The absence of Devin Booker during Sunday's loss against Oklahoma City was deeply felt by the Suns. Despite Jusuf Nurkic setting a new franchise record with 31 rebounds and Bradley Beal scoring 31 points, the Suns couldn't quite handle the top-tier team without Booker's extra firepower. This obviously has significant implications for daily fantasy players counting on his performance.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Booker may be benched for at least a week to 10 days due to the sprained ankle he picked up against Houston last Saturday. The Suns and Booker are bracing for a significant hit - with a 31-19 track record when he's in play this season, dropping to just 4-7 when he's out.

Booker’s scoring average of nearly 28 points per game over the past two months has undoubtedly been a key part of the Suns' success, hence his absence will definitely affect fans' daily fantasy strategies. He injured his ankle during the last 1:15 of the Houston game following a clash with teammate Royce O’Neal, an incident that saw him painfully leave for the locker room.

With an average of 27.5 points, 6.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game, Booker's All-NBA level performance will be sorely missed by the team. The onus now falls on Kevin Durant to step up, but the lack of Booker off the ball might allow defenses to exert greater pressure on Durant.

If Booker's absence extends to 10 days, he'll fall short of the 65 games needed for All-NBA or other postseason award eligibility. Booker has already been benched 11 times - if that count reaches 18, he would be disqualified under the terms of the new CBA. This makes him an even riskier choice for daily fantasy players betting on his performance.

The Suns have a weaker -2.3 net rating when Booker is off the court. This, coupled with their tough upcoming schedule - games in Denver, Cleveland and two against Boston - poses a major challenge for the team. As the Suns strive to secure the 6-7 seeds in the Western Conference, any additional losses without Booker could lead to a significant setback. This makes him, and subsequently the Suns, a less reliable choice for daily fantasy players.

‍