Status updates: Kobe Bryant expects to play on Friday, but his status will be officially determined after morning shootaround .. Celtics on Friday: neither Ray Allen nor Rajon Rondo traveled with the team to Atlanta and both are out .. Kyrie Irving had no problems playing 20 minutes on Wednesday. Byron Scott said he may see more minutes Friday, but also that he might not play in all five of the Cavs' remaining games .. Eric Gordon is likely to play on Thursday .. Nicolas Batum (quad) lasted just 15 minutes on Wednesday (1-6 FG) and it's possible that he won't play in the Blazers' final three games .. Amar'e Stoudemire's status for Friday's game will be determined after morning shootaround .. Luke Ridnour could return from his ankle injury on Sunday .. Kevin Martin was active but did not play for the second consecutive game on Monday. If he plays Thursday, it will likely only be on a situational basis .. Wilson Chandler is officially out for the season and facing up to five months of

He doesn't want to commit, you can forget that bit (US Presswire)

When we launched the Closing Time blog at the start of the 2008 season, we made it clear that we wouldn't turn this exercise into nightly ambulance chasing. Sure, we need to keep track of the injury and DL status of key players, we accept that — but the focus has always been to try to help you deal with your injuries as opposed to simply reciting long-winded injury disclosures that really don't lead to anything actionable.

With that theme in mind, we've spent Thursday morning trying to help you deal with the glut of outfield injuries that have rocked the roto landscape. Jacoby Ellsbury (shoulder) went down last Friday, Chris Young (shoulder) and Brett Gardner (elbow) landed on the DL Wednesday, and Justin Upton (thumb) remains in limbo. You need fresh outfielders to fill in for these chaps (or for other slumping hitters), and we're here to help.

Make the jump below and you'll find a variety of outfielders to consider, names you can grab in many (if not most) standard leagues. You can also mosey on over to the Outfielder Shuffle Up, fresh out of the oven, if you want to see how the entire outfield is priced. Your waiver-wire and trading success is our reward.

Get this Melancon guy for the Home Run Derby (US Presswire)

It didn't take long for the roto gods to start taking shots at our outfielders. Get well soon, Jacoby Ellsbury. You're breaking my heart, Chris Young (you had "this year's Granderson" written all over you). We'll miss your speed (and your handy defense), Brett Gardner. With the disabled list cranking things up, this seemed like the natural position to attack as we start the serious in-season shuffling.

Below you'll find how I price the outfielders for the rest of the roto season. What's happened to this point is merely an audition; I'm trying to set up a list that would make sense if I had a fresh draft or auction tonight. Don't obsess over the prices here; what matters is how the players relate to one another. And assume a 5x5 scoring system, as always.

You won't find Ellsbury, Young or Gardner listed after the jump, by the way. I've found out through the years that it's pointless to price the DLed players in this exercise, for two simple reasons. First and foremost, I tend to be more pessimistic when it comes to injured players - much to the chagrin of anyone who owns that hurt player in question. Maybe you're convinced that your favorite player will return ahead of schedule, but it's not my hamstring, it's not my franchise, and it's not my decision to make. Remember the debates we had on Kendrys Morales last summer, or Andre Johnson last fall? Rather than fight off the owners at the wishing well, I'll simply let you make your own guesstimates on when the handicapped hero will return.

And we also have to consider that the value of an injured star varies greatly from league to league. Some formats use DL slots, some don't. Some leagues have deep benches, some don't. Some pools make it easy to dip into the free-agent market, while others limit the experience in one way or another. One size does not fit all, so I won't try to force it.

Status updates: Both Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will be rested on Wednesday night .. Kevin Love says he wants to try to play in the season's final two games. He'll begin post-concussion testing on Wednesday .. Kobe Bryant (shin) is likely out again on Wednesday .. Both Derrick Rose (foot) and Luol Deng (ribs) and officially game-time decisions Wednesday, but neither is expected to play versus the Bobcats .. It's finally official: Stephen Curry still isn't 100 percent and isn't expected to play again this season .. Nets on Wednesday: Deron Williams (calf) is out, Gerald Wallace (hamstring) is a game-time decision .. Ray Allen (ankle), Paul Pierce (thigh), and Rajon Rondo (back) are all headed for game-time decisions on Wednesday .. Nicolas Batum (quad) is a game-time decision on Wednesday .. It remains a possibility that Kyrie Irving will return to the Cavs' lineup on Wednesday .. Glen Davis (knee) said he will play on Wednesday .. Jose Calderon (eye) is out Wednesday .. Jason Smith

If Chapman is still available in your league, find a more challenging format. (US Presswire)

Peruse the 25 Hottest Urban Legends on Snopes.com and one ventures into an absurd world where suckers are indeed born every minute. Some rumors have a somewhat legitimate tone. Others are so preposterous they sound like a punchline Seth Meyers spewed from the SNL Weekend Update desk. One example in particular stands out: "Criminals in the U.S. are using burundanga-soaked business cards to incapacitate their victims."

