NBA's Injury Wave Hits Durant's Rockets as Stars Drop in Week 1
Less than two weeks into 2026-27, soft-tissue injuries have gutted rosters. Ben Simmons is out for the year; Kon Knueppel hasn't played a game.
KD's healthy and producing now — cash in before the Rockets' load creeps up.
- Ben Simmons out for season (torn Achilles)
- Kon Knueppel yet to debut (hamstring)
- Durant: 38.3 FPTS/G over 5 games, 2026-27
- VanVleet back post-ACL: 32.2 FPTS/G, 4 games
- Udoka's Rockets had only 3 preseason games
We're not even two weeks into the 2026-27 season and the injury report already reads like a midseason disaster. Star after star has gone down — broken legs, hamstring strains, Achilles tears — in a stretch Rockets coach Ime Udoka flatly called unprecedented this early. Ben Simmons tore his Achilles in the preseason and is done for the year. Kon Knueppel, our #6 overall and #2 at guard coming in, strained his hamstring and still hasn't logged a minute.
Kevin Durant, who's seen this movie before, doesn't have a clean answer either. Asked in Milwaukee why so many bodies are breaking down, the Rockets forward admitted he wishes he knew the science behind it. He ran through the usual suspects — faster pace, more possessions, the 82-game grind — but landed on a shrug. Durant missed the entire 2019-20 season to his own Achilles tear, so the toll isn't abstract to him.
Why Everyone's Guessing
The theories are piling up faster than the MRIs. Steve Kerr's long argued the season's too long. Rick Carlisle keeps pointing at how much faster the game moves. Udoka and Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins both flagged shortened training camps and thinner preseason schedules — Houston played just three exhibitions, and not everyone suited up for all of them. Bucks legend Marques Johnson blamed the modern style itself: the hard Eurosteps, the deceleration stops, the year-round reps that he figures eventually make muscles and tendons wave the white flag.
Fred VanVleet, now president of the players' association, takes a bleaker view. He told reporters there's no real prevention — this is where the entire sporting world is, not just basketball. VanVleet knows the cost personally; he missed all of last season with a torn ACL and is back producing 32.2 fantasy points per game over four outings in 2026-27. His pitch isn't about stopping injuries, it's about resources: pour more science and money into player health and let the NBA lead on it.
The Fantasy Fallout
For managers, this is a scramble week dressed up as a crisis. Simmons is a straight cut in most formats — he averaged just 20.6 fantasy points per game across 51 games in 2024-25 and now won't play at all. Knueppel is the real sting: a top-10 preseason asset who's a frustrating stash until that hamstring clears, so hold if you have the bench room and monitor his debut timeline closely.
Durant and VanVleet are both healthy and producing right now, and that's exactly the point. KD's putting up 38.3 fantasy points per game over five games (2026-27), and in a league where even the durable guys are dropping, I'd quietly float him in trade talks — sell high while the bill of health is clean. VanVleet, fresh off his ACL, is a decent hold but not a guy you lean on for 70 games. In this environment, prioritize load and durability over ceiling. Depth is the whole game now.
