December 18, 2025
Utah Jazz forward
Lauri Markkanen (groin) will not play Thursday night when the Jazz host the Lakers. While there doesn't seem to be a significant injury, he will get a maintenance day after scoring at least 26 points in four of his last five games and leading the Jazz to victories in all four of those games. Without him on Thursday night,
Kyle Filipowski will likely stay in the starting lineup while
Brice Sensabaugh and
Taylor Hendricks get more run off the bench. Markkanen will most likely be back in the lineup for Saturday's game against Orlando, but the rest of the Jazz will have to pick up more work in his absence on Thursday.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NBA Injury Report
December 18, 2025
Charlotte Hornets guard
LaMelo Ball (ankle) was listed as questionable for Thursday night's home game against the Hawks, but he was upgraded to probable on Thursday afternoon and should be ready to go against
Trae Young (knee), who is also lined up to return, according to the latest reports. Ball has missed three games with his most recent left ankle bone bruise, and his return will likely send
Sion James back to the bench. In his 16 games, Ball is averaging 19.4 points, 8.5 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 28.9 minutes per contest. He'll likely be eased back into the rotation on Thursday, but he only missed three games, so he should be ready for a big enough role to be deployed as you normally would in his return to the court.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NBA Injury Report
December 18, 2025
Atlanta Hawks guard
Trae Young (knee) will be able to return on Thursday night as his team takes on the Hornets in Charlotte. Young hasn't played since Oct. 29, so he'll likely be on a heavy minutes restriction. The Hawks are also on the front half of a back-to-back, so he'll probably sit out Friday's game against the Spurs. In his five games before getting injured, Young was off to a slow start, averaging 17.8 points, 7.8 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 28 minutes per game. He'll step back onto a squad playing well with
Jalen Johnson leading the way for the team to go13-9 in Young's absence.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Shams Charania
December 18, 2025
Los Angeles Lakers guard
Gabe Vincent (back) will be re-evaluated in a week after being diagnosed with lower back tightness. Vincent has played 14 games for the Lakers (six starts), but he is averaging only 4.7 points, 1.4 assists, and 0.9 rebounds per game in 21.5 minutes per game. With
Austin Reaves (calf) also sidelined,
Marcus Smart is lined up for as much work as he can handle. Smart started the Lakers' last game, and he'll likely get heavy minutes for as long as Vincent and Reaves are out, beginning in Thursday night's matchup against the Jazz in Utah.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Brad Turner
December 18, 2025
Portland Trail Blazers guard
Jrue Holiday (calf) won't be in the lineup on Thursday against the Sacramento Kings. He has been out of action since mid-November due to a right calf strain, and his return doesn't appear to be near. With
Scoot Henderson (hamstring),
Matisse Thybulle (thumb), and
Blake Wesley (foot) also out of commission,
Sidy Cissoko,
Rayan Rupert, and
Caleb Love have held roles in the rotation. However, the trio has been underwhelming.
Deni Avdija has taken on more playmaking duties without Holiday and will look to continue his superb campaign on Thursday night. There could be many standout fantasy lines in this matchup, as both teams are ranked inside the top 10 in pace.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 18, 2025
Washington Wizards forward
Khris Middleton (knee) will miss a fourth consecutive game on Thursday night against the San Antonio Spurs. The veteran is nursing a right knee contusion, giving up his spot in the starting unit to
Justin Champagnie. Middleton's absence has coincided with
Bilal Coulibaly's (oblique) injury layoff. The latter will return to action on Thursday, potentially pushing Champagnie out of the starting lineup. However, even as a starter, Champagnie hasn't provided much fantasy production, averaging 8.7 points and 6.4 rebounds. Middleton is likely to miss at least one more game this week, as Washington starts a back-to-back set on Saturday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 18, 2025
Washington Wizards guard/forward
Bilal Coulibaly (oblique) is not on the injury report for Thursday's matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, indicating that he is ready to return from a four-game absence. An oblique strain has limited Coulibaly to only two appearances this month. He has also faced other health issues, making only 12 appearances in 2025-26. The 21-year-old Frenchman is averaging 6.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 27.2 minutes per game. Coulibaly has struggled to make an impact on the offensive end due to his low shooting efficiency of 37.4 percent. With Coulibaly back in the mix,
Bub Carrington or
Justin Champagnie will likely be bumped to the bench.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 18, 2025
Charlotte Hornets guard
Collin Sexton (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Thursday's contest against the Atlanta Hawks, missing a fifth consecutive game. Sexton strained his left quadriceps earlier this month. He has been mainly used as a spark plug off the bench this season, averaging 15.5 points and 4.2 assists in 25.2 minutes.