Guess good old-fashioned villainous fun with chloroform is no longer en vogue.

Denizens in Fantasyland, too, are constantly influenced by various myths, many of which trusting owners pay dearly to want to believe. A few examples:

• It's acceptable to punt a category if you're overloaded in others
• Cornering the market at a scarce position is the first step to success
• Due to the scope and depth of starting pitching, it's imperative to exercise patience on draft day
• Twenty-seven is a magical age where many players come alive, posting breakthrough numbers
• Chipper Jones is in his best shape in years and is expected to play 150 games

No doubt, those that buy into the above conjectures are destined for a season filled with unpleasantries. Each example is littered with holes.

But of all the alleged fables currently swirling about the fantasy community the most egregious has to be, "Middle relievers are virtually worthless in mixed leagues that don't score for holds..."

Here come the 1-2-3s (US Presswire)

Here's the sneaky part of the Brian Wilson story in San Francisco: the Giants might not miss the departed closer very much. There's outstanding depth (and facial hair) left over in this bullpen, and it was on full display in Tuesday's 4-2 victory over Philadelphia.

Madison Bumgarner worked six solid innings for starters, then handed the ball to a lockdown parade of right-handed relievers. Clay Hensley (a sneaky comeback story) struck out two of three men in the seventh, Sergio Romo needed just 13 pitches in a pitch-to-contact eighth, and Santiago Casilla sandwiched three ground-ball outs around a bloop single, wrapping it up. Outstanding work from the bullpen brigade, low-stress bagels from the high-leverage men. Bruce Bochy has to feel pretty confident with this group, and don't forget that the Giants also have decent left-handed options in Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez.

Most of these pitchers would make for reasonable closers, but apparently Bochy has decided that he's most comfortable with Casilla being the primary ninth-inning man. He referred to Casilla getting the "lion's share" of saves before Tuesday's game, and we have to consider that Casilla handled this job adeptly last September while Wilson was out. Timing played into that appointment of course — Romo had a short stint on the DL in August and by the time he retuned, Casilla had territory carved out. If the Giants wanted to chair the bullpen with Romo in the ninth, surely that would work, too. But for the time being, Casilla looks like the man sitting in the cushy chair, the reliever who gets the save-recording glory. 

Timmy Lincecum (US Presswire)

On Monday night, for the third time in his three starts this season, Tim Lincecum gave up a pile of first-inning runs. The opening frame has been a nightmare for Tim so far. He allowed four runs in the first inning to Philly this week, two to Colorado last week, and three to Arizona in the opener.

Check out Lincecum's situational stats page and just look at what opposing hitters have done to him within the first 30 pitches: 21 total batters faced, nine hits, three doubles, a triple, two homers, two walks. That's ridiculous. If Santiago Casilla is indeed the Giants closer, they might want to begin using him to navigate the first inning whenever Lincecum takes the hill.

(Joking. Maybe).

We know these are dark times for Timmy. We also know that his fastball is sitting at 90-91 mph. That's a tick below last year's average velocity (92.3), but not far from where he was in 2010  (91.3), when he struck out 231. Let's recall that his change-up is a killer pitch; he's not a guy who needs to throw 95-97. Still, a few extra miles-per-hour can provide a nice margin for error. Right now, when Lincecum makes a mistake with his fastball, the pitch gets drilled. Or he misses his target by two feet and the batter hits the dirt. Either way, it's a bad result.

• Status updates: Derrick Rose (foot) is back to day-to-day status .. Kobe Bryant (shin) is not expected to play on Tuesday .. Ray Allen (ankle) will play on Tuesday .. Marc Gasol (knee) was upgraded from doubtful to questionable on Tuesday morning .. Knicks on Tuesday: Tyson Chandler (knee) will play, Amar'e Stoudemire (back) is likely out until Friday .. Nets on Wednesday: Deron Williams (calf) is out, Gerald Wallace (hamstring) is likely out .. Kyrie Irving (shoulder) will be evaluated after Tuesday and Wednesday workouts and may return on Wednesday night .. Kevin Martin (shoulder) was active on Monday but didn't play. He could see minutes on Wednesday, depending on how he does in a Tuesday practice. He'll be brought back gradually in any case .. Darren Collison (groin) has been shut down until he's 100 percent, meaning more starts for George Hill .. Rick Adelman said Tuesday that he's not sure Kevin Love (concussion) will play again this season, but he does expect Luke Ridnour