Fantasy News

Returns to G League Houstan continues spending time with Orlando as well as their G League affiliate. The 21-year-old leads all active players in minutes played without a dunk in his career, so diversification is warranted.

Available to play Wednesday Hart was initially listed as questionable for this quarterfinal matchup, but he'll suit and should handle his regular workload as a member of the starting lineup. Hart is averaging 13.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game this season.

Active and starting Wednesday Towns torched the Hawks for 34 points and 16 rebounds in a Nov. 6 meeting, and he'll look to replicate similar results in a heightened Emirates NBA Cup environment Wednesday. Josh Hart (ankle) has also been cleared, making New York's usual starting lineup fully healthy.

Officially active Wednesday Bogdanovic returns from a one-game absence due to a left quad contusion. Prior to his brief absence, the 32-year-old had begun showing signs of life, combining for 35 points and seven made threes across his last two appearances. Shooting a career worst 35.3 percent from beyond the arc through 10 appearances thus far, Bogdanovic will look to regain his momentum Wednesday.

Available vs. New York Hunter was initially listed as questionable due to right knee injury management. Still, as evidenced by the probable tag he has been carrying since Tuesday, he'll suit up and should handle his regular workload. Hunter will suit for a 12th straight contest, and he's been playing at a high level off the bench in recent weeks. He's scored at least 18 points in seven games in a row, averaging 22.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in that stretch.

Will suit up Wednesday The Hawks will be close to full strength for this NBA Cup matchup against the Knicks, as Trae Young (Achilles), De'Andre Hunter (knee) and Bogdanovic (quadriceps) will all be available as well. Johnson has been one of the Hawks' most reliable offensive weapons all season long, and he figures to play a prominent role once again now that he'll return from a one-game absence. Johnson is averaging 20.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in his last 10 appearances.

Sidelined with ankle sprain Hukporti suited up for the G League's Westchester Knicks earlier Wednesday, playing 14 minutes and finishing with two points (1-2 FG), two rebounds, two assists and two blocks in a 118-107 win over the College Park Skyhawks. He likely suffered the ankle injury at some point during the contest and won't be able to suit up in the Knicks' NBA Cup matchup later in the day. The rookie center hasn't been a regular part of the NBA rotation this season.

Good to go Wednesday Young is officially active for Wednesday's Emirates NBA Cup showdown. His Achilles injury has been a factor throughout recent weeks despite Young now suiting up in 14 consecutive contests. He is averaging 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 11.4 assists in 35.5 minutes across his last five games. However, he's shooting just 36.6 percent from the field, including 25.0 percent on 8.8 threes per game, over that span.

Ruled out for Thursday Matkovic has logged just five appearances and 39 total minutes of action for New Orleans this season. Despite injury woes and a lack of frontcourt depth for the Pelicans, the Croatian has been unable to carve out a role.

Absence to continue Thursday Hawkins' next opportunities to take the court comes Sunday versus Indiana or Thursday versus Houston, representing rare extended mid-season periods to heal. Brandon Ingram (ankle) and Zion Williamson (hamstring) both continue dealing with extended absences for the injury-riddled Pelicans.

Questionable for Thursday Green is tending to left ankle soreness. His status will be especially worth monitoring with Jordan Hawkins (back) officially ruled out for Thursday's contest.

Another absence coming Klintman is out indefinitely while tending to a calf injury. Following Thursday's contest, Detroit will not play again until Monday against Miami, but there is no evidence to support that the rookie is close to returning to action.

Good to go for Thursday Moore has seen his career prospectus reborn in Detroit, with his 164 minutes of action already representing a career high for the third-year guard. That being said, Detroit's backcourt will be fully healthy entering Thursday's contest, so Moore is unlikely to take on a relevant role.

Cleared from injury report Thompson is set to return to action after a two-game absence, initially due to an illness and secondarily due to groin soreness. The second-year wing is averaging 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.6 blocks in 15.2 minutes across his five appearances this season. He has yet to exceed 20 minutes of action in any contest as Detroit gradually acclimates him following an extended absence due to blood clotting issues.

