Is Donovan Mitchell Playing Tonight? (Latest Injury Updates and News for Cavaliers vs. Thunder on Jan. 27)

The Cleveland Cavaliers are back in action Friday night as they face the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT. One player's status to keep an eye on ahead of tip-off is Donovan Mitchell, who missed Cleveland's last game with a groin injury.

Donovan Mitchell Injury Update (1/27/2023)

Mitchell appears to be in danger of missing Friday's contest. After he returned from a three-game absence on Tuesday, the All-Star guard was then out on Thursday. That seems to indicate Mitchell wasn't feeling 100% after taking the floor again, which could lead to another stint on the bench.

Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said last week the team will continue to be cautious with the guard and make sure he's healthy before getting full clearance. Bickerstaff noted this type of injury is notoriously sensitive, with one "wrong move" being enough to aggravate it again.

Given Mitchell was in the lineup and then back out again, that may be exactly what happened. The Cavs certainly won't risking making things any worse for their star, so it'd be no surprise if Mitchell is inactive once again.

Cleveland will feel Mitchell's absence if he's ruled out. The offseason trade acquisition has been even better than anticipated in his first year as a Cav, averaging a career-high 28.3 points per game, plus 4.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds.

Darius Garland and Caris LeVert would see heightened roles on Friday should Mitchell sit this one out.

Donovan Mitchell Fantasy Outlook and Prop Bets Today

Mitchell isn't currently listed with any props available, according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds, which is another sign his status is in jeopardy. Meanwhile, this Cavs-Thunder matchup is projected at total of 223.5 points with equal -110 odds on the over and under. With Mitchell likely sidelined, this contest will be missing a huge source of offensive firepower. Cleveland also boasts one of the league's best defenses, so this unit could lead a low-scoring win without its star, making the under attractive here.

Assuming Mitchell sits, Caris LeVert would be an excellent value play in FanDuel DFS tonight. LeVert's averages balloon to 18.2 PPG, 4.9 APG and 4.2 RPG -- up from his season-long numbers of 12.7 / 3.7 / 3.9 -- when Mitchell is inactive this season. LeVert has averaged 32.1 FanDuel fantasy points over the last four games Mitchell has missed, making him a steal at a meager $5,400 price tag tonight.

Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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