March 5, 2026
There were reports earlier on Thursday suggesting that the Chicago Bears might be in play to acquire All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders, but ESPN's Adam Schefter doesn't see the Bears in the driver's seat for a deal right now, and he also isn't convinced that Crosby will actually be dealt. Schefter added that the Bears have no ties to Cincinnati Bengals impending free-agent defensive end Trey Hendrickson (hip, pelvis) as they look to improve their pass rush. Instead of trading for Crosby or going after Hendrickson, Chicago could go after centers Tyler Biadasz or Lloyd Cushenberry to help replace Drew Dalman, who surprisingly retired this week. Crosby has been rumored to be a trade candidate since he was unhappy with the Raiders shutting him down for the final two games of the 2025 season due to a knee injury. He hasn't publicly requested a trade, though, and the Raiders may only move him if they receive two first-round picks and a young impact player in return.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
March 5, 2026
New York Knicks guard/forward
Josh Hart (back) is listed as questionable for a meeting with the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. The versatile veteran suffered a back contusion in Wednesday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. This doesn't seem to be a significant enough issue to keep Hart off the court. However, if he misses time, New York will look for more production from
Jose Alvarado and
Landry Shamet.
Jordan Clarkson might also rejoin the rotation.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Denver Nuggets forward
Cameron Johnson (ankle) won't play on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports. There was hope that Johnson's absence due to an ankle injury would be limited to one game after the team listed him as questionable on the initial injury report. Johnson's next opportunity to return will be Friday night against the New York Knicks. With Johnson out on Monday against Utah, Denver experimented with
Jonas Valanciunas in the starting lineup next to
Nikola Jokic. Meanwhile,
Tim Hardaway Jr. and
Bruce Brown both saw 30-plus minutes off the bench. The two will probably continue to have a heavier workload on Thursday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: Dave McMenamin
March 5, 2026
Portland Trail Blazers forward
Kris Murray (illness) is considered questionable for Friday's tilt against the Houston Rockets. He's battling an illness and could be absent for a second consecutive game. Murray has recently been
Deni Avdija's (back) replacement in the starting unit. With both players on the shelf,
Scoot Henderson started Wednesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies, finishing with eight points, one rebound, three assists, and one steal in 24 minutes. His night was hampered by 3-for-11 shooting.
Vit Krejci and
Sidy Cissoko are also candidates for larger roles if Murray and Avdija don't return on Friday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Portland Trail Blazers forward
Deni Avdija (back) has been tagged as doubtful for Friday's matchup with the Houston Rockets. A lower back injury is likely to keep him sidelined for a sixth consecutive game. With
Kris Murray (illness) also on the injury report,
Scoot Henderson and
Vit Krejci may continue to see increased minutes. Meanwhile,
Jrue Holiday and
Jerami Grant, who combined for 65 points in Wednesday's 122-114 win over Memphis, are expected to keep leading the offense.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Los Angeles Lakers forward/center
Maxi Kleber (back) will miss the first game of a back-to-back on Thursday against the Denver Nuggets. He was listed as questionable on the initial injury report due to back soreness. Kleber was also considered questionable for Tuesday's meeting with New Orleans before getting the green light to play. Yet Lakers head coach JJ Redick elected not to use Kleber in that game. It wasn't surprising, as Kleber doesn't have a consistent role with the Lakers. Even if the German veteran returns to the lineup on Friday against the Indiana Pacers, he might receive another DNP-CD.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Chicago Bulls forward
Matas Buzelis (ankle) will miss his first game of the season on Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns. The 21-year-old hurt his right ankle on Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder and was initially listed as questionable for Thursday's action. Buzelis' absence opens the door for greater involvement from
Leonard Miller and
Nick Richards. Of the two players, Richards -- fresh off a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double -- offers more fantasy upside.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Chicago Bulls point guard
Josh Giddey (ankle) won't play on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns. He was initially listed as questionable for the contest after Giddey rolled his right ankle in Tuesday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Chicago's backcourt has been hit by several injuries, forcing
Tre Jones,
Collin Sexton, and
Rob Dillingham to step up. With Giddey out, Sexton is the prime candidate to join Jones in the starting lineup on Thursday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Phoenix Suns center
Mark Williams (foot) will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks, Shane Young of the Suns' official site reports. The big man has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in the third metatarsal of his left foot. Williams will miss his first game of 2026 on Thursday against Chicago and won't make a quick return to action.
Oso Ighodaro has put together a nice stretch recently and could make even more noise as Williams' replacement in the first unit. At the same time,
Khaman Maluach is likely to enter the rotation as a backup big.
