Fantasy Basketball Managers Excited by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Star-Studded Return vs Nuggets
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been cleared from injury, and he does so in star-studded fashion. The MVP will make his return in a Friday night matchup with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. The question is Gilgeous-Alexander: to what extent will he be productive in this game? Is he on a minutes limit? Is he 100%? Let's crunch the details and get to the bottom of it.
Fantasy Basketball Outlook
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been cleared to return after missing the last nine games due to an abdominal strain.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 26, 2026
He is not on OKC’s injury report for tomorrow’s game vs. Nuggets on ESPN and the ESPN App.
(Via @BannedMacMahon) pic.twitter.com/PlZ9BXOFhe
Gilgeous-Alexander has been dealing with an oblique strain. This drastically affects the core of the player, limiting his ability to twist and turn and make the simplest jump shot. With Gilgeous-Alexander getting the all-good, he should be able to play to his normal workload. However, he does provide for risk in fantasy basketball.
The MVP race is heating up, and Gilgeous-Alexander is the favorite to win the award. However, he must meet the 65-game minimum. By missing any further games, his MVP-winning status is pressed tighter and tighter. With his return tonight, he is well set to meet the number and take home the trophy for the second straight season.
It had been suggested that this MVP stipulation may have plaued a part in the return of Gilgeous-Alexander. That is likely fugezee, especially since he had more games to work with if he was truly still injured.
NBA teams tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to injuries. The Thunder do face a threat from the Spurs for the No. 1 overall seed. The Spurs went undefeated in February. However, this is also unlikely to be the reason for Gilgeous-Alexander's return.
With his active status, he should not expect to be at 100% productivity, but he can range of 70-90%. With that being said, he is obviously going to be started in fantasy basketball. He will not be started in NBA DFS, given the risk profile.
Oklahoma City Thunder Start 'Em, Sit 'Em
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Start (Reduced upside)
- Jalen Williams: Injured/Bench
- Ajay Mitchell: Bench
- Jared McCain: Bench
- Isaiah Joe: Bench
- Aaron Wiggins: Bench
- Cason Wallace: Longshot Start
- Lu Dort: Bench
- Kendrich Williams: Bench
- Chet Holmgren: Start
These are the only three Thunder players to consider starting tonight. As always, Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren are must-start items. Cason Wallace is on a tear lately, with 20 or more points in three consecutive games — a rare mark for a purely defensive player. He can be started as an upside play, truly depending on your roster at hand. Wallace's minutes will not go down with Gilgeous-Alexander back.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.