026-27? When should I target post-injury bounce-back candidates in fantasy basketball? This story was originally published by Athlon Sports<\/a> on Mar 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the Fantasy<\/a> section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bumps and bruises frequently befall professional sports, and there\u2019s still no bigger bummer than an injury upending your…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":690815,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3724],"tags":[1130,7,473,2825,7210,6684,966,177,76,1185,427],"class_list":["post-690814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-anthony-black","tag-basketball","tag-charlotte-hornets","tag-fantasy-basketball","tag-fantasy-leagues","tag-jaren-jackson","tag-lamelo-ball","tag-memphis-grizzlies","tag-orlando-magic","tag-santi-aldama","tag-utah-jazz"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116326425496065431","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/690814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=690814"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/690814\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/690815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=690814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=690814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=690814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Jaren](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6f9c9b708ef6b9eb407c6a8fbc3c99a1.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Anthony](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6a2a81d2ff1f4403f951fb8f9170c1f7.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"LaMelo](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/9d2a315a5dd94f1d839c80b65969611f.jpeg\"\/)
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Santi Aldama, Jaren Jackson Jr<\/a>., Anthony Black, and LaMelo Ball lead the list.<\/p>\n
Yes, after knee surgery, he projects for strong scoring and rebounding with increased opportunity.<\/p>\n
He offers efficient scoring with blocks and steals, making him valuable in category formats.<\/p>\n
If healthy, he contributes across points, assists, steals, and threes with starter-level minutes potential.<\/p>\n
Ankle recovery could restore elite assists, scoring, and three-point production over a full season.<\/p>\n
Middle rounds provide optimal value before ADP rises as health and roles stabilize.<\/p>\n