--Taavi PailkSource: Shane Young
March 5, 2026
Toronto Raptors guard/forward
Brandon Ingram (thumb) will be in the lineup on Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was initially considered questionable for the game due to a left thumb sprain. Since Ingram is a right-handed shooter, the injury is unlikely to significantly affect his play. Ingram notched 31 points on Tuesday against the New York Knicks and has upped his game since the All-Star break, averaging 23.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Houston Rockets forward/center
Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) will be back in action on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. He has been cleared to return after sitting out two games with a right ankle sprain. Smith Jr.'s return will hurt
Reed Sheppard, who performed well in two outings as his replacement in the starting lineup. Smith Jr. is coming off his best month of the season, having averaged 17.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in February.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
According to Lachard Binkley of SI.com, Houston Rockets forward
Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) won't suit up Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. The 32-year-old will sit out the first half of back-to-back games due to left ankle injury management. He will likely be good to go for Friday's matchup with Portland. With Finney-Smith on the shelf,
Josh Okogie will likely take on a heavier workload than usual during tonight's clash in Houston.
--Andrew LennoxSource: Lachard Binkley
March 5, 2026
Los Angeles Clippers point guard
Darius Garland (toe) has been listed as out for Friday's matchup with the San Antonio Spurs. Garland returned from a seven-week absence on Monday against the Golden State Warriors, and he won't be utilized during the first leg of a back-to-back on Friday night to prevent overworking him so soon after his toe injury. We will likely see him back on the court against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. With Garland out,
Kawhi Leonard and
Kris Dunn will take on additional playmaking duties. Meanwhile,
Bennedict Mathurin and
Kobe Sanders could see more time on the floor.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
According to Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle, Houston Rockets guard/forward
Amen Thompson (ankle) is available to play Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. Thompson sprained his right ankle during Monday's win over the Washington Wizards. However, after a few days of rest, the 23-year-old has been cleared to suit up for tonight's contest. Fantasy managers should expect Thompson to make an impact against the Warriors, as he has been on an impressive run over his last five games, recording three double-doubles.
--Andrew LennoxSource: Varun Shankar
March 5, 2026
Washington Wizards forward
Anthony Gill (illness) has been upgraded from questionable to available for Thursday's contest against the Utah Jazz. The 33-year-old has missed a couple of games due to illness. After riding the bench for most of the campaign, Gill has become an important part of the Wizards' rotation lately. He has averaged 28.0 minutes per game across his last six outings, posting 9.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. If he maintains a similar workload on Thursday, Gill could be more productive against the NBA's worst defense.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Houston Rockets center
Alperen Sengun (illness) is available to suit up against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. Sengun will play in his 26th consecutive game tonight despite feeling under the weather. Fantasy managers should expect the 23-year-old Turkish big man to continue to produce, as he posted 32 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block across 38 minutes during Monday's 123-118 win over the Wizards.
--Andrew LennoxSource: Varun Shankar
March 5, 2026
Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward
Anthony Edwards (foot) will play on Thursday night against the Toronto Raptors. There was concern that Edwards might miss the game after he was a late addition to the injury report. Now, he has received the green light to make his 16th consecutive appearance. Edwards has produced two 40-point efforts in his last five games, averaging 31.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.2 steals during that span.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Dallas Mavericks guard/forward
Klay Thompson (adductor) will be active against the Orlando Magic on Thursday. The team will welcome the veteran back to the lineup after Thompson skipped Tuesday's loss to Charlotte with a right adductor contusion. Thompson is averaging a career-low 11.5 points per game this season, and as a three-point specialist, he faces a very tricky matchup on Thursday night, with Orlando giving up the fewest three-point attempts in the league at 32.9 per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Dallas Mavericks point guard
Brandon Williams (quadriceps) won't take the court on Thursday against the Orlando Magic. The team downgraded him from probable to questionable during the day and has now officially ruled Williams out. In Williams' absence,
Ryan Nembhard might take on a few extra shifts against Orlando, but the return of
Cooper Flagg (foot),
Naji Marshall (finger), and
Klay Thompson (adductor) will also influence the rotation. It's possible Williams' absence will be limited to one game, as Dallas will complete a back-to-back on Friday against the Boston Celtics.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard
Jaylen Clark (illness) is set to suit up against Toronto on Thursday. Clark was previously listed as questionable due to an illness, but he's since been cleared for action versus the Raptors. The 24-year-old isn't expected to make an impact in fantasy this evening as he's only averaging 3.8 points in 13.3 minutes across 54 games this season.
--Andrew LennoxSource: Timberwolves PR
March 5, 2026
Dallas Mavericks forward
Naji Marshall (finger) will suit up on Thursday against the Orlando Magic. The team has upgraded Marshall from probable to available. Marshall has missed two games with a finger injury.
Cooper Flagg (foot) will also return for the Mavericks, so the offense will look very different compared to the past few games. Marshall has been one of Dallas's main offensive catalysts this season, posting a career-high 15.4 points per game. He is also averaging career-highs in rebounding (4.9), assists (3.1), and steals (1.1).
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Golden State Warriors guard/forward
Gary Payton II (ankle) won't play Thursday against Houston. He will miss his second consecutive game due to a left ankle injury. The 33-year-old contributes primarily on the defensive end for the Warriors and doesn't carry significant fantasy value. With Payton II sidelined,
Nate Williams and
Gui Santos could see expanded roles, as
Will Richard (ankle) and
Moses Moody (wrist) are also out.
