5 days agoPortland Trail Blazers guard/forward
Matisse Thybulle (ankle) is limited to standstill shooting in practice, head coach Chauncey Billups revealed on Tuesday. An ankle injury has kept the 27-year-old off the court for the entire campaign so far, and Thybulle's return doesn't appear to be imminent. Last season, Thybulle averaged 5.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 22.9 minutes. He has earned two NBA All-Defensive Second Team selections during his five-year career. Thybulle's addition would help Portland improve its defense, but the former first-round pick lacks fantasy appeal due to his limited offensive arsenal.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sean Highkin
5 days agoPortland Trail Blazers center
Deandre Ayton (illness) was able to practice on Tuesday, signaling he could be ready to return to the lineup on Thursday versus Denver. An illness has kept Ayton out for two games.
Donovan Clingan and
Jabari Walker have filled in for Ayton in the starting unit. The Portland big man has averaged a double-double for the season with 14.2 points and 10.0 rebounds, but he can't seem to stay healthy, missing nine games already this term. If he's ready to return on Thursday, Ayton will, of course, find himself in a very challenging matchup against
Nikola Jokic.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sean Highkin
5 days agoPhiladelphia 76ers guard
Jared McCain (knee) underwent successful surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn left meniscus. He is out indefinitely. The 20-year-old out of Duke was in the running to win this season's Rookie of the Year award, averaging 15.3 points (23.8 points in eight starts). Without question, it's a tough blow to a team that has been riddled with injuries, with
Joel Embiid,
Tyrese Maxey, and
Paul George all missing time during the 2024-25 campaign. Nonetheless, dynasty managers should hold on to McCain, considering he appears to have a bright future ahead of him. But until he's cleared to return,
Eric Gordon could see more minutes, although he's not worth adding to any fantasy roster.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Jason Dumas
5 days agoPhiladelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (face) remains sidelined due to another sinus fracture, his third throughout his career. He's due to be re-evaluated in a week. However, fantasy managers have reason to remain hopeful, with head coach Nick Nurse indicating his latest fracture is "not nearly as severe" as his previous two. In hindsight, Embiid didn't miss as much time as expected in previous instances. But when he's cleared to return, he'll likely need to wear protective face covering. Embiid has missed plenty of time due to various injuries this season. Yet, the 30-year-old was beginning to heat up in previous appearances ahead of his most recent injury. With that in mind, there's a good chance Embiid will return in the next few weeks. Until then,
Andre Drummond and
Guerschon Yabusele will handle things in the middle.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Steve Reed
5 days agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Andre Jackson Jr. will start in Tuesday's NBA Cup final versus Oklahoma City.
Khris Middleton (illness) was expected to play. Unfortunately, things changed drastically heading into this contest, resulting in another absence from the veteran. As usual,
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) and
Damian Lillard (calf) will pick up most of the slack offensively. However, single-game DFS participants should keep Jackson in mind, considering he'll likely get more minutes and scoring opportunities.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Milwaukee Bucks
5 days agoMilwaukee Bucks guard
Damian Lillard (calf) is available for Tuesday's NBA Cup final versus OKC. The veteran has a contusion on his right calf. However, after missing practice on Monday, he is good to go. Lillard has played well this season, averaging 25.7 points, 7.5 assists, and 37.1% from behind the arc. With
Khris Middleton (illness) unable to get on the floor, Lillard could be even more productive against Oklahoma City.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Milwaukee Bucks
5 days agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) will play in Tuesday's NBA Cup championship versus the Thunder. Despite dealing with right patella tendinopathy for a good portion of the 2024-25 campaign, the multi-time All-Star has had a fantastic season, averaging a career-high 32.7 points with 11.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.6 blocks. He'll likely get all the minutes he can handle against OKC. But with
Khris Middleton (illness) sidelined for this one, Antetokounmpo should get more scoring opportunities.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Milwaukee Bucks
5 days agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Khris Middleton (illness) won't play in Tuesday's NBA Cup championship versus OKC. The 33-year-old appeared to have a good chance of playing. However, he's not feeling well, so he won't be out there. Fortunately,
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) and
Damian Lillard (calf) will play, which will help.
