January 2, 2026
According to broadcaster Jeff Turner, the Orlando Magic are expected to get forward
Franz Wagner (ankle) "back within the next week." Orlando has upcoming games against the Pacers, Wizards, Nets, and 76ers during that span, so it appears there is a light at the end of the tunnel for fantasy managers. The 2021 No. 8 overall selection was having another solid campaign before an ankle injury put him out of commission, averaging 22.7 points, 4.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and a career-high 6.1 rebounds. Wagner will presumably be limited for at least a few contests upon his return. However, even then, his presence should take away scoring opportunities from others right away, including
Anthony Black, who has averaged 19.2 points in 14 starts this season.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Jason Beede
January 2, 2026
Milwaukee Bucks forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is clear to suit up for Friday's matchup versus Charlotte. The multi-time MVP was listed on the injury report. However, that's nothing new, with Antetokounmpo in line to appear in his fourth-straight contest. He has faced the Hornets twice throughout the 2025 campaign, averaging 24.5 points, 12.5 assists, 5.5 boards, and 1.5 steals.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
January 2, 2026
New York Knicks forward/center
Karl-Anthony Towns (illness) won't suit up on Friday against Atlanta. The Knicks also won't have
Mitchell Robinson (ankle), meaning the team will be extremely thin at the five. New York will play again on Saturday versus the visiting 76ers. Hopefully, KAT will feel better by then. In the meantime,
Ariel Hukporti is expected to take his place in the rotation, with the 23-year-old averaging two points, four boards, and one block in three starts throughout the 2025 campaign.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Fred Katz
January 2, 2026
Golden State Warriors guard
Stephen Curry (ankle) has been downgraded to out on Friday and will not take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The superstar point guard is dealing with an ankle sprain that will cause him to miss at least one contest so far.
Jimmy Butler III (illness) has also been ruled out, so
Brandin Podziemski and
Will Richard may join
Moses Moody in the starting five. Podziemski has averaged 12.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while Moody has put up 10.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest. Both could serve as solid streaming options in most fantasy formats while Richard would have more value in deeper leagues.
--Alex FischbeinSource: NBA Injury Report
January 2, 2026
Golden State Warriors forward
Jimmy Butler III (illness) has been ruled out for Friday's meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder due to an illness. The veteran wing is coming off of a very efficient and well-rounded game against the Charlotte Hornets on New Years Eve. Unfortunately, Butler will be joined by
Stephen Curry (ankle) and
Draymond Green (rest) on the sidelines for this game, so
Brandin Podziemski,
Will Richard, and
Moses Moody should all see added minutes. Podziemski is likely the more reliable streaming option, but Moody has been more consistent than Richard with averages of 10.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest.
--Alex FischbeinSource: NBA Injury Report
January 2, 2026
Golden State Warriors guard
Seth Curry (back) will not suit up against the Oklahoma City Thunder while he suffers from sciatic nerve irritation. The 35-year-old has only been able to play in two games for the Warriors so far while the team has been hit hard with the injury bug lately. Most of the backcourt is going to miss this game, so that leaves
Will Richard,
Brandin Podziemski, and
Moses Moody to get more opportunities. Since
Stephen Curry (ankle) and
Jimmy Butler III (illness) are both ruled out, Podziemski and Richard could join the starting five. The former would be a more reliable option for fantasy managers as he averages 12.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.0 threes per game.
--Alex FischbeinSource: NBA Injury Report
January 2, 2026
Golden State Warriors forward
Draymond Green (rest) will not play on Friday against the defending champ Oklahoma City Thunder. The former Defensive Player of the Year is receiving a rest day which will open up some minutes for
Al Horford (probable - back) and
Trayce Jackson-Davis. Horford may move into the starting five, but has only started in one game out of his 16 appearances. Jackson-Davis has the same amount of starts, and similar stats to the former Celtic. Both could give fantasy managers in category formats some points and rebounds with a higher efficiency, but there are better options for shallower leagues. Especially if
Jonathan Kuminga finally gets into the mix again for this game.
--Alex FischbeinSource: NBA Injury Report
January 2, 2026
Portland Trail Blazers forward
Jerami Grant (Achilles) will miss an eighth consecutive game on Friday as he continues to deal with tendonitis in his left Achilles. The veteran forward has battled with injuries for most of his career, but has posted 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game through 26 appearances this season. While Grant and the Blazers deal with a plethora of injuries,
Sidy Cissoko,
Caleb Love, and
Kris Murray will all see added opportunities. Cissoko has received the starting nod the past two games, and has averaged 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in his 12 total starts. Caleb Love, on the other hand, has averaged 10.1 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per contest in the month of December, so fantasy managers will have to decide based on what category they need most for a streamer.
--Alex FischbeinSource: NBA Injury Report
January 2, 2026
Chicago Bulls center
Zach Collins (toe) will not suit up against the Orlando Magic while he continues to deal with a toe sprain. The 28-year-old has already missed two consecutive games prior to Friday, and has only appeared in 10 games so far this season. While he's been out,
Jalen Smith has seen some added playing time and has joined the starting five alongside
Nikola Vucevic while the team experiments with lineups. Smith is widely available in most fantasy formats and averages 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.4 threes per game in his 28 appearances.
--Alex FischbeinSource: NBA Injury Report
January 2, 2026
Brooklyn Nets forward
Michael Porter Jr. (illness) will remain on the bench for Friday's game against the Washington Wizards. Porter will miss both legs of the back-to-back set due to a lingering illness. This comes at a bad time with
Nicolas Claxton (personal) and
Cam Thomas (rest) both sidelined as well. The Nets will likely use a committee approach to fill the void at the forward spot. This should mean that
Ziaire Williams,
Jalen Wilson, and
Tyrese Martin should all get more playing time. Between the three, Williams offers the highest upside in terms of streaming value for Friday's slate.
Terance Mann (hip) is also worth a look, but is currently listed as questionable for this game.
--Andy WebbSource: Erik Slater
January 2, 2026
Brooklyn Nets guard
Cam Thomas (rest) won't be available for the upcoming game against the Washington Wizards on Friday. This is the second leg of a back-to-back set, so Thomas will head to the bench for rest purposes. This is bad timing for the Nets with
Michael Porter Jr. (illness) and
Nicolas Claxton (personal) also ruled out on Friday. When healthy, Thomas has been productive, so fantasy managers should hold him through injury maintenance days.
Ziaire Williams could be asked to play heavy minutes with
Terance Mann (hip) questionable for this game. Williams finished with 14 points, two rebounds, and five steals across 27 minutes on Thursday. He brings enough to the table to warrant streaming while the Nets are banged up.
--Andy WebbSource: Erik Slater
January 2, 2026
Brooklyn Nets center
Nicolas Claxton (personal) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Washington Wizards. Claxton is currently away from the team due to personal reasons, which will put the Nets in a tough spot. They'll look to
Day'Ron Sharpe and
Danny Wolf to take on larger roles in the rotation. Sharpe is the better all-around player, so he's the more trustworthy streaming choice between the two big men. Sharpe has mostly been playing minutes in the teens and has been able to produce at least low-end streaming value.
--Andy WebbSource: Erik Slater
January 2, 2026
New Orleans Pelicans forward
Saddiq Bey (hip) is officially ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He was listed as questionable coming into this contest due to right-hip soreness. The Pelicans will play it safe and hold out Bey for at least one game. The Pelicans are likely going to use a committee approach to fill the void left by Bey. This means that
Jordan Hawkins,
Bryce McGowens, and
Micah Peavy should all see increased run. There's no clear streaming option from Bey's absence, but Hawkins offers the most upside. Fantasy managers should view him as a low-end streaming choice with the team likely leaning on multiple players to fill the playing time.
--Andy WebbSource: New Orleans Pelicans
January 2, 2026
New Orleans Pelicans center
Derik Queen (quadriceps) is ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He will sit this game out after suffering a quad injury during Wednesday's loss to the Chicago Bulls. He was questionable heading into this game, so this doesn't sound like something that will cause a lengthy absence. Without Queen, the Pelicans will likely lean on
Yves Missi and
Kevon Looney during Friday's game. Missi is the better streaming choice between the two players for Friday's slate. He should at least be able to offer low-end streaming value without Queen on the court.
--Andy WebbSource: New Orleans Pelicans
January 2, 2026
Atlanta Hawks guard
Trae Young (quadriceps) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the New York Knicks. Young will now miss his third straight game due to a right-quad contusion. He was listed as questionable on the injury report, but Young isn't quite ready to play yet. His absence will mean increased roles for
Vit Krejci and
Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Between the two, Alexander-Walker is the better streaming option for Friday's slate. He dropped 30 points during Monday's game, and he should continue to see more usage while Young is sidelined.
--Andy WebbSource: Atlanta Hawks
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