Approaching unrestricted activity Durant approaching full practice bodes well for an imminent return. The 36-year-old has been sidelined for Phoenix's last three contests -- all of which have been losses -- after spraining his left ankle in a Dec. 3 victory over San Antonio.

Removed from injury report Horford appears good to go for Thursday's contest. The 38-year-old is averaging 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 32.0 minutes across his last three appearances, although Kristaps Porzingis being healthy for Thursday's game could result in a slightly lessened workload.

Battling illness Springer has only appeared in two contests for the Celtics since Nov. 4, so his ultimate status is unlikely to affect Boston's rotation. With 22-year-old is joined by Jordan Walsh (ribs) and Sam Hauser (adductor) in a banged up cast of bench wings for the Celtics.

Dealing with bruised ribs Walsh has migrated back and forth between the Celtics and their G League affiliate, picking up a bruised rib along the way. The 20-year-old has only logged double-digit minutes on six occasions this year, but with Sam Hauser (adductor) doubtful Thursday, Walsh would be a candidate to help fill the potential void.

Added to injury report Tatum has been featured on the injury report throughout the past week due to ongoing knee inflammation, and he's at risk of missing his second contest of the season due to the issue. The only other members of Boston's key rotation dealing with injuries are Al Horford (toe) and Sam Houser (adductor).

Downgraded to doubtful Hauser was previously listed as questionable, but he's trending towards being unavailable after being unable to return to Saturday's loss to Memphis. Jayson Tatum (knee), Jaden Springer (illness) and Jordan Walsh (ribs) are all considered questionable for Thursday, which could compromise the back-end of Boston's depth.

At least one month away It's unclear if Robinson has ascended to any significant basketball activities yet besides shooting, so the 26-year-old still has a lengthy ramp-up process to complete. The Knicks have leaned heavily on Karl-Anthony Towns in Robinson's stead, while Precious Achiuwa made his season debut on Dec. 5 and is a candidate to see his workload increase through coming weeks.

Upgraded to doubtful Larsson has missed Miami's last two contests while attending to a sprained ankle. Dru Smith has seen the most notable uptick in workload during the rookie's absence.

Considered probable for Thursday Butler has suited up in three consecutive contests, averaging 19.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists and 32.7 minutes per game over that span. His addition to Wednesday's injury report likely pertains more to maintenance at practice than an aggravation of any kind, but his status will need to be monitored.

Shooting at practice Brown remains one week away from his estimated re-evaluation while dealing with a herniated disc in his back. Given the complexity of back injuries, his activity is a good sign, but it adds little detail to his recovery timeline.

Excused from Wednesday’s practice James was excused from Wednesday's practice due to personal reasons, but he is also considered day-to-day while battling left foot soreness. Sunday's victory over Portland represented his first missed game of the season, and he had showed renewed vigor across four prior contests, averaging 26.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 9.3 assists in 34.8 minutes per game.

Could return Friday Dillingham has missed the past four games for Minnesota, but on top of doing some light drills at Wednesday's practice, he was also able to play in a 5-on-5 scrimmage. He's had a minor role this season, however, averaging 8.4 minutes across 11 appearances.

Trending upward Reaves has been sidelined since Nov. 29 due to a bruised left pelvis. The Lakers only have two games in the next seven days, traveling to Minnesota on Friday and welcoming Memphis on Sunday, representing a beneficial period for Reaves to continue getting healthy -- or perhaps return to action.

Charlotte happy with ramp-up Williams body responding well to his first games in nearly a year is an excellent sign. Lee also mentions that "the team will look to add a little more" to Williams' plate moving forward. Charlotte having four days off while the bracket of the Emirates NBA Cup plays out is beneficial timing for the 22-year-old.

Questionable for Friday Murray has missed the past two games for Denver due to right hamstring inflammation. Coach Michael Malone said Murray is still limited in what he can do, and noted that the guard will likely be listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Clippers. If Murray is unable to return, Russell Westbrook could draw another start with Jalen Pickett and Julian Strawther possibly seeing an uptick in minutes.

Limited practice participant Ball being on the floor to presumably work in position groups and scheme work sheds light on his status, with key next steps being an ascension to partial contact or mini scrimmages. Ball is due for a formal re-evaluation on his left calf strain in coming days.

