December 17, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward
Sam Merrill (hand) will sit out his 13th consecutive game on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. He hasn't played for a month due to a right hand sprain. The injury has halted a career year for Merrill, who has averaged 13.9 points per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the three-point line. The absence of Merrill and
Max Strus (foot) has allowed
Jaylon Tyson to blossom. The 23-year-old sophomore has recorded three double-doubles this month, averaging 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists for December. Tyson and the Cavaliers have an outstanding fantasy matchup on Wednesday against a team ranked second in pace this season, but with a bottom-ten defensive efficiency.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 17, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward
Max Strus (foot) will remain sidelined on Wednesday versus the Chicago Bulls. The veteran sniper underwent left foot surgery in August, and it still isn't clear when the Cavaliers can expect to have him in the lineup. Strus' ability to get hot from downtown would be a big asset for a Cleveland team that has connected on just 34.0 percent of its three-point attempts this season, ranking near the bottom of the league. Following surgery, Strus was given a 3-4-month recovery timeline, so his season debut may be approaching soon.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 17, 2025
Chicago Bulls guard/forward
Ayo Dosunmu (thumb) is considered questionable for Wednesday's matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has played in only one of the last four games and might miss another contest due to a right thumb sprain. Players like
Kevin Huerter,
Isaac Okoro,
Tre Jones, and
Patrick Williams could all lose some minutes if Dosunmu is cleared to return. Dosunmu has taken a significant offensive leap this season, averaging a career-high 15.2 points per game with very efficient shooting. He has netted 47.5 percent of his triples, while shooting 51.9 percent from the field overall.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 17, 2025
Memphis Grizzlies forward/center
Brandon Clarke (knee) continues to inch closer to his season debut and may be ready for action on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, as the team has upgraded his status from doubtful to questionable on the injury report. Clarke had right knee surgery during the offseason. Currently, he would make for a vital addition to the Grizzlies' frontcourt, as
Zach Edey (ankle) won't be available for several weeks. If Clarke can't make his return on Wednesday night, his next opportunity will come on Saturday against the Washington Wizards.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 17, 2025
Memphis Grizzlies guard
Cam Spencer (personal) won't play against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. He has been ruled out for personal reasons, missing his first game of the season. The 25-year-old has carved out a significant role in the Grizzlies' rotation and posted a career-high 27 points in Monday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Due to Spencer's absence, players like
Cedric Coward,
Vince Williams Jr., and
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could be more involved in Wednesday's game, especially if
Ja Morant (ankle) has to miss another contest.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 17, 2025
Minnesota Timberwolves point guard
Mike Conley (Achilles) will miss a third consecutive game on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies. The 38-year-old veteran has landed on the shelf due to right Achilles tendiopathy. With Conley missing from the lineup,
Rob Dillingham's minutes have received a boost, but he has not been worthy of fantasy consideration. In Sunday's win over the Sacramento Kings, Dillingham notched five points, three assists, and one steal in 12 minutes.
Bones Hyland, who filled in for
Anthony Edwards (foot) in the starting unit on Sunday, could also pick up some of Conley's minutes.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
December 17, 2025
Sacramento Kings guard/forward
Zach LaVine (ankle) will be re-evaluated in one week, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports. The two-time All-Star injured his left ankle in Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. LaVine also recently dealt with a thumb injury. He has had a difficult season in Sactown, averaging 20.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 32.8 minutes per game.
Nique Clifford filled in for LaVine in the starting unit when he missed a game due to his thumb injury. The 23-year-old struggled in the contest, but it looks likely that he will now get a run of starts and has a chance to build momentum.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jason Anderson
December 16, 2025
San Antonio Spurs center
Victor Wembanyama will come off the bench in Tuesday's NBA Cup Final against the Knicks. He recently returned from a 12-game absence for Saturday's win over Oklahoma City. Although he also came off the bench for that one, he still finished with an impressive 22 points, nine boards, two blocks, and one steal. There's a good chance Wemby plays a little more than the 20 minutes he logged in his last outing, making him a must-start in all fantasy setups.
--Dennis ClausenSource: San Antonio Spurs
December 16, 2025
Minnesota Timberwolves center
Rudy Gobert (personal) isn't listed on the injury report for Wednesday's matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies. The multi-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year was having himself a fantastic night in Sunday's win over Sacramento. However, he exited after 20 minutes due to "personal reasons," and would finish that one with seven points, 12 boards, and one block. With
Anthony Edwards (foot) potentially out once again, Gobert could continue to benefit on both sides of the floor versus a Memphis team that is without
Zach Edey (ankle).
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
December 16, 2025
Minnesota Timberwolves guard
Anthony Edwards (foot) is considered questionable heading into Wednesday's meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies. He's already missed two-straight games because of what is being called right foot "injury maintenance." However, despite how the issue is labled on the official Injury Report, the chance of another absence certainly doesn't sit well with fantasy managers. With
Mike Conley (Achilles) out again,
Bones Hyland, coming off an 18-point, five-assist, one-block effort, is worth considering for fantasy lineups. Of course, that's assuming he remains in the starting lineup.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
December 16, 2025
Memphis Grizzlies guard
Ja Morant (ankle) is questionable ahead of Wednesday's contest versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. He recently missed 10 games because of a right calf strain. However, after returning for the loss to the Utah Jazz on December 12, the 26-year-old tweaked his left ankle late in Monday's win over the the Los Angeles Clippers. It's unknown just how severe Morant's latest injury is, although it's somewhat reassuring that he at least has a shot to suit up, or so it appears. If he's unable to get on the floor,
Vince Williams Jr. will likely take his place his rotation. The 2022 No. 47 overall pick has made 11 starts throughout the 2025 campaign, averaging 8.1 points, 7.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds, giving him some value for those participating in deep fantasy formats, especially since
Cam Spencer (personal), who had 27 points on Monday night, has already been ruled out.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
December 16, 2025
Dallas Mavericks guard/forward
Cooper Flagg had a special night on Monday, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 40-plus points in a game. He led all scorers with 42 points on 13-for-27 shooting in a 140-133 overtime loss. Flagg, who will turn 19 on Sunday, also had seven rebounds, six assists, one steal, and two blocks in the contest. He went 15-for-20 at the charity stripe and shot 1-for-4 from downtown. Previously, the highest points total by an 18-year-old in the NBA was 37, set by
LeBron James in 2003. Although Flagg has struggled with consistency at times in his rookie year, he has still had a strong overall season. Across his first 26 career appearances, Flagg has averaged 18.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 16, 2025
San Antonio Spurs forward/center
Victor Wembanyama may start Tuesday's NBA Cup final against the New York Knicks on the bench. The French superstar came off the bench for the first time in his career when he returned from a calf strain in Saturday's semifinal against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Wembanyama sat out the entire first quarter and played only seven minutes in the first half. He logged 13:20 after halftime, recording 22 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks in the game. Even with a limited workload, Wembanyama can make a huge impact