1 week agoPhiladelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (face) will be out for at least one week after suffering a sinus fracture against the Indiana Pacers on Friday. According to Shams Charania, the big man will be re-evaluated in one week. In the meantime,
Andre Drummond will continue to get plenty of minutes at center along with
Guerschon Yabusele. Especially since
Adem Bona (knee) is also ruled out. Drummond currently averages 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game compared to Yabusele's 9.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 threes per contest.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
1 week agoLos Angeles Lakers forward
LeBron James (foot) is questionable for Sunday's matchup versus the Grizzlies. The veteran has been burdened by a foot injury, keeping him off the floor for the Lakers previous two contests. Without question, he's a must-start if he's cleared to return. However,
Austin Reaves,
Rui Hachimura, and
Max Christie could continue to benefit offensively if he isn't, although
Anthony Davis would likely remain the top priority offensively.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
1 week agoPortland Trail Blazers center
Deandre Ayton (illness) won't play on Sunday night against the Phoenix Suns. The 26-year-old hasn't been feeling the best, so he'll miss a second-straight game on Sunday. Fortunately, the Blazers won't play again until Thursday evening, giving Ayton a few more days to feel better. Without him,
Jabari Walker, who had five points, five rebounds, and two steals on Friday versus the Spurs, may remain in the middle. However, that could change if
Robert Williams III (concussion), who is questionable, returns. If that's the case, Williams would certainly be worth starting in all fantasy formats.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
1 week agoToronto Raptors forward
Scottie Barnes (ankle) participated in Sunday's practice. While he wasn't a full participant, he still did some running and jumping with his assistant coaches. The 23-year-old sprained his ankle during a recent meeting with the Knicks on December 9 and has already missed a game. Although Barnes will be sidelined for a few more contests at the very least, his partial availability for Sunday's practice is a positive step in the right direction. In the meantime,
RJ Barrett and
Gradey Dick should see a bump in scoring opportunities, with
Ochai Agbaji also in line for added production.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Michael Grange
2 weeks agoAccording to ESPN's Shams Charania, Philadelphia 76ers guard
Jared McCain (knee) will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He is out indefinitely. The rookie was having an awesome year, averaging 15.3 points and shooting 38.3% from behind the arc. But he'll now join a lengthy list of 76ers who have missed time this season, including
Joel Embiid (face),
Paul George, and
Tyrese Maxey. With that said, Philly will need to dig deeper for bench production, with
Ricky Council IV in line for more opportunities moving ahead.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
2 weeks agoAccording to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Nets have acquired guard
De'Anthony Melton (knee) from the Warriors in exchange for guard
Dennis Schroder. Brooklyn will also receive three second-round draft picks. Melton signed with Golden State during the offseason. He played well, averaging 10.3 points and 1.2 steals. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old sustained a torn ACL and underwent season-ending surgery. Melton will be a free agent in the 2025 offseason, so it's unknown if he'll ever suit up for the Nets. But until he stays healthy, his fantasy outlook isn't promising, no matter where he ends up next season.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
2 weeks agoAccording to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Golden State Warriors have agreed to a deal with the Brooklyn Nets to acquire guard
Dennis Schroder. In exchange, Brooklyn will receive
De'Anthony Melton. Both sides had been in talks about a deal, with the Warriors acquiring Schroder mostly to help lessen the load in the ball-handling department. But the veteran is also a capable producer and was having one of the best years of his career in Brooklyn, averaging 18.4 points and 6.6 assists. It's reasonable to assume Schroder will see a dip in scoring, at least on the nights he plays alongside
Stephen Curry. But he should continue to receive plenty of minutes, which is good enough to keep him on fantasy rosters.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
2 weeks agoAtlanta Hawks forward
Jalen Johnson (ankle) will play on Saturday against the Bucks. The 23-year-old has had an excellent 2024-25 campaign, averaging 19.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks. He's also missed only two games after appearing in 56 last season. With that in mind, Johnson is a must-start fantasy option, although his presence will mean fewer scoring opportunities and minutes for
De'Andre Hunter (knee), who was also cleared to suit up for Saturday's NBA Cup contest.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 weeks agoAtlanta Hawks guard