Tre Mann (knee) is also out on Thursday, while
LaMelo Ball (ankle) is considered questionable. In this situation, players like
Sion James and
KJ Simpson could be fantasy options in a good matchup against a fast-paced team with a mediocre defense.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 18, 2025
Houston Rockets forward
Tari Eason (oblique) is listed as questionable for Thursday's meeting with the New Orleans Pelicans. He has carried the questionable tag for a while, but Eason has struggled to shake off a right oblique strain, missing more than a month of action. If Eason remains out on Thursday,
Jabari Smith Jr. could be in for another night of 40-plus minutes of work. He has played at least 40 minutes twice in the past three games.
Josh Okogie also gets extra shifts in the rotation due to Eason's absence.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 18, 2025
Sacramento Kings guard
Dennis Schroder (ankle) is back on the injury report, as the team considers him questionable for Thursday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. On Sunday, Schroder returned from a hip injury, posting 17 points and three assists in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now, he is on the injury report due to a right ankle sprain and may miss more time. Sacramento has just lost
Zach LaVine (ankle) for a week, and Schroder's absence would give further playing opportunities to
Malik Monk,
Nique Clifford, and
Keon Ellis.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 18, 2025
Phoenix Suns guard/forward
Grayson Allen (knee) is listed as questionable for Thursday's contest against the Golden State Warriors. The veteran has played in each of the last four games, but he may have to take Thursday night off due to a sore right knee. Royce O'Neale and
Ryan Dunn are the candidates to fill in for Allen in the starting lineup. Of the two, O'Neale has been a much better fantasy option in 2025-26, although his numbers tend to be around the same whether he starts or not. In 26 outings, O'Neale has contributed 10.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 17, 2025
Los Angeles Lakers center
Deandre Ayton (elbow) is listed as questionable for Thursday's favorable fantasy matchup against the Utah Jazz. Will Hardy's team allows the seventh-most fantasy points to centers this season, but Ayton might miss the opportunity to feast due to a sore left elbow.
Jaxson Hayes would be his natural replacement in the starting lineup. Across two previous starts in 2025-26, Hayes has averaged 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 31.1 minutes, making 10 of 11 field-goal attempts.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 17, 2025
Milwaukee Bucks guard
Cole Anthony (neck) is on the injury report with a questionable tag ahead of Thursday's game against the Toronto Raptors. The 25-year-old could play a significant part in the rotation against Toronto if he shakes off a neck strain, as
AJ Green (shoulder) and
Kyle Kuzma (illness) are also iffy for the contest. If both miss the game, Anthony would be in line for extra work. At the same time, Anthony's absence from the lineup would allow
Gary Harris to see more action off the bench.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 17, 2025
Milwaukee Bucks guard
AJ Green (shoulder) is considered questionable for Thursday's action against the Toronto Raptors. He landed on the shelf a couple of weeks ago with a sprained left AC joint, missing three consecutive games.
Kyle Kuzma (illness) has been starting in Green's place, but is now also on the injury report with a questionable tag. The two are joined on the injury report by
Cole Anthony (neck), meaning players such as
Gary Trent Jr.,
Gary Harris, and
Andre Jackson Jr. could be involved more than usual in the rotation on Thursday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 17, 2025
Denver Nuggets power forward
Peyton Watson (upper body) is questionable to suit up for Thursday's contest against the Orlando Magic. Watson exited Monday's contest early with a "right trunk injury," and his status is unclear for Thursday. With
Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and
Christian Braun (ankle) already ruled out, and veteran
Tim Hardaway Jr. (illness) questionable, Watson could be an important piece against the Magic. In 25 games, Watson is averaging 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, while playing over 26 minutes per game. If he's inactive, look for
Bruce Brown,
Spencer Jones, and
Zeke Nnaji to see their workloads expanded.
--Nathan HarveySource: Denver Nuggets
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