1 hour agoMemphis Grizzlies forward/center
Santi Aldama and small forward
Jaylen Wells will join the starting lineup for Thursday's game against Milwaukee. The duo replaces
Marcus Smart (ankle) and
Desmond Bane (oblique), who were injured in Wednesday's 119-106 loss to Brooklyn. Aldama will make his fourth start of the campaign, while Wells joins the first unit for the first time in his young career. In his previous three starts, Aldama has averaged 13.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks. The injuries to Smart and Bane will likely also result in increased usage for
Ja Morant and
Jaren Jackson Jr.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Memphis Grizzlies
1 hour agoHouston Rockets center
Steven Adams (knee, calf) will be in the lineup on Thursday versus Dallas. He has shaken off a questionable designation ahead of the game. Adams made his Houston debut earlier in the week with a six-point, three-rebound effort across 14 minutes against San Antonio. He will struggle to put up meaningful fantasy production as
Alperen Sengun's backup. As a result of Adams' return,
Jock Landale is in danger of dropping out of the rotation.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jonathan Feigen
1 hour agoMemphis Grizzlies guard/forward
John Konchar (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Thursday's matchup against Milwaukee. He was back from a two-game absence on Wednesday versus Brooklyn, but Kochar is battling a quadriceps contusion and will step aside once again. The 28-year-old has averaged 5.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in 19.0 minutes this season. His absence is another blow for the team after
Marcus Smart (ankle) and
Desmond Bane (oblique) were already ruled out earlier. Memphis' bench mob appears set to play a large role in Thursday's contest, with so many regulars out.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Memphis Grizzlies PR
1 hour agoUtah Jazz forward
Lauri Markkanen (back) has been ruled out for Thursday's tilt against San Antonio. Back spasms limited Markkanen to only 17 minutes last time out against Sacramento, and the team will keep him out of action on Thursday after initially listing him as questionable for the game. Utah's frontcourt has also lost
Taylor Hendricks (lower leg) this week, leaving
Kyle Filipowski and
John Collins in a position to benefit. Filipowski flirted with a double-double on Tuesday versus the Kings when he finally received a good chunk of minutes. Collins has been limited to a bench role this season but has been productive with 14.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in 21.0 minutes.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Utah Jazz
2 hours agoMemphis Grizzlies guard/forward
Desmond Bane (oblique) will sit out Thursday's action against Milwaukee. Bane has landed on the shelf after suffering an oblique strain against Brooklyn on Wednesday. The 26-year-old has shot an impressive 40.6 percent from deep through the first few games of the season to average 18.8 points with 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Memphis also lost
Marcus Smart (ankle) on Wednesday, meaning it's again time for fantasy managers to put their trust in
Jake LaRavia and
Scotty Pippen Jr. The two performed well last season when the Grizzlies were troubled by injuries. Rookie
Jaylen Wells is also a player to keep an eye on.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jessica Benson
2 hours agoMemphis Grizzlies guard
Marcus Smart (ankle) will not play against Milwaukee on Thursday. Smart injured his right ankle on Wednesday versus Brooklyn, exiting the contest after logging only six minutes. The team is awaiting imaging results to determine the severity of Smart's injury. The veteran guard has had an awful time on the offensive end early in the season, shooting only 23.5 percent from the field, but his defensive ability will be a massive miss for the team.
Scotty Pippen Jr. and
Jaylen Wells are in line to see additional playing time on Thursday, with the Grizzlies lineup thin because of injuries.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jessica Benson
2 hours agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) will play against Memphis on Thursday. The former MVP has been a regular on the injury report with right patella tendinitis, but the team has upgraded him from probable to available. The injury hasn't really limited Antetokounmpo, who has kicked off the 2024-25 campaign with four consecutive double-doubles. He has averaged 28.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. With
Khris Middleton (ankle) out of the lineup, Antetokounmpo is expected to have another big night, as he needs to do extra to help the team get back on track following a 1-3 start.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Eric Nehm
11 hours agoPhiladelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (knee) is set to have "periodic" spells on the sidelines this season. Speaking during an appearance on SportsCenter, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Philadelphia plans to keep Embiid healthy for the playoffs by giving him "periodic time off at different points during the season." The former MVP is set to have routine check-ups on his knee, and this is going to be the "new normal" for Embiid. The 76ers superstar has yet to play this season but has completed multiple five-on-five scrimmages during a ramp-up process and could be available as soon as this weekend.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
11 hours agoPhoenix Suns guard
Bradley Beal (elbow) has landed back on the injury report ahead of Thursday's clash with the Clippers. After missing one game with a sore elbow, the veteran star returned to action against the Lakers on Monday. But he could be back on the shelf again on Thursday with the elbow issue, with the team tagging him as questionable for the game.