Bogdan Bogdanovic (quadriceps) is good to go heading into Saturday's game against the Bucks. Fantasy managers are never surprised to see the veteran show up on the injury report, so his probable tag because of a quad contusion wasn't alarming. While there's a good chance Bogdanovic will miss more time at some point throughout the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign, fantasy managers will at least have him for Saturday's NBA Cup showdown with Milwaukee. He's averaged only 11.9 points this season, the second-lowest of his career. Still, the 32-year-old can get hot, giving him credibility for any fantasy lineup.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 weeks agoAtlanta Hawks guard
Trae Young (Achilles) is good to go for the NBA Cup showdown with the Milwaukee Bucks. The former Oklahoma Sooner has made numerous appearances on the injury report this season due to right Achilles Tendinitis. However, he's only missed one game during the 2024-25 campaign, so it's obvious the injury isn't a big concern. Young's production is down from last season in terms of scoring and three-point shooting. Still, he leads the league with 12.2 assists per contest, making him an ideal fantasy option, especially for category managers.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Hawks
2 weeks agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Khris Middleton (ankles) will play in Saturday's NBA Cup clash with the Hawks. The 2012 No. 39 overall pick made his 2024-25 debut in the December 6 meeting with the Boston Celtics after working his way back from bilateral ankle surgery. So far, he hasn't been productive, averaging only 7.3 points in 21.0 minutes per contest. Understandably, the team wants to keep Middleton healthy for the postseason, so he'll continue to play sparingly while taking routine games off moving ahead. While he should return to form at some point, that may not be on Saturday versus Atlanta.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Milwaukee Bucks
2 weeks agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) was cleared to play in Saturday's NBA Cup meeting with the Hawks. He was back on the injury report because of right patella tendinopathy. However, this has been the norm for the multi-time All-Star for most of the season, so fantasy managers weren't concerned about his availability. Antetokounmpo has played relatively well against Atlanta throughout his career, most recently amassing 31 points, 11 boards, and five assists when the Bucks met the Hawks on December 3.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Milwaukee Bucks
2 weeks agoSacramento Kings guard
Kevin Huerter (shoulder) will miss time. The 26-year-old suffered an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder during Thursday's game versus the New Orleans Pelicans. For now, the team considers him "day to day." However, since Huerter is coming off surgery on the same shoulder, the Kings will certainly take the cautious approach before allowing him to get back on the floor. After averaging 15.2 points in his first season in Sacramento, he has averaged only 9.9 points during the 2024-25 campaign. But if anything, his absence should allow
Keon Ellis to get more work. Still, it's tough for anyone outside of
DeMar DeRozan,
Domantas Sabonis, and
De'Aaron Fox to get consistently involved on the scoring end, especially since all three players get more minutes than most starters around the National Basketball Association.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: James Ham
2 weeks agoAccording to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Pistons are waiving forward
Paul Reed. The 2020 No. 58 overall pick began his career by spending four years in Philadelphia, where he had some productive showings. But after the Sixers waived him, he was claimed by the Pistons. Unfortunately, things didn't work out in Detroit, with Reed averaging only 4.8 points in 12 games. He'll likely draw plenty of interest from clubs around the National Basketball Association, especially from teams looking to bolster depth. But regardless of where Reed lands next, he'll need minutes before earning a place on fantasy rosters.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
2 weeks agoOrlando Magic forward
Paolo Banchero (oblique) was seen shooting during Saturday's practice. While he's still not running , it's at least a positive step in the right direction. Banchero was having a terrific season before suffering a torn oblique in October, averaging career-highs in points (29.0), boards (8.8), and assists (5.6). He was also shooting 34.4% from deep. Without question, the 22-year-old was on the cusp of a breakout. But fantasy managers will need to wait at least a few more weeks until he's back on the floor. But even when Banchero returns, he will likely need to progressively increase his workload until he is back to full strength. With
Franz Wagner (oblique) also on the shelf,
Jalen Suggs should remain Orlando's top offensive contributor.
Goga Bitadze and
Anthony Black could also continue to see an uptick in production while Banchero is out of commission.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Orlando Magic Daily
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