Five Injured Players to Target in December

Here are five players that have been injured to start the season, but are expected to return within the next few weeks. These players are available in a number of leagues and are worth stashing now because they can provide a nice boost to your team once they're healthy.

1. Andrew Bynum (83% owned): The Lakers badly want to limit Pau Gasol's playing time so he can be fresh for a run at a third straight championship. Once Bynum returns to 100%, he should see around the 30 minutes he saw last season and he'll be a great source of points, field goal percentage, rebounds, and blocks. Andrew is expected to return in mid-December.
2. Mike Miller (32% owned): When Miller returns, he should take over the production Miami is getting from James Jones and Eddie House. He'll play a sixth man role and find himself closing out games alongside the Big Three. Miller is mainly known for his three-point shooting, but he's also a solid source of rebounds, assists, and percentages. He's expected to return in early-mid January.
3. Mehmet Okur (10% owned): Okur is on the verge of returning from an Achilles injury suffered during last year's playoffs. Okur is a big man who can spread the floor with his three-point shooting while also contributing a few rebounds. Okur's numbers will likely be down from previous seasons because he's expected to play a bench role this year behind Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. Still, he should provide enough to warrant a roster spot in standard formats. Okur has been practicing with his Jazz teammates since late November and should return within the next couple of weeks, though no official return date has been set.
4. Jonny Flynn (15% owned): Flynn's recovery has taken longer than anticipated, but he's on the verge of returning in about two weeks. Flynn is currently in the middle of a rehab stint with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League, so he's obviously healthy enough to play. His value when he returns, though, is up in the air. While we expect him to eventually regain his starting point guard spot, he may have to split minutes with Luke Ridnour, limiting his value. Still, he's worth picking up in standard leagues if you're in need of help at the point guard position.
5. Josh Howard (9% owned): Howard has endured a couple of injury-plagued seasons recently and hasn't been able to return to his All Star form. Still, we feel he'll be motivated upon his return because he'll be playing for a new contract this offseason. If Howard is able to display anything close the scoring ability he displayed in his best years, he should be able to move into the starting line up and be a decent contributor to most fantasy squads. He should be back in early-mid January.