Ryan Dunn was filling in for Beal in the starting unit and produced a 13-point effort on Saturday versus Dallas.
Royce O'Neale and
Damion Lee are also in a position to benefit if Beal is out on Thursday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
11 hours agoMemphis Grizzlies guard
Marcus Smart (ankle) saw only six minutes of action in Wednesday's loss to Brooklyn. Smart rolled his right ankle and exited the contest without scoring any points. Memphis also lost
Desmond Bane (oblique) in the contest, which opened up tons of minutes for the reserves.
Scotty Pippen Jr. and
Jake LaRavia have led the second unit for Memphis this season. There could also be additional minutes available for
Jaylen Wells and
John Konchar if Smart and Bane sit out Thursday's matchup against Milwaukee.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Memphis Grizzlies PR
11 hours agoMemphis Grizzlies guard/forward
Desmond Bane sustained an oblique injury in Wednesday's 119-106 loss to Brooklyn. The 26-year-old played only 17 minutes, scoring 10 points and grabbing six rebounds. Memphis is scheduled to finish off a back-to-back against Milwaukee on Thursday, and fantasy managers will need to monitor Bane's status closely.
Scotty Pippen Jr.,
John Konchar, and
Jaylen Wells could see more action without Bane. Pippen Jr. has proven himself as the best fantasy option of the three.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Damichael Cole
12 hours agoChicago Bulls guard/forward
Zach LaVine injured his left shoulder in Wednesday's 102-99 victory over Orlando. Speaking after the game, LaVine told reporters that he suffered a "subluxation" in his shoulder. He added that he had X-rays done, and everything was "OK." LaVine played through the injury on Wednesday but finished with only 11 points in 36 minutes. He shot 2-for-9 from the field. On the positive side, LaVine was able to tally his first double-double of the season by grabbing 10 rebounds. The Bulls star also recorded three assists. LaVine didn't seem too concerned about his shoulder injury on Wednesday, but the games are coming thick and fast, and it remains to be seen if he's available for Friday's contest against Brooklyn.
Ayo Dosunmu and
Dalen Terry should see additional playing time if LaVine lands on the shelf.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Cody Westerlund
12 hours agoOrlando Magic forward
Franz Wagner left a second consecutive game early due to an illness on Wednesday. He logged 23 minutes in a 102-99 loss to Chicago, scoring seven points while registering three rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block. The German star was limited to 11 minutes on Monday versus Indiana. Fantasy managers are currently in a tough spot regarding Wagner, but hopefully, he can fully shake off the illness before the next game. Orlando returns to the court on Friday against Cleveland.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Jason Beede
12 hours agoNew Orleans Pelicans center
Daniel Theis suffered an ankle injury in Wednesday's game against Golden State. He had soaked in just five minutes of action before hurting his right ankle. The German big man finished the contest scoreless while recording three rebounds. Theis has kicked off the year as New Orleans' starting center, averaging 4.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 16.0 minutes.
Yves Missi will be in line for more playing time if Theis has to miss additional time, although the rookie himself battled a hip problem on Wednesday. With two bigs limited by health issues,
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl logged a season-high 23 minutes. He had nine points with five rebounds and three assists. Robinson-Earl could be a speculative add for fantasy managers if Missi joins Theis on the sidelines.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: New Orleans Pelicans
23 hours agoAccording to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, Golden State Warriors forward
Andrew Wiggins (back) is unavailable for Wednesday's contest with the New Orleans Pelicans. Wiggins is dealing with a lower back strain that will keep him out of the lineup for the second consecutive contest. With the 29-year-old missing in action,
Moses Moody,
Brandin Podziemski, and
Jonathan Kuminga will take on extra minutes for the second straight game.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Dalton Johnson
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