1 week agoDenver Nuggets guard
Christian Braun (quad) is available ahead of Friday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Braun hasn't missed a game this season and that streak will continue to live on. He has been playing big minutes for the Nuggets this season as he's averaging over 35 minutes per game. He's not an elite contributor in any category, but does a little of everything. Fantasy managers who have Braun rostered can get him in their lineups ahead of tip-off.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Denver Nuggets
1 week agoDenver Nuggets forward
Aaron Gordon (calf) is available ahead of Friday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. As expected, Gordon is good to go after being listed as probable on the injury report. Gordon missed a game last week, but has been mostly healthy since his absence in mid-November. Gordon has been hit-or-miss this season, but should be plugged back into lineups in season-long formats. He's averaging 14.3 points, 6.0 rebounds,and 3.5 assists across 29 minutes per game this season. Gordon is a solid contributor, but keeping him off the injury report has been the biggest challenge.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Denver Nuggets
1 week agoPhiladelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (eye) won't return to Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers. The big man exited to the locker room after getting hit in the face while going for a rebound in the second quarter. The organization has decided to hold out Embiid for the rest of the night while he undergoes further testing. There is a concern that he injured his already repaired orbital fracture. Fantasy managers should get more information in the next day or two.
Andre Drummond figures to start in the second half and will see an increased workload until Embiid is able to get back on the court. Drummond was a strong fantasy option when Embiid was out earlier in the season, so he could be worth snagging again.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Kyle Neubeck
1 week agoPhoenix Suns guard/forward
Bradley Beal (knee) is now questionable heading into Friday's meeting with the Jazz. The veteran wasn't listed on the injury report throughout the day. However, he began experiencing right knee swelling, so there's a chance he won't be out there. Beal has already missed eight games this season, although fantasy managers are now left wondering if this injury will open the door for another extended stint on the shelf. Fortunately, the Suns are expected to get
Kevin Durant (ankle) back, which will help.
Royce O'Neale, who was expected to head back to the bench, may find himself remaining in the starting lineup.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Kellan Olson
1 week agoLos Angeles Lakers forward
LeBron James (foot) won't play on Friday against the Timberwolves, with the multi-time MVP expected to miss more time moving forward. Head coach JJ Redick was asked if he knows when James will return. However, the first-year coach answered with a simple "no." Of course, the Lakers will be without arguably their top performer, meaning guys like
Anthony Davis,
Austin Reaves,
Rui Hachimura, and
D'Angelo Russell will need to pick up the slack on the scoring end.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Khobi Price
1 week agoLos Angeles Lakers center
Anthony Davis (foot) will play on Friday against the Timberwolves. AD has been a constant mention on the league's injury report because of an ailing foot injury. However, as is usually the case, he's good to go. With
LeBron James (foot) out indefinitely, Davis should be the No. 1 scoring option for the Lakers, so a rise in statistical contributions could be on the horizon.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Jovan Buha
1 week agoLos Angeles Lakers guard/forward
Austin Reaves (pelvis) has been upgraded and will play in Friday's game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. Reaves has missed the last five games because of a pelvic contusion. But after going from questionable to probable, he'll be back on the floor for this one. With
LeBron James (foot) out indefinitely, Reaves should pick up some of the slack on the scoring end, making him a must-start in any fantasy setup. That won't change until James returns to the lineup.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Jovan Buha
1 week agoChicago Bulls center
Nikola Vucevic (illness) will miss his first game of the 2024-25 campaign on Friday against the Hornets. The 34-year-old has played at an All-Star-caliber level this season, averaging 21.0 points, 9.8 boards, and shooting 47.4% from behind the arc. Without him,
Jalen Smith will presumably enter the starting lineup, immediately giving him credibility as a streaming option and DFS value play.
Josh Giddey,
Zach LaVine, and
Coby White could also see a bump on the scoring end with Vucevic sidelined.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
1 week agoChicago Bulls guard
Josh Giddey (back) is cleared to suit up in Friday's matchup versus the Charlotte Hornets. Like his teammate,
Zach LaVine (back), he was battling back spasms. However, it won't cost Giddey his first game of the 2024-25 campaign. The 22-year-old has played well in his first season in Chicago, averaging 11.7 points, 6.9 assists, and 6.2 rebounds, although he may be even more productive in the favorable matchup against the Hornets.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: K.C. Johnson
1 week agoChicago Bulls forward
Zach LaVine (back) will play in Friday's game against the Hornets. The veteran has played well throughout the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 22.1 points and shooting 43.2% from behind the arc. But he was dealing with back spasms. Fortunately, it won't keep him off the floor for the favorable matchup versus Charlotte.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: K.C. Johnson
1 week agoChicago Bulls forward
Patrick Williams (foot) said he will play in Friday's game against the Hornets. The 23-year-old has been out of commission since November because of issues with his left foot, the same one he had surgery on back in March. With that in mind, he has averaged only 9.9 points and 5.0 rebounds this season, so he isn't the most dependable fantasy option. But Williams' return could at least mean less work for
Ayo Dosunmu and
Matas Buzelis.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: K.C. Johnson
1 week agoCleveland Cavaliers forward
Evan Mobley (ankle) won't play on Friday against the Wizards. The 23-year-old has played well this season, averaging 18.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.1 steals. But he'll miss his second game of the 2024-25 campaign, so his next chance to play will be on Monday in Brooklyn. Without Mobley,
Jarrett Allen,
Darius Garland, and
Donovan Mitchell should get a few extra scoring opportunities.
Georges Niang could also work his way into the starting lineup, giving him DFS value potential.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Chris Fedor
1 week agoAccording to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Heat have agreed to trade center
Thomas Bryant to the Pacers. In exchange, Indiana will swap a future second-round pick with Miami. The 27-year-old has averaged only 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds this season. But with
James Wiseman (Achilles) and
Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) both sidelined, the team needed another big. While Bryant won't start unless
Myles Turner isn't available, he should see more playing time in Indiana. Still, unless he finds himself with the first five, his contributions could be sporadic.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
1 week agoLos Angeles Lakers guard
Austin Reaves (pelvis) is probable for Friday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has missed the Lakers' previous five contests because of a pelvic contusion and was initially labeled as questionable heading into this one. Luckily, Los Angeles will likely have him back on the court on Friday night. It can't come at a better time, considering
LeBron James (foot) isn't available. As such, Reaves could be more involved on the scoring end, which is why he'll surely see more attention from DFS managers.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
1 week agoCharlotte Hornets forward
Tidjane Salaun (ankle) has been listed as questionable on Friday while he deals with an ankle sprain. The Hornets are set to take on the Chicago Bulls who have lost their last two games and could be dealing with some injuries of their own. Salaun started to see some added playing time with the Hornets' injury report growing until he sprained his left ankle against the Knicks. If he has to miss another game,
Cody Martin and
Josh Green should remain in the starting lineup while Martin serves as the better streaming option. In their last game, Martin finished with 14 points, six rebounds, one assist, and two steals across 33 minutes.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
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