Is Kyrie Irving Playing Tonight? (Latest Injury Updates and News for Nets vs. Suns on Jan. 19)

The Brooklyn Nets are back in action Thursday night as they face the Phoenix Suns at 10 p.m. ET on TNT. One player's status to keep an eye on ahead of tip-off is Kyrie Irving, who missed Brooklyn's last game with a calf injury.

Kyrie Irving Injury Update (1/19/2023)

Update (4:15 p.m. ET): Irving says he will play on Thursday. Our original story follows below.

It seems like Kyrie's absence will be brief. He's listed as probable on Thursday's injury report, putting him on track to play against the Suns, barring any setbacks.

This is great news for the Nets, who are expected to be without Kevin Durant for the next month due to an MCL sprain he suffered on Jan. 8.

Durant's absence puts extra pressure on Irving to step up as Brooklyn's clear No. 1 option. He's averaging 19.5 points, 6.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds in two games since Durant went down, which just isn't enough for a team lacking legitimate scoring threats.

So far, the Nets have gone 0-3 after Durant's injury, and it'll be on Irving to help keep this team at the top of Eastern Conference standings. They've already dropped from the No. 2 seed to No. 4, and only .5 games separates them and No. 5 Cleveland right now.

Kyrie Irving Fantasy Outlook and Prop Bets Today

Expected to return from a one-game absence, oddsmakers think Irving will pick up right where he left off. He's set at over/unders of 29.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists, according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds. Acting as the leading playmaker with Durant out and facing a Suns team ravaged by injuries, I like Irving going over 5.5 dimes (-115) tonight.

Though Irving has failed to impress lately, he's still an intriguing FanDuel DFS play on Thursday at $9,200. The free reign he has as Brooklyn's clear-cut top option on offense is an extremely attractive position for fantasy that should lend itself to plenty of shots and playmaking. He's also taking on a Phoenix squad welcoming back Chris Paul and Cam Johnson back from extended absences, so they'll have rust to shake off. That should make this usually strong defense more vulnerable than usual, clearing the way for Irving to provide a solid return on investment.

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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