P.J. Washington to Miss Third Straight Game
Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (illness) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Orlando Magic. This marks the third game in a row that Washington will sit out due to a lingering illness. His next chance to play will come on Sunday versus the Los Angeles Lakers. The absence of Washington should mean increased playing time for Klay Thompson and Khris Middleton. Neither player offers great streaming value, but Thompson is the better choice between the two due to his ability to shoot from beyond the arc.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Jericho Sims Cleared to Play Vs. Celtics
Milwaukee Bucks center Jericho Sims (knee) is available for Friday's game against the Boston Celtics after entering the night with a probable tag. He could be in line for steady minutes with Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) and Bobby Portis (wrist) unavailable, giving him short-term streaming appeal for rebounds. Sims grabbed 20 rebounds with six points and two assists in 36 minutes in his last start and posted eight points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes the game prior. He is mainly a category specialist. AJ Green and Pete Nance could also see increased workloads due to the thin frontcourt.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Miles McBride is Available on Friday
New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (pelvis) is available to play ahead of Friday's game against the Chicago Bulls. McBride is back in action after missing Wednesday's game due to injury management reasons. He's ready to go on Friday and should resume his role as the backup guard to Jalen Brunson. McBride has only been playing minutes in the teens since returning from his extended absence at the end of March. He could see an uptick in playing time on Friday, but it's unlikely to be enough to warrant using McBride as a DFS option.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Gary Trent Jr. Out Friday Against Boston
Milwaukee Bucks guard/forward Gary Trent Jr. (hip) will not play in Friday's game against the Boston Celtics, joining Ryan Rollins on the inactive list and further thinning the backcourt rotation. AJ Green should continue to see heavy minutes after posting 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and five three-pointers in 47 minutes in the last game, making him a solid short-term streamer. Cormac Ryan also remains a deep-league option after a 25-point effort in 38 minutes. Andre Jackson Jr. and Gary Harris could see rotation opportunities. Green looks like the safest pickup, while Ryan is more of a scoring option in deeper leagues.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Ryan Rollins Sidelined Friday Night
Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (hip) will not play in Friday's game against the Boston Celtics due to a right hip strain. His absence keeps AJ Green in a streaming conversation after the wing logged 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and five three-pointers across 47 minutes in his last start. Cormac Ryan also enters deep-league consideration after scoring 25 points with four triples in 38 minutes off the bench. Andre Jackson Jr. could see stable rotation minutes. Green looks like the safer short-term pickup, while Ryan is more of a scoring flier for deeper leagues.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Moussa Diabate Out, Ryan Kalkbrenner Starting Friday
Charlotte Hornets center Moussa Diabate (ankle) won't play in Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers, while center Ryan Kalkbrenner will move into the starting lineup. Kalkbrenner becomes a viable deep-league streamer after producing eight points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and four blocks in 23 minutes during his last outing. His shot-blocking gives him immediate category value. LaMelo Ball could see a slight usage increase, while Miles Bridges may grab more rebounds with Diabate out. Kalkbrenner is mainly a blocks specialist, but he is a sensible short-term add for managers chasing defensive production.
Source: Charlotte Hornets PR
Source: Charlotte Hornets PR
Joel Embiid Suiting Up Against Timberwolves
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (illness) will play on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was upgraded from doubtful to probable earlier in the day, and Embiid has now been officially cleared to play. The former MVP will start the contest alongside Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Paul George, and Dominick Barlow. Since returning from a right oblique strain in late March, Embiid has averaged 30.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.3 steals in 32.7 minutes per game. With Embiid back on the floor, Adem Bona and Andre Drummond must settle for limited roles.
Source: Philadelphia 76ers
Source: Philadelphia 76ers
Nick Richards Remains Sidelined Friday, Guerschon Yabusele Will Play
Chicago Bulls center Nick Richards (elbow) will remain out on Friday against the New York Knicks. Chicago has downgraded his status from questionable to out, meaning Richards will miss a fifth consecutive contest. Fortunately for the Bulls. Guerschon Yabusele (ankle) is good to go after initially carrying a questionable tag. He has been solid as a starter in recent games and should have a chip on his shoulder in Friday's game against the Knicks, who barely used him this season and traded him in February.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Obi Toppin Ready for Action Friday
Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (foot) will play in Friday's game against the Charlotte Hornets. The team has upgraded his status from probable to available, clearing the way for Toppin to make his seventh straight appearance. At times, he has been quite productive off the bench, but Toppin finished with only six points, three rebounds, and three assists on Wednesday against Chicago. His impact may be limited again on Friday, as Charlotte gives up the fifth-fewest bench points in the Association.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Josh Giddey, Tre Jones Available Friday
Chicago Bulls guards Josh Giddey (hamstring) and Tre Jones (ankle) will be in action against the New York Knicks on Friday. Both players were listed as questionable on the initial injury report but were upgraded to probable around noon. Giddey will return from a one-game absence, while Jones is ready to make his 22nd straight appearance. The two have performed well as Chicago's starting backcourt duo and will try to outshine Jalen Brunson on Friday night.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Luka Doncic Out Indefinitely With Hamstring Injury
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic (hamstring) will be out indefinitely, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. The Slovenian superstar injured his left hamstring in Thursday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and will sit out the remainder of the regular season. His status is uncertain beyond that. This is a massive blow for the Lakers, who have enjoyed a great spell during the second half of the season with Doncic leading the way. The team will now lean more on Austin Reaves and LeBron James. Meanwhile, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart (anke) are expected to handle heavier workloads.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Pascal Siakam Good to Go Friday
Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (knee) will suit up on Friday against the Charlotte Hornets. His status has been upgraded from probable to available ahead of tip-off. Despite health issues, Siakam has played in seven consecutive games. He has averaged 22.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals in 30.1 minutes over that span. The four-time All-Star draws a good matchup on Friday, with Charlotte ranked ninth in the league for most points allowed to power forwards.
Source: Indiana Pacers
Source: Indiana Pacers
Noah Clowney Will Play Friday
Brooklyn Nets forward/center Noah Clowney (ankle) has been cleared to play on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks. Initially, he was listed as probable for the matchup due to a sore left ankle. Clowney also recently dealt with a wrist injury. Since returning to the lineup, the 21-year-old has posted averages of 8.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game. Brooklyn has reduced Clowney's minutes down the stretch, which significantly decreases his fantasy value.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Nicolas Claxton Active Against Hawks
Brooklyn Nets center Nicolas Claxton (hand, illness) will play in Friday's contest against the Atlanta Hawks. He's been dealing with a hand injury and an illness and was listed as probable on the initial injury report. With the Nets stuck near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Claxton's workload has decreased late in the season. In March, he averaged just 22.9 minutes per game, posting 8.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks. The matchup against Atlanta is an appealing one, but Claxton's reduced playing time down the stretch makes him a risky fantasy option on Friday.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Malik Monk Won't Play Friday Night
Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (personal) has been listed as out for Friday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. On the initial injury report, Monk was listed as questionable due to a right shoulder injury that has been bothering him lately. However, he has been ultimately ruled out for Friday's game for personal reasons. Devin Carter, Killian Hayes, and Daeqwon Plowden may all receive more playing time due to Monk's absence. His exit from the lineup also creates more offensive opportunities for Nique Clifford, though he has gone cold recently.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
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