2 weeks agoOrlando Magic guard
Anthony Black will start on Friday versus the undefeated Cavaliers. With
Paolo Banchero (oblique) sidelined, Black will get his chance to roll with the first five. The 20-year-old has shown signs of promise in his second year in the National Basketball Association, averaging 8.4 points, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 44.4% shooting from behind the arc. Naturally,
Franz Wagner (illness),
Jalen Suggs, and
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are expected to do most of the heavy lifting on the offensive end. However, Black warrants fantasy consideration in deeper formats. He'll also draw value interest from DFS managers.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Orlando Magic HQ
2 weeks agoOrlando Magic forward
Franz Wagner (illness) will play on Friday versus the undefeated Cavaliers. The 23-year-old has been under the weather, forcing his premature exit in the Magic's previous two contests. Hopefully, he'll see his usual workload against Cleveland. If that's the case, Wagner could finish the game as Orlando's highest scorer, considering
Paolo Banchero (oblique) is on the shelf.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 weeks agoThe New Orleans Pelicans announced Friday that forward
Herbert Jones (shoulder) sustained a right shoulder strain and a small low-grade partial-thickness tear in his rotator cuff. His recovery timeframe is approximately 2-4 weeks. Jones's return to play will be based on how he responds to treatment and rehabilitation. The absence of Jones should mean that
Jordan Hawkins will continue to see more minutes. On Wednesday, Hawkins posted 23 points with four rebounds in 38 minutes. He will likely see an uptick in playing time against the Pacers on Friday with Jones sidelined.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: New Orleans Pelicans
2 weeks agoMemphis Grizzlies forward
Desmond Bane (oblique) won't play on Saturday against the 76ers. Bane suffered an oblique strain in Wednesday's loss to the Brooklyn Nets and didn't play on Thursday versus the visiting Bucks.
Marcus Smart (ankle) was also sidelined for that one, opening the door for
Jaylen Wells and
Santi Aldama to enter the starting lineup and finish the night by combining for 35 points.
Scotty Pippen Jr. and
Jake LaRavia also received more work from off the bench, with the duo combining for 27 points. As long as Smart and Bane remain on the shelf, Aldama, LaRavia, Pippen, and Wells are all worth considering for fantasy lineups. Of course,
Ja Morant, who had a triple-double on Thursday, will likely continue to lead the way offensively.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Memphis Grizzlies PR
2 weeks agoMemphis Grizzlies guard
Marcus Smart (ankle) won't play on Saturday in Philadelphia. The 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year tweaked his ankle in Wednesday's game against the Brooklyn Nets and wasn't available on Thursday versus Milwaukee.
Jaylen Wells got the start, finishing with 16 points and seven rebounds while shooting 50% from behind the arc. With Smart and
Desmond Bane (oblique) both without a return date, Wells will have a place in most fantasy lineups as long as both remain on the shelf. The same can be said for
Santi Aldama,
Scotty Pippen Jr., and
Jake LaRavia.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Grizzlies PR
2 weeks agoPhiladelphia 76ers guard/forward
Paul George (knee) will have to sit out at least one more game on Saturday as the team has officially ruled him out against the Memphis Grizzlies. George spoke to the media on Friday and said that the last thing to do is get his cardio back up to speed, and then he should be able to return to the floor. He and
Joel Embiid (knee) both participated in scrimmages on Friday as well, so they're trending in the right direction. For now,
Kelly Oubre Jr.,
Caleb Martin, and
Andre Drummond will see increased usage and are the best streaming options until they return.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Ky Carlin
2 weeks agoDenver Nuggets forward
Vlatko Cancar (ankle) has been tagged as questionable for Friday's matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 27-year-old has only appeared in one game so far this season and has been on the court for two minutes. The Nuggets are currently 2-2 and their depth has looked worse than usual. Cancar hasn't exactly cracked the usual rotation just yet, so he's not on the fantasy radar. If he doesn't play, however, there should be some more minutes for
Peyton Watson,
Dario Saric, and maybe even
Zeke Nnaji.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 weeks agoToronto Raptors guard
Ja'Kobe Walter (shoulder) is dealing with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder and is listed as questionable for the team's Friday night contest against the Los Angeles Lakers. Walter was the 19th overall pick in this year's NBA Draft but hasn't appeared in a game yet for the Raptors. While he has the chance to play, there are better options right now until Walter has the chance to get his first game under his belt. If he's unable to suit up,
Ochai Agbaji,
Davion Mitchell, and
Jamal Shead will all see minutes off of the bench.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 weeks agoToronto Raptors forward/center
Kelly Olynyk (back) has been ruled out Friday for their contest against the Los Angeles Lakers. The 33-year-old has yet to suit up for the team this season and will miss at least one more. There hasn't been a firm timetable for his return to action either.