Andre Jackson Jr. could enter the starting lineup, although he's averaged only 4.1 points in 16 starts throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Milwaukee Bucks
6 days agoOklahoma City Thunder forward/center
Jaylin Williams (hamstring) will not suit up for Tuesday's matchup against Milwaukee. He's been unavailable for the entire year so far because of a hamstring injury and won't be ready to return for the 2024 NBA Cup final.
Kenrich Williams will continue to provide backup for starting center
Isaiah Hartenstein. However, the 30-year-old has very little fantasy appeal, having averaged 7.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 13.7 minutes this month.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
6 days agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Khris Middleton (illness) is considered probable for Tuesday's NBA Cup final against Oklahoma City. An illness kept him out from Monday's practice, but Middleton is expected to be fine for Tuesday's game. The 33-year-old has made his first four appearances of the season this month, notching 7.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in 21.3 minutes. He's been coming off the bench as the Bucks have tried to keep Middleton's workload under control. Considering his limited role, Middleton has done well through his first few outings, although his shooting stroke appears to be quite rusty, as the former All-Star has made only 25.9 percent of his shots.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
6 days agoMilwaukee Bucks point guard
Damian Lillard (calf) has been listed as probable for Tuesday's NBA Cup final against Oklahoma City. The veteran star didn't practice on Monday, leaving a question mark hanging over him, but it looks like he will be good to go for the big game. Lillard played a vital role in last week's quarterfinal win against Orlando and also had a fine game against Atlanta in the semifinal. He will enter Monday's action with averages of 25.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.2 steals for the month. The Thunder are among the top defensive teams in the league and allow the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing point guards.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
6 days agoBrooklyn Nets forward/center
Trendon Watford (hamstring) could not complete Monday's contest against Cleveland. He was ruled out for the rest of the game early in the third quarter because of left hamstring soreness. Watford posted eight points in 10 minutes before his premature exit. The 24-year-old missed the start of the season with a left hamstring strain, so this isn't a new issue for him. Watford has contributed 8.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 16.1 minutes off the bench.
Noah Clowney and
Day'Ron Sharpe should get additional action on the Nets frontcourt if Watford has to sit on the sidelines for a bit.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Erik Slater
6 days agoToronto Raptors center
Jakob Poeltl (groin) was limited to 22 minutes in Monday's 122-121 loss to Chicago. The big man from Austria suffered a left groin injury when he slipped on the floor early in the fourth quarter. Poeltl finished the night with six points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal. The 29-year-old has been a walking double-double in 2024-25 and will be a big miss for Toronto if Poeltl has to sit out additional action. If that's the case,
Jonathan Mogbo,
Kelly Olynyk, and
Chris Boucher will take care of his minutes. Boucher had the best game of the three on Monday with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet
6 days agoDetroit Pistons guard
Jaden Ivey (knee) was a late scratch on Monday versus Miami because of left knee pain. He was already announced as a starter before the team pulled him from the game.
Malik Beasley filled in for Ivey in the first unit and had a great night with a season-high 28 points on 7-for-13 three-point shooting. Ivey's issue doesn't sound serious, but fantasy managers should definitely monitor the situation. Beasley led the Pistons in scoring on Monday and will have additional fantasy value if Ivey remains out. Detroit returns to the court Thursday night versus Utah.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Detroit Pistons PR
6 days agoChicago Bulls guard
Josh Giddey (ankle) exited Monday night's game against the Toronto Raptors early and won't return after injuring his ankle. Giddey went to contest a
Gradey Dick three-point attempt and immediately grabbed at his right ankle before going to the floor and was writhing in pain. The 22-year-old was shown being helped to the locker room, pointing towards this injury being potentially serious. If Giddey is forced to miss an extended period of time, it's unclear who would take over in the starting lineup for Giddey as
Patrick Williams,
Lonzo Ball and
Matas Buzelis all could fit the bill. One starter who could pick up additional assists is
Ayo Dosunmu, who's shown an ability to facilitate Chicago's offense in past seasons.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Bulls
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