3 weeks agoIndiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (knee) will play against Chicago on Friday. He's back in the lineup after missing Wednesday's loss to Brooklyn. Nembhard only recently returned from a 12-game absence and has been far from his best in the couple of outings he's had. Fantasy managers should tame their expectations regarding Nembhard. Quenton Jackson lands back among the reserves due to Nembhard's return, but he hasn't done too well as a starter anyway.Source: NBA Injury Report
3 weeks agoSan Antonio Spurs guard/forward Devin Vassell (foot) will exit the lineup on Friday against Sacramento. This is the second leg of a back-to-back for the Spurs, and Vassell will be rested for the contest as he continues to manage a right foot injury. Vassell has been used as a microwave scorer off the bench this season. He's averaged 17.8 points in 23.5 minutes across eight outings. His absence on Friday will give his teammates a lot of additional scoring opportunities. With Victor Wembanyama (back) also on the shelf, Keldon Johnson will be expected to lead the offense alongside Chris Paul and Jeremy Sochan. Johnson scored a team-high 28 points in Thursday's 139-124 loss to Chicago.Source: NBA Injury Report
3 weeks agoLos Angeles Lakers point guard Gabe Vincent will make his second start of the campaign Friday versus Atlanta. He will replace D'Angelo Russell in the starting unit. Vincent's only previous start came last Sunday in a 105-104 win over Utah. The 28-year-old had a quiet but effective game with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Russell should still see a good amount of minutes on Friday, and he actually has performed better as a reserve this season.Source: Los Angeles Kings
3 weeks agoSan Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (back) will remain sidelined on Friday against Sacramento. A back problem will keep the French phenom out for a second consecutive contest after he was labeled as a game-time decision earlier in the evening. Jeremy Sochan moved to the first unit as Wembanyama's replacement on Thursday against Chicago, with Zach Collins and Charles Bassey seeing additional action as reserve bigs. Sochan had a nice 16-point, 14-rebound double-double, while Collins put together a decent all-around line. Both players should be good options for fantasy managers again on Friday.Source: Dusty Garza
3 weeks agoMilwaukee Bucks guard/forward Khris Middleton (ankle) is officially good to go for his season debut on Friday versus Boston. The team has upgraded him from probable to available. He will come off the bench in his first game since May. It will likely take some time before Middleton is fully up to speed, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect too much from him initially. Gary Trent Jr., Andre Jackson Jr., and Taurean Price are all in danger of losing playing time to Middleton.Source: NBA Injury Report
3 weeks agoMilwaukee Bucks forward Taurean Prince (illness) will play against Boston on Friday. He was initially iffy for the contest due to an illness. Prince has recently had a productive spell with the Bucks, scoring in double figures five times in the past six games. He's shot an amazing 16-for-23 from behind the three-point line during the stretch. However, Boston gives up the third-fewest three-point attempts in the league, so it might be difficult for Prince to keep his hot shooting spell going.Source: Milwaukee Bucks
3 weeks agoChicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (foot) is active ahead of Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers. Giddey appears ready to play after being a late addition to the injury report due to right foot soreness. Giddey was quiet on Wednesday, but finished with a triple-double during Monday's contest. The 22-year-old is averaging 11.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.7 assists across 27 minutes this season. Fantasy managers can go ahead and get Giddey active in their lineups on Friday.Source: NBA Injury Report
3 weeks agoChicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (back) is available ahead of Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers. As expected, LaVine will suit up as he was listed as probable on the injury report due to back soreness. LaVine nearly notched a triple-double during Thursday's win over the San Antonio Spurs. This season, LaVine is averaging 21.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists across 33 minutes per game this season. He'll be good to go on Friday despite it being a back-to-back set. Fantasy managers can safely get LaVine active in their lineups ahead of tip-off.Source: NBA Injury Report
3 weeks agoLos Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis (foot) will take the court on Friday against Atlanta. He has been upgraded from probable to available. This has become the norm this season with Davis, who has sat out only one game. The nine-time All-Star will look to break out of a funk after shooting just 7-for-28 in his past two outings, producing 20 total points. He's not in a favorable position to do so on Friday, as the Hawks allow a league-low 18.4 points per 48 minutes to opposing centers.Source: Trevor Lane
3 weeks agoLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (foot) will be active against Atlanta on Friday. The NBA's all-time leading scorer picked up a questionable tag ahead of the contest but has now been cleared to play. James ended a shooting slump in the last game, posting 29 points with 12-for-18 shooting in 29 minutes in a blowout loss to Miami on Wednesday. The Hawks allow the fourth-most points in the league (118.4), making this a good matchup for James to start building momentum.Source: Jovan Buha
3 weeks agoChicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (nose) has been upgraded to available ahead of Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers. The rookie forward suffered a nose contusion and is likely going to wear a mask because of it. He scored 20 points during Monday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. Despite that, fantasy managers shouldn't expect too much from Buzelis. He has been fairly inconsistent as a contributor this season and usually only plays minutes in the teens.Source: Cody Westerlund
3 weeks agoPhiladelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (ankle) will suit up against Orlando on Friday. The 31-year-old rebounding machine will return from a two-game absence. With the 76ers frontcourt battling injuries, Drummond has carved out a decent role in the rotation. He has averaged 8.1 points and 8.2 rebounds with 1.3 steals in 20.4 minutes this season. Orlando is a mediocre rebounding team, so Drummond should have a productive night at the office. He will start the contest alongside Guerschon Yabusele, Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Tyrese Maxey.Source: NBA Injury Report
3 weeks agoChicago Bulls guard Coby White (ankle) is available ahead of Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers. White is back in the mix after missing each of the last two games due to a sprained ankle. The expectation is that he'll have his normal workload given the team said nothing about him being limited. The return of White will probably mean less playing time for Ayo Dosunmu and Dalen Terry in the rotation. Fantasy managers can safely get White back in their lineups ahead of tip-off on Friday.Source: Cody Westerlund
3 weeks agoMilwaukee Bucks forward/center Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) is ready to face Boston on Friday. Per Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has confirmed that Antetokounmpo will play. The former MVP carried a probable tag on the injury report, but that's been a normal sight this season. Antetokounmpo turned 30 on Friday, and we should see a big birthday performance from him. The Celtics easily dismantled Milwaukee in two previous meetings this season, but Antetokounmpo has still posted outstanding numbers in the matchup, averaging 36.5 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.Source: Eric Nehm
3 weeks agoChicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (knee) is available ahead of Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers. As expected, Ball is back in the mix after sitting out of Wednesday's game for rest purposes. The Bulls continue to be cautious with the oft-injured guard. Ball has only been playing minutes in the teens with the team easing him back into action. The expectation is that he'll continue playing around 15-16 minutes on Friday. That being said, Ball isn't going to have strong streaming appeal until he's back to full strength.Source: Cody Westerlund