Goes through another practice After getting in a non-contact session Tuesday, Williams made another positive step in his rehab Wednesday. He's missed 10 games in a row and has been sidelined since Nov. 18, but he appears to be closing in on a return. For now, he should be considered questionable for Friday's game against the Hornets.

Leaves practice early This sounds like a minor issue for Giddey, but it's worth monitoring ahead of Friday's game against Charlotte. Until more information is known, fantasy managers can operate under the assumption that Giddey is probable for that contest.

Undergoes knee surgery Williams was diagnosed with a torn ACL, meniscus and associated ligaments in his right knee back on Nov. 24. He was previously ruled out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season, and he's expected to return in 9-12 months. He finished the campaign with averages of 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks across 29.9 minutes per game over 16 appearances. He should be considered questionable to be ready in time for the 2025-26 season.

Efficient shooting performance Sane had a solid outing despite the loss, finishing second on the team in points scored even though he played just 18 minutes. The 21-year-old was also efficient shooting the ball as he converted on 83.3 percent of his field-goal attempts and 100.0 percent of his three-point tries.

Recalled to NBA Hukporti has just 11 appearances to his name at the NBA level for an average of 8.8 minutes per contest.

Recalled to New York Dadiet is likely to make frequent trips to the G League for the foreseeable future. He's unlikely to crack New York's rotation anytime soon.

Recalled to NBA Kolek will likely be back with Westchester shortly, as he's been unable to crack New York's rotation most nights.

Struggles shooting in G League loss Williams had an inefficient shooting performance Tuesday, connecting on just 30.0 percent of his field-goal attempts, although he did manage to record new season-high totals in both rebounds and assists. The rookie first-round pick spent the first month of the season with the Jazz, he's spent the past six games in the G League, and it's unclear when he will get his next opportunity in the NBA.

Nearly double-doubles The Bucks have turned their season around, going 9-2 in their last 11 games. Lillard has been instrumental during this turnaround, averaging 25.5 points, 8.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 3.5 three-pointers on 46.3 percent shooting in that span.

Scores 13 in 19 minutes Wagner has reached double figures in six straight games, but his workloads remain fairly low. In that span, he's averaging 20.0 minutes per contest with 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks and 0.8 three-pointers. He's been a viable streamer to open December.

Double-doubles in loss Bitadze recorded his eighth double-double of the season in the loss. Orlando continues to roll with a jumbo frontcourt featuring Bitadze and Wendell Carter together, so there's plenty of reasons to like his fantasy upside going forward. In five December outings, Bitadze is averaging 12.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals.

Double-doubles in win This was Hartenstein's seventh double-double of the season in just nine appearances. On a per-game basis, the center is on pace to return sixth-round value in nine-category formats with averages of 11.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 blocks on 55.4 percent shooting from the field.

Very productive as starter This was one of Wallace's best all-around performances of the season as he made a strong case to remain with the starters. In 13 starts this campaign, Wallace has mostly been quiet with averages of 7.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Fantasy managers will want to see if he can string together some productive showings going forward.

Plays well in win On top of a productive outing on the stat sheet, Dort helped to limit Luka Doncic to 16 points with six turnovers. Dort has increased his output on the defensive end this season, putting him on pace to return eighth-round value in nine-category formats with averages of 9.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.9 blocks and 2.1 three-pointers.

Out at least one week Richardson has struggled to stay healthy for Miami this season and will now miss at least two more games. He's been out of the rotation lately, so this setback for Richardson doesn't have many fantasy implications.

Plays 12 minutes With P.J. Washington (illness) out of the lineup, Prosper saw a small handful of extra minutes. He's been out of the rotation for most of the season, and he's rumored to be on the trade block if the Mavericks look to upgrade their roster at the deadline.

Scores nine points Dinwiddie had an inefficient night on the offensive end, something that's been the norm for most of the season. Through 23 regular-season contests, he's hitting 40.1 percent from the field with averages of 8.2 points, 3.0 assists, 1.8 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 1.4 three-pointers. He's hard to trust outside of deeper fantasy formats.

