3 weeks agoMiami Heat forward/center
Kevin Love (back) will suit up for Wednesday's contest against the Lakers. Battling back spasms, Love sat out the second leg of a back-to-back on Monday versus Boston. Love's contributions have been limited to 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds this season. He only plays around 12 minutes per game, so Love remains a good per-minute performer, but the veteran doesn't have a big enough role on the team to be relevant in fantasy basketball on most nights.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Miami Heat
3 weeks agoMiami Heat forward/center
Nikola Jovic (ankle) will rejoin the lineup for Wednesday's clash against the Lakers. He's missed five games with an ankle sprain and was also ruled out for Wednesday's contest on the initial injury report, but Jovic has apparently made big progress in his recovery over the last 24 hours. The 21-year-old has an inconsistent role with the Heat, averaging 18.2 minutes with eight starts in 14 appearances this season. He has notched 7.7 points and 3.7 rebounds.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Miami Heat
3 weeks agoMiami Heat forward
Jimmy Butler (knee) will play against the Lakers on Wednesday. Miami gets its veteran star back after Butler sat out Monday's clash against Boston. He started to feel soreness in his right knee during Sunday's meeting with Toronto and was rested for the second night of a back-to-back. Butler's recent performances have been inconsistent, but there are two 30-point efforts among his most recent five appearances. The Lakers are ranked 24th in defensive efficiency, giving Butler another opportunity to fill it up on Wednesday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Miami Heat
3 weeks agoAccording to ESPN reporter Ohm Youngmisuk, Los Angeles Clippers guard/forward
Norman Powell (hamstring) will be unavailable Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. After recently missing six games with a left hamstring strain, Powell has the night off for the second half of a back-to-back set. He scored 30 points one day ago in Tuesday's 127-105 victory over the Trail Blazers.
Terance Mann (finger) and Kevin Porter (back) will also be sidelined on Wednesday.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Ohm Youngmisuk
3 weeks agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Khris Middleton (ankle) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. Middleton, who is 33 years old, has yet to make his season debut, though he has been cleared for 5-on-5 scrimmaging. The team has not provided a specific timeline for his return, but his next opportunity to play will be Friday against the Boston Celtics. Fantasy managers are eager for Middleton to rejoin the lineup, as he remains a valuable all-around contributor despite a slight decline in scoring. Last season, he averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while shooting 49.3% from the field.
--Dave Goldsholl - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
3 weeks agoBoston Celtics guard
Jrue Holiday (knee) will remain sidelined for a second consecutive game on Wednesday versus Detroit. This opens an opportunity for
Payton Pritchard to play a major role in the contest. He finished with 25 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block as Boston defeated Miami 108-89 on Monday. At the same time,
Drew Peterson has been a fresh face in the Celtics rotation lately and might be looking at another opportunity to log 25-plus minutes. However, he hasn't been very impactful for Boston.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
3 weeks agoIndiana Pacers guard
Andrew Nembhard (rest) will sit out Wednesday's matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. Nembhard has recently returned from a 12-game absence, playing in back-to-back contests, including a 19-minute outing against Toronto where he tallied six points and four assists. Wednesday will serve as a rest day as the team eases him back into action. In his absence,
Quenton Jackson and
T.J. McConnell could see more opportunities. So far this season, Nembhard has averaged 7.9 points, 4.6 assists, 1.0 steal, and 24.4 minutes per game.
--Dave Goldsholl - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
3 weeks agoBoston Celtics forward
Jayson Tatum (knee) will not play on Wednesday against Detroit. He's nursing an issue with his kneecap, sitting out his first game of the season. Tatum's absence boosts the usage of the rest of the Celtics starters, with
Sam Hauser and
Al Horford getting a chance to play larger roles for the team. Boston remains a -12.5 favorite for the contest, meaning there should be plenty of opportunities for the entire rotation.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
3 weeks agoDetroit Pistons forward
Ausar Thompson (rest) will sit out Wednesday's game against the Boston Celtics after playing 14 minutes in Tuesday's contest against the Bucks, where he contributed eight points and five rebounds. The Pistons are holding him out for injury maintenance, giving Ron Holland and
Simone Fontecchio a chance to see additional minutes. Thompson, in his second year, has played just five games this season, averaging 15.2 minutes and 6.0 points per game, leaving fantasy managers hopeful for improvement as he regains full health.
--Dave Goldsholl - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
3 weeks agoAccording to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, Philadelphia 76ers forward
Paul George (rest) will not play against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. The 34-year-old posted 29 points in Tuesday's NBA Cup victory over the Charlotte Hornets. He also played 37 minutes, so the team is staying cautious by sitting him in the second game of a back-to-back. With
Joel Embiid (knee, personal) also out,
Tyrese Maxey could receive more scoring opportunities.
Jared McCain may also move back to the starting lineup and should likely see an uptick in fantasy production.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Tim Bontemps
3 weeks agoOrlando Magic guard
Gary Harris (hamstring) will remain sidelined for Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Harris has not played since November 25 and does not yet have a clear timetable for his return. The 30-year-old plays a minor rotational role for the Magic, averaging 16.5 minutes and 4.1 points per game this season. In his last appearance, he logged seven minutes and scored three points against Charlotte.
--Dave Goldsholl - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
3 weeks agoThe New Orleans Pelicans announced forward
Zion Williamson (hamstring) is progressing well through rehabilitation and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Barring any setbacks and with a tentative timeline in place, the 24-year-old could return on December 19th versus the Houston Rockets. The Pelicans may continue to proceed cautiously and not rush Williamson back, though. However, the team is desperate for help, sitting in last place in the Western Conference, with several injured players.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: New Orleans Pelicans
3 weeks agoJovan Buha of The Athletic reports that Los Angeles Lakers guard
Austin Reaves (pelvis) will not suit up against the Miami Heat on Wednesday due to a left pelvic contusion. It will be the third game in a row that the 26-year-old has missed. Point guard
D'Angelo Russell will likely be in the starting five with Reaves sidelined after he logged 20 points, three rebounds, five assists, and one steal across 34 minutes during Monday's 109-80 loss to Minnesota.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Jovan Buha
3 weeks agoAccording to ESPN's Shams Charania, Phoenix Suns forward
Kevin Durant (ankle) has been diagnosed with a left ankle sprain and will miss at least three games. Durant will be re-evaluated in a week after suffering the injury while landing on a Spurs player's foot during Phoenix's win on Tuesday night. The Suns have struggled when the 36-year-old has been unavailable, posting a record of 1-6.
Bradley Beal and
Devin Booker will be relied upon to step up offensively in Durant's absence, while
Grayson Allen will see an uptick in playing time, too.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
3 weeks agoNew York Knicks forward/center
Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) is getting close to his season debut. Per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has said that Achiuwa could return to the court "in a week or so." The Nigerian big man suffered a left hamstring strain just before the 2024-25 campaign kicked off. After arriving from Toronto in a mid-season trade, Achiuwa notched 7.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in 24.2 minutes with the Knicks last term. He will likely have a smaller workload this season but will be a valuable backup to
Karl-Anthony Towns, and the two might even share the court occasionally.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Kristian Winfield
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