--Andrew LennoxSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Orlando Magic forward
Jonathan Isaac (knee) will be in street clothes on Thursday night against the Dallas Mavericks. He was a late addition to the injury report due to left knee soreness, and the team has downgraded Isaac's status from questionable to out. Since Isaac played only four minutes in Tuesday's victory over Washington, his absence is unlikely to impact the Magic. The team is also getting some reinforcements on Thursday night, as both
Anthony Black (quadriceps) and
Wendell Carter Jr. (ankle) are set to return to the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Orlando Magic center
Wendell Carter Jr. (ankle) will return from a one-game absence on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks. He has been cleared to play after sitting out one game due to a sore left ankle. With Carter Jr. unavailable,
Goga Bitadze started Tuesday's contest against Washington and will be bumped back to the bench for Thursday's action. Still, both big men could have fun against the Mavericks, who are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points in the league to opposing centers.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
The Washington Wizards announced Thursday that forward/center
Anthony Davis (hand) will be re-evaluated in two weeks. The 32-year-old big man is recovering from ligament damage in his left hand. Davis has been cleared for limited individual on-court activities, but the Wizards are expected to remain cautious and avoid rushing him back into game action. In the meantime,
Anthony Gill (illness) and
Julian Reese should continue to see increased frontcourt minutes with
Alexandre Sarr (hamstring) and
Tristan Vukcevic (thigh) also sidelined.
--Andrew LennoxSource: WIzards PR
March 5, 2026
Orlando Magic guard
Anthony Black (quadriceps) will end a two-game absence on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks. He is ready to return from a quadriceps contusion, with the team upgrading Black's status from questionable to available. With Black back in the fold,
Tristan da Silva must likely settle for a bench role, and
Jevon Carter is set to lose playing time after logging 30 minutes in back-to-back games. Black makes his return in a good spot, facing a team that allows 117.7 points per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Los Angeles Clippers forward/center
John Collins (neck) and center
Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot) will miss the team's upcoming back-to-back on the road against San Antonio and Memphis, Law Murray of The Athletic reports. Collins was already ruled out for the rest of the week before Wednesday's win over Indiana, while Konan Niederhauser injured his right foot in the game. Due to the shortage of healthy big men,
Isaiah Jackson seems poised to take on a bigger role for at least a couple of games. Jackson had 10 points, four rebounds, two assists, and three blocks in 18 minutes against his former team on Wednesday night. Injuries to other bigs could also require starting center
Brook Lopez to take on a slightly increased workload.
--Taavi PailkSource: Law Murray
March 5, 2026
The Denver Broncos are not expected to re-sign defensive lineman
John Franklin-Myers, a source told Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette. Franklin-Myers is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next Wednesday. There have not been any contract discussions with the 29-year-old pass-rusher since the end of the 2025 season. The former fourth-round selection by the Los Angeles Rams in 2018 out of Stephen F. Austin had a productive two years in Denver, totaling 14.5 sacks, 65 tackles (30 solo), 14 tackles for loss, and 33 QB hits in 33 regular-season games (31 starts). Franklin-Myers ranked third on the Broncos in sacks and was a big reason why they led the league in that department in 2025. He should have a healthy market in free agency among NFL teams looking to improve their pass rush in 2026 and beyond.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Denver Gazette - Chris Tomasson
March 5, 2026
The Dallas Cowboys thought they were close to a deal to acquire All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday night, but since then, other teams have raised the ante and potentially are offering the Raiders two first-round picks, according to Trey Wingo. As a result, the Cowboys are expected to shift their focus to Cincinnati Bengals impending free-agent defensive end Trey Hendrickson (hip, pelvis). The Bengals didn't use another franchise tag on Hendrickson, so he will most likely walk in free agency after spending the last five years in Cincy. The 31-year-old veteran only played in seven games in 2025 due to hip/pelvis injuries that eventually led to core-muscle surgery. However, he will still be one of the top pass-rushers available in free agency after reaching 17.5 sacks in both 2023 and 2024. Hendrickson would help replace pass-rusher Micah Parsons, who was traded to the Packers last fall in exchange for two first-rounders and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
--Keith HernandezSource: Trey Wingo
March 5, 2026
Trey Wingo reports that things are moving fast regarding Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby's trade market. The Dallas Cowboys thought they were close to a deal on Wednesday night, but since then, other teams have raised the ante and potentially are offering two first-round picks. Dallas traded pass-rusher Micah Parsons, who is three years younger than Crosby, to the Green Bay Packers last fall for two first-rounders and defensive tackle Kenny Clark, and the Raiders reportedly have been looking for a similar package for Crosby. The 28-year-old Crosby hasn't officially demanded a trade, but all signs point to him being dealt this offseason, potentially before the start of the new league year next week. The former fourth-rounder in 2019 out of Eastern Michigan is second in the league in tackles for loss in the last three years and also has 32 sacks in 44 games in that span. Whoever lands Crosby is going to get one of the premier pass-rushers in football.
--Keith HernandezSource: Trey Wingo
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