Pulls down 13 rebounds Lively was moved to the bench for the start of the second half in favor of Daniel Gafford, but he still saw a much larger workload. He recorded at least five assists for the third time of his career, and he posted his fourth double-double of the campaign. He's on pace to record 10th-round value in nine-category formats for the season due to efficient shooting with strong rebounding and shot blocking.

Notches 19 points Thompson had a productive outing offensively, but his peripheral stats were lacking. That's been the case for most of the regular season, as he's averaging just 3.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks in 27.6 minutes per contest.

Double-doubles in loss The Thunder were able to effectively slow Doncic down, limiting him to 16 points -- he's been held to 16 or fewer points just three times this season. Doncic also turned the ball over a season-high six times in the defeat. He was red hot coming into Tuesday and is still averaging 28.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 3.4 steals and 4.0 three-pointers over his last five outings.

Assigned to G League Scheierman has played a total of 11 minutes in one December appearance for Boston, so he'll continue to supplement his reps with G League stints.

Assigned to G League James remains on the outside of the rotation at the NBA level, playing just three minutes in one lone December appearance. He'll continue to be a key player for South Bay going forward.

Posts double-double in loss Tshiebwe had strong performance despite the loss, leading the team in rebounds and blocks in addition to shooting an effective 71.4 percent from the field. The two-way player also managed to compile his ninth double-double in the G League this season, where he will likely continue spending the majority of his time as he's appeared in just one NBA game so far.

Struggles shooting in win Darling surpassed 10 points scored for the eighth time this season in nine games played but struggled shooting the ball nonetheless, converting on just 28.6 percent of his field-goal attempts and 11.1 percent of his three-point tries. He now averages 14.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals.

Re-evaluated in one week Despite a re-evaluation coming up in one week, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday that Barnes is expected to miss several weeks of action and that's what fantasy managers should be prepared for. Davion Mitchell could see more playmaking responsibility in the meantime, while players such as Ochai Agbaji, Kelly Olynyk, Ja'Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead could see increased roles.

Recalled to NBA Lewis is a fringe rotation player at the NBA level and is likely to be back with South Bay in the near future.

Recalled to Utah Filipowski logged 15 minutes in Tuesday's 106-104 loss to the San Diego Clippers, finishing with two points (1-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt), three rebounds and two assists. He'll be a candidate to see more minutes with Utah if the franchise unloads some veterans at the trade deadline.

Recalled to NBA Prior to getting recalled, Sensabaugh played 27 minutes in Tuesday's 106-104 loss to the San Diego Clippers. He notched 21 points (9-19 FG, 3-10 3Pt), five rebounds, four assists and one steal.

Ties for team scoring lead in return Despite the Mavericks having both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving available for the NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup, Marshall -- who had missed the team's previous four contests -- finished as the surprise co-leader in scoring for Dallas along with Klay Thompson. Though he hadn't displayed much offensive game during the first four seasons of his career in New Orleans, Marshall has shown growth so far during his time in Dallas, as he's averaging a career-high 11.9 points per contest. He's been especially hot over his last eight appearances, posting 17.8 points per contest on 61.1 percent shooting from the field and 46.4 percent from three-point range. Both marks are well above his career-long rates of 44.3 and 31.3 percent, respectively, so fantasy managers who have been riding the wave of Marshall's recent production should anticipate some regression eventually heading his way.

Logs second double-double Evbuomwan led the team in points scored and finished second in rebounds en route to recording his second double-double of the season. The 6-foot-7 forward has continued to produce as of late, scoring 20 or more points in three of his last five appearances.

Facing multi-week absence Toronto has yet to provide an update on the results of the MRI that Barnes underwent Tuesday, but the projected multi-week recovery timeline provided by Sharania suggests that the forward is dealing with at least a moderate ankle sprain. Barnes had been seeing most of his playing time at point guard of late while Immanuel Quickley (elbow) has been out indefinitely, but Davion Mitchell could now be on track to step in as Toronto's primary facilitator until one of Barnes or Quickley return. The absence of Barnes could also open up some extra minutes for players such as Ochai Agbaji, Kelly Olynyk, Ja'Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead.

Leading scorer Tuesday Harkless' 28 points scored not only were the most on the team but also matched his season-high total set during San Diego's Nov. 20 win versus South Bay. The 24-year-old was also dominant on the defensive end once again as he's now racked up a combined 11 steals across his last two outings.