Jakob Poeltl will continue to get a bulk of the minutes at center while
Jonathan Mogbo and
Chris Boucher see a lot of added opportunities in the front court as well. Mogbo and Boucher serve as quality streaming options in deeper leagues.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 weeks agoBrooklyn Nets forward
Trendon Watford (hamstring) is available for Friday night's matchup against the Chicago Bulls. This will be Watford's season debut as he's been ruled out of action since early October. It should be expected that Watford will come off the bench in his return as he did almost all of last season for Brooklyn when he averaged 6.9 PPG in 13.6 minutes. Fantasy managers should temper their expectations and DFS managers can likely find better options if looking for a plug-and-play on Friday night.
Jalen Wilson has been receiving the most minutes off Brooklyn's bench and his averaging 8.2 PPG and likely will be a better fantasy option on Friday, though Watford will likely eat into his minutes as the season progresses.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 weeks agoChicago Bulls forward
Jalen Smith (knee) is listed as questionable for Friday night's matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. Smith is dealing with left knee soreness that kept him out of Chicago's most recent game against Memphis on Wednesday night. Smith has been decently effective when active, averaging 11.5 PPG in 13.7 minutes while shooting 57.1% from three. If he's unable to suit up on Friday the beneficiary of more playing time is likely to be
Patrick Williams. Though already in the starting lineup, Williams should see a boost in minutes and potentially more opportunities from deep, especially if teammate
Zach LaVine is also unable to suit up.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 weeks agoCleveland Cavaliers point guard
Craig Porter Jr. (thumb) is listed as doubtful for Friday night's matchup against the Orlando Magic. Porter is dealing with a thumb strain that has kept him out of Cleveland's last two games. Even when active, though, the 24-year-old has only gotten minutes during garbage time. Cleveland is likely to give Porter enough time to properly heal given their hot start and lack of need for additional production from their guard positions.
Caris LeVert,
Ty Jerome and
Sam Merrill have all clearly shown they are more dynamic options in front of Porter. Fantasy managers looking for value off Cleveland's bench should set their sights on one of these three guards rather than Porter.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 weeks agoOrlando Magic center
Goga Bitadze (foot) has been listed as questionable for Friday night's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bitadze is dealing with a tendon strain in his left foot that has kept him out of Orlando's last two games. His potential absence likely won't affect much of Orlando's gameplan as the 25-year-old had yet to play more than seven minutes in any of the three games he's played in. If Bitadze is able to play his presence likely won't provide an fantasy value. Fantasy managers looking for an option at center off Orlando's bench should look towards the much more reliable
Moritz Wagner, who's averaging 11 PPG and 4.4 RPG in just over 15 minutes per game.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 weeks agoBoston Celtics forward
Sam Hauser (back) is available for Friday night's game against the Charlotte Hornets. Hauser has been dealing with a back issue that's already forced him to miss three of Boston's five games so far. The 26-year-old did return to action in the Celtics' most recent game on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers. He played significantly fewer minutes against the Pacers compared to the opening night blowout against the New York Knicks, but much of that can be attributed to the game against the Pacers being much closer. Tonight's matchup against the Charlotte Hornets may provide an opportunity for Hauser to receive more minutes in garbage time if Boston, a 10.5 point favorite, blows out Charlotte. Fantasy managers may have better options to get into their starting lineup. DFS managers wanting to take a shot on a cheaper option may find more value in adding Hauser to their lineup than traditional fantasy managers.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 weeks agoPhiladelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (knee) told reporters on Friday that he is unavailable for Philly's matchup on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies. The news comes after Embiid practiced fully on Friday, a potential sign that the former MVP may be close to returning to the Sixers' starting lineup. The 30-year-old's knee has not been as healthy as the team previously indicated, leading the NBA to fine the organization $100,000 for misleading comments about Embiid's health. Embiid also indicated on Friday that the level of strain experienced while playing during the Olympics does not match up to what he experiences while preparing to play for the Sixers. Fans have been questioning that aspect of his return to the court, forcing him to clarify his absence from the start of the season. While Embiid works on his recovery, expect
Andre Drummond to continue to get starts at center. At 12.5 RPG it's hard to ignore his value on the boards.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Derek Bodner
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