April 17, 2026
Golden State Warriors forward/center
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) is expected to play on Friday against the Phoenix Suns, ESPN's Anthony Slater reports. The Latvian veteran remains questionable on the injury report, but he appears ready to play through right ankle soreness. After struggling late during the regular season, Porzingis opened the Play-In Tournament with a strong performance on Wednesday, notching 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and one steal in 28 minutes against the Clippers. Due to his ankle issue, Porzingis might have a lighter workload on Friday night, leaving more playing time for
Al Horford and
Gui Santos.
--Taavi PailkSource: Anthony Slater
April 17, 2026
Philadelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (abdomen) has been officially ruled out for Sunday's Game 1 against the Boston Celtics, The Athletic's Tony Jones reports. "I'm just worried about Sunday, and I know he's not playing in that one. So I'm just trying to put together a great game plan for Sunday," 76ers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters on Friday. Embiid hasn't played since April 6, missing the last three regular-season games and one Play-In Tournament game after undergoing an appendectomy.
Adem Bona finished the regular season as Philadelphia's starting center, while
Andre Drummond also had an expanded role.
--Taavi PailkSource: Tony Jones
April 17, 2026
Memphis Grizzlies guard
Ja Morant (elbow) is expected to be shopped again this offseason as the franchise continues its rebuild, with league executives believing a deal remains possible despite recent struggles. Morant played just 20 games this season before being shut down with a UCL sprain and averaged 19.5 points on 41.0 percent shooting, a dip from his All-Star peak. His uncertain situation adds risk in dynasty formats, while Memphis' youth movement could boost roles for players like
GG Jackson II and
Santi Aldama if the roster fully resets.
--Brian DailisanSource: Tim MacMahon and Michael C. Wright
April 17, 2026
Washington Wizards head coach Brian Keefe will return for the 2026-27 season after guiding the team through a 17-65 campaign that was focused on development. The move signals continuity for a roster expected to shift toward winning behind
Trae Young (back) and
Anthony Davis (hand), while young pieces like
Alexandre Sarr (toe) and
Kyshawn George (elbow) continue to grow. For fantasy purposes, Keefe's player development track record supports long-term upside for prospects, though rotations may tighten with veterans added.
Bub Carrington and
Tre Johnson could see reduced usage, while Young and Davis are positioned to dominate offensive roles.
--Brian DailisanSource: Josh Robbins
April 17, 2026
Detroit Pistons guard
Cade Cunningham and Los Angeles Lakers guard
Luka Doncic are now eligible for all 2025-26 season honors, according to Shams Charania, after winning their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge to the 65-game rule. Both remain elite fantasy anchors, with Doncic averaging 33.5 points, 4.0 three-pointers, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.6 steals, while Cunningham posted 23.9 points, 2.0 three-pointers, 5.5 rebounds, 9.9 assists and 1.4 steals across 64 games. This removes any award-related uncertainty in keeper formats.
Anthony Edwards was denied, slightly lowering his end-of-season accolade outlook.
--Brian DailisanSource: Shams Charania
April 17, 2026
Golden State Warriors forward/center
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) is questionable for Friday's play-in matchup for the eighth seed against Phoenix after appearing to favor his ankle following Wednesday's win over the Clippers. He posted 20 points, three triples, five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and two blocks in 28 minutes in that game. If he sits,
Al Horford would likely step into a larger role after logging 14 points and three rebounds in 23 minutes, making him a viable deep-league streamer.
Draymond Green and
Gui Santos should also see stable minutes, while
Gary Payton II could pick up additional run.
--Brian DailisanSource: NBA Injury Report
April 17, 2026
Golden State Warriors center
Quinten Post (foot) is out for Friday's eighth-seed play-in tournament matchup against Phoenix, marking his ninth straight absence due to a right-foot injury. His continued absence keeps Golden State in a tightened rotation, placing more frontcourt responsibility on
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) if cleared after posting 20 points, three triples, five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and two blocks in 28 minutes Wednesday.
Draymond Green and
Gui Santos should maintain steady roles, while
Al Horford remains a deeper streaming option for points and rebounds off the bench.
--Brian DailisanSource: NBA Injury Report
April 17, 2026
Phoenix Suns center
Mark Williams (foot) is questionable for Friday's West eighth-seed Play-In Tournament game against Golden State after dealing with left-foot soreness and logging 22 minutes in Tuesday's loss to Portland. If he sits,
Oso Ighodaro is expected to start. His fantasy appeal remains limited despite three points, one rebound, six assists, and one steal in 23 minutes last game, while averaging 6.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists across 22 minutes this season. Ighodaro is a low-cost DFS punt who can return value with rebounds and out-of-position assists if he sees enough minutes, while
Devin Booker and
Jalen Green should continue to carry the offensive load.
--Brian DailisanSource: NBA Injury Report
April 17, 2026
Phoenix Suns guard/forward
Grayson Allen (hamstring) is questionable for Friday's Play-In Tournament matchup against Golden State and could miss a third straight game if he cannot sprint during pregame testing. His absence would keep Phoenix leaning on secondary pieces, with
Royce O'Neale producing seven points, eight rebounds, three assists, and four steals in 24 minutes last game, while
Collin Gillespie logged five points with one triple across 20 minutes. O'Neale is the safer streaming option if you need rebounds and defensive stats, while Gillespie is more of a deeper-league play for assists.
Devin Booker and
Jalen Green should continue handling heavy usage.
--Brian DailisanSource: NBA Injury Report
April 16, 2026
Atlanta Hawks center
Jock Landale (ankle) will miss the start of the postseason. He is working his way back from a high ankle sprain, and the team announced on Thursday that Landale will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks. The Hawks begin their first-round series against the New York Knicks on Saturday. After he was acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies in February, Landale suited up for 23 regular-season games with the Hawks. He averaged 9.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 19.4 minutes. Starting center
Onyeka Okongwu looks set for a heavy workload in the playoffs, with
Mouhamed Gueye and
Tony Bradley sharing the backup role.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 16, 2026
Orlando Magic forward
Jonathan Isaac (knee) is listed as questionable on the injury report ahead of Friday's Play-In Tournament game against the Charlotte Hornets. He hasn't seen any action for more than a month due to a left knee sprain. Isaac was also questionable for Wednesday's tilt against Philadelphia before he was ultimately ruled out. During the regular season, Isaac averaged only 10.0 minutes across 52 games, so he isn't a major loss for the Magic.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
April 16, 2026
Charlotte Hornets center
Moussa Diabate (hip) is considered questionable for Friday's Play-In Tournament matchup against the Orlando Magic. Charlotte may be without its starting center for the win-or-go-home game, as Diabate has landed on the injury report with a sore left hip. The 24-year-old is coming off an eight-point, 14-rebound effort in Tuesday's win over Miami. If Diabate can't get on the floor on Friday,
Ryan Kalkbrenner and
Grant Williams are likely to get the bulk of the work at center.
Xavier Tillman may also enter the rotation.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
April 16, 2026
Philadelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (abdomen) is not expected to play at the start of the team's first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. He underwent a successful appendectomy a week ago and needs more time to recover from the procedure. "The Sixers are preparing for battle without Joel Embiid, at least to start the series," Charania said during an appearance on NBA Today. "He's only a week-ish removed from surgery for that appendicitis. So he's very much in the recovery phase of this. Once you recover, then you have to have a separate rehab part of the process as well."
Adem Bona has started at center during Embiid's absence, including in Wednesday's Play-In Tournament win over Orlando. However, backup big man
Andre Drummond has been more productive, posting three straight double-doubles.
--Taavi PailkSource: Shams Charania
April 16, 2026
Los Angeles Clippers guard/forward
Bennedict Mathurin was the team's leading scorer with 23 points in Wednesday's season-ending 126-121 loss to the Golden State Warriors. The former Pacer was red-hot from downtown, going 5-for-6, and had a 7-for-11 overall record from the field. Mathruin made all four free-throw attempts, adding three rebounds, two assists, and three steals to his line in 30 minutes off the bench. After he was traded by Indiana midseason, Mathurin went from a regular starter to a bench contributor. But he had some outstanding performances in his new role, showing that it might suit him going forward. Overall, Mathurin's numbers didn't change much in L.A. compared to his time with the Pacers, as he posted averages of 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 26 games. With
Kawhi Leonard's future up in the air, Mathurin might have a bigger role next season with the Clippers, which would boost his fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
April 16, 2026
Golden State Warriors forward/center
Kristaps Porzingis made a big impact in Wednesday's 126-121 Play-In Tournament win over the Los Angeles Clippers, tallying 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and two blocks in 28 minutes. He missed only four of his 12 attempts from the field and was 3-for-6 with the three-ball. Porzingis had a tough time in his final four regular-season outings, going 1-for-15 from behind the arc. His improvement in Wednesday's matchup will be encouraging for the Warriors ahead of Friday's play-in game against Phoenix and a potential playoff run.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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