Misses Tuesday’s loss with injury One of Dallas' three two-way players, Williams has seen the overwhelming majority of his playing time in the G League this season, so his absence Tuesday didn't have any impact on head coach Jason Kidd's rotation. Williams will likely head back to the Texas Legends once he's moved past the thumb injury.

Tallies three steals Tuesday Williams recorded a season-high three steals in the win, continuing to play as a reliable depth piece. Since making his season debut about a month ago, Williams has been able to provide Oklahoma City with a versatile wing presence, capable of playing as a small-ball center at times. Although his production is often nothing to write home about, his impact is certainly visible for all to see.

Plays reduced role in win Mitchell logged just 10 minutes after averaging 18.3 minutes per game in each of the three previous appearances. Despite appearing in every game thus far, Mitchell has served up modest averages of just 5.6 points, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals in 16.0 minutes per game.

Garbage time appearance Carlson appeared for just the fifth time this season, with all but one appearance coming in garbage time. Despite the fact the Thunder currently have just one reliable center option, Carlson has been unable to force his way into the rotation, with the team opting to run with a small-ball lineup whenever Isaiah Hartenstein isn't on the floor.

Non-existent role continues Powell continues to play a limited role off the bench, currently averaging 8.1 minutes per game across 19 games played. The Mavericks have two centers ahead of Powell in the rotation, something that does not bode well for his immediate playing future. At this stage, Powell would need both Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford out of the way to have any chance of playing a meaningful role.

Rare appearance in loss Gortman suited up for just the sixth time this season, bringing his season tally to 14 minutes. He has scored a total of just eight points, and at this point, there is no reason to think he will be playing a sizeable role for this Mavericks team.

Logs 16 minutes in loss Gafford's playing time continues to trend in the wrong direction, having played fewer than 19 minutes in three of the past four games. After moving to the bench about a month ago, Gafford's role has fluctuated, resulting in somewhat muted production. While it is clear Dereck Lively has earned the trust of the coaching staff, there is a chance Gafford can force his way back into a 20+ minute role at some point in the near future.

Double-doubles in win After a modest start to the season, Portis has gotten things going in the right direction over the past two games. He has played at least 30 minutes in each of the two games, averaging 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 2.0 blocks and 3.5 three-pointers. While he won't be this good every night, it is clear that what he had been doing in the previous weeks was largely below expectations.

Hits three triples in win Green continues to play meaningful minutes off the bench for Milwaukee, having now connected on multiple three-pointers in eight straight games. He has been able to carve out a relatively consistent role, sliding ahead of players like Pat Connaughton and Gary Trent. As long as his shot if falling, he should continue to play a key role on a team looking to surge after a slow start to the season.

Empty performance again Despite continuing to start, Jackson once again came up well short when it comes to tangible production. Over the past month, Jackson has averaged 3.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game. Although he is listed and typically plays as a starter, his playing time and subsequent production reflect that of a secondary rotational piece.

Pops for 10 points Tuesday Howard scored double-digit points for just the fourth time this season, a campaign during which he has thus far failed to produce many highlights. Even with Orlando's two best players sidelined, Howard has been unable to step into a consistent role. The Magic are in a tough position, being a team that wants to develop their young players but also wants to win as many games as possible.

Strong two-way performance Black logged a season-high 32 minutes, turning in one of his better performances of the season. With both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner sidelined due to oblique injuries, Black has an opportunity to step into a larger role, at least for another week or two. While he has increased his production across multiple categories this season, consistency remains an issue.

Passive performance in loss Carter continues to play a passive role on the offensive end of the floor, having now scored in single digits in five straight games. Since returning from injury, Carter has been forced to play at the power forward position alongside Goga Bitadze. While Bitadze continues to play some of the best basketball of his career, Carter has been relatively disappointing.

Erupts in victory Gilgeous-Alexander's efficient shooting helped him tally his second-most points in a game this season. The superstar guard has scored at least 30 points in eight of his last 10 appearances. Gilgeous-Alexander's five three-pointers made against Dallas tied his season-high mark.