Nuggets' Julian Strawther Hurt: Denver Survivor Pick Read
Oct 15, 2026
Strawther exits with knee injury, MRI pending
Denver wing Julian Strawther left his game after a nasty-looking knee injury, and the Nuggets have an MRI scheduled for Thursday. Until those results land, his status is an open question — and so is the depth it affects on the Denver wing.
What it means for your Week 1 survivor pick
The Nuggets open Week 1 on the road against Oklahoma City, where OKC is a 7.5-point favorite — a clear signal to steer clear of Denver in that spot and not a game where you'd lean on the Thunder as a laydown either, given a healthy road opponent. The friendlier Denver matchup comes two days later at home against New Orleans, though our database shows no favorite or spread set for that game yet. If the MRI confirms a significant injury, Denver's wing rotation thins out, which matters most if you were eyeing the Nuggets as a home survivor pick against the Pelicans.
The practical move: wait on Thursday's results before committing to anything involving Denver this week. A short-handed Nuggets team changes the math on both the OKC road test and the New Orleans home date. For more matchup-by-matchup reads, keep an eye on our NBA knockout pool picks, and if you're new to the format, start with a free survivor pool.