January 9, 2026
Denver Nuggets guard/forward
Spencer Jones (ankle, illness) will not play on Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks. He's dealing with inflammation in his right ankle and an illness. Jones has been a regular starter for Denver since late November. The team has several options to replace him in the starting unit, including
Aaron Gordon,
Tim Hardaway Jr., and
Bruce Brown (knee), who has shaken off a questionable tag.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
January 9, 2026
Denver Nuggets point guard
Jamal Murray (ankle, illness) has been ruled out for Friday's matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. The star guard was initially on the injury report as probable with a left ankle injury. However, he was downgraded to questionable earlier in the day due to illness, and the team has now ruled him out.
Jalen Pickett recently had a big game against the Philadelphia 76ers as Murray's replacement in the starting unit, and he will likely play a larger role again on Friday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
January 9, 2026
Minnesota Timberwolves power forward
Julius Randle (thumb) is considered questionable for Saturday's meeting with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The veteran is dealing with a sore thumb on his shooting hand. If he can't shake off the injury, Randle would be out for the first time this campaign. There is also a question mark hanging over
Anthony Edwards (foot), so Minnesota's attack could have a completely different look on Saturday. Randle's departure from the lineup would likely mean larger roles for
Naz Reid and
Jaylen Clark.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
January 9, 2026
Atlanta Hawks forward
Zaccharie Risacher (knee) won't play on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets. The team downgraded the French youngster from questionable to out, resulting in Risacher's fourth absence of the season. This opens the door for
Vit Krejci and
Luke Kennard to see increased minutes, with Kennard the more appealing fantasy option given his five-game double-digit scoring run.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
January 9, 2026
Atlanta Hawks forward/center
Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles) won't play on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets. The team has ruled him out after Porzingis was a late addition to the injury report due to a sore left Achilles. His exit from the lineup opens up additional minutes for
Mouhamed Gueye, who will operate as the backup center behind
Onyeka Okongwu. With no
Nikola Jokic (knee) for the Nuggets, it could be a field day for Atlanta's centers inside the paint.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
January 9, 2026
Utah Jazz forward
Lauri Markkanen (rest) won't play on Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets. The former All-Star has logged 40-plus minutes in three of the last four games, and the team has decided to give him some rest on Saturday. Without Markkanen,
Kyle Filipowski,
Cody Williams, and
Taylor Hendricks all have more playing opportunities. Filipowski has the best fantasy upside among them, but his inconsistency is a concern. On Saturday, Filipowski may also benefit from
Jusuf Nurkic's (toe) absence, as he is listed as questionable on the injury report.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
January 9, 2026
Detroit Pistons center
Jalen Duren (ankle) has been ruled out for Saturday's contest against the Los Angeles Clippers. He continues to nurse a right ankle sprain sustained during New Year's Day's game against the Miami Heat.
Isaiah Stewart's workload has significantly increased during Duren's absence. After initially struggling as a starter, Stewart finally came through for fantasy managers on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. The 24-year-old scored a career-high 31 points on 14-for-17 shooting. Stewart has a good chance to do more damage on Saturday against one of the league's weakest defensive squads.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
January 9, 2026
Oklahoma City Thunder forward
Alex Caruso (back) is available to play Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. Caruso has missed the last two games with a back injury but is set to return Friday. The veteran has averaged 6,9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 18 minutes, all down from his 2024-25 averages. With key starters
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and
Chet Holmgren (shin) ruled out for Friday's contest against the Grizzlies, Caruso may have a larger role despite playing his first game this week. While he could play more minutes than usual, Caruso remains on the low end of fantasy relevance at this point.
--Nathan HarveySource: Clemente Almanza
January 9, 2026
Detroit Pistons point guard
Cade Cunningham (wrist) is questionable for Saturday's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers. He missed his fourth game of the season on Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls due to a wrist injury. In Cunningham's absence,
Jaden Ivey started the game, while
Daniss Jenkins stood out with a career-high 15 assists off the bench. Both guards will have additional fantasy value again on Saturday if Cunningham remains out of the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
January 9, 2026
Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward
Anthony Edwards (foot) is listed as questionable for Saturday's clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even though he's been listed as questionable for a number of games recently due to a right foot injury, the Timberwolves star has managed to stay in the lineup. He also went head-to-head with the Cavaliers on Thursday, producing 25 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and one block.
Bones Hyland would probably assume a more prominent role if Edwards takes some time off because of his injury.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
January 9, 2026
Memphis Grizzlies rookie guard
Cedric Coward (ankle) is listed as available to play Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Coward has missed the previous two games with a left ankle sprain but is off the injury report and will return Friday. The rookie has been a lone bright spot for the Grizzlies this season, averaging 13.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in just under 27 minutes per game. With
Ja Morant (calf) and other key Memphis players ruled out Friday, Coward may have to step up despite missing the past two games. The ninth-overall pick should be in fantasy lineups tonight as the Grizzlies face a beat-up Thunder team.
--Nathan HarveySource: Memphis Grizzlies
January 9, 2026
Portland Trail Blazers guard
Jrue Holiday (calf) will remain on the shelf for Friday's tilt against the Houston Rockets. The team has downgraded Holiday on the injury report from doubtful to out. The veteran guard will miss his 27th straight game due to a right calf strain. Although Holiday will sit out again on Friday, he seems to be moving in the right direction. He was cleared for on-court activities last week and hadn't been listed as doubtful before. With Holiday sidelined,
Caleb Love will continue to have additional fantasy value on Friday night. He has notched 15.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game since the turn of the year.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
January 9, 2026
Memphis Grizzlies forward
John Konchar (thumb) has been ruled out for Friday's contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Konchar suffered a thumb injury that required surgery in early December. Although he was not quite ready to play on Friday, he should return soon. The seventh-year veteran has averaged 3.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 13 minutes per game. With Konchar and multiple key players for the Grizzlies out, expect
Cam Spencer and
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to see an uptick in minutes against the defending champions. Konchar will look to return to the lineup on Sunday when Memphis faces off against the Brooklyn Nets.
--Nathan HarveySource: Memphis Grizzlies
January 9, 2026
Los Angeles Lakers forward
Rui Hachimura (calf) will miss a sixth consecutive game on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Although Hachimura was first listed as questionable and seemed close to returning, his status has now been downgraded to out.
Jake LaRavia has offered good fantasy value as Hachimura's replacement in the starting lineup. The Wake Forest product has averaged 15.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals over the past five games.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
January 9, 2026
Oklahoma City Thunder guard
Cason Wallace (toe) is listed as out for Friday night's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Wallace is set to miss his first game since October 23rd due to a sore left toe. The 22-year-old guard has averaged 7.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 27 minutes. Wallace also leads the NBA in steals (2.2 per game) and has started in 30 of 37 games this season. With Wallace,
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle), and
Chet Holmgren (shin) out on Friday, and
Alex Caruso (back) questionable, the Thunder will look for
Aaron Wiggins and
Isaiah Joe to step up, while
Jalen Williams will have to be relied on heavily against the Grizzlies. With the Thunder back in action on Sunday, Wallace and the others will look to return against the Miami Heat.
--Nathan HarveySource: Brandon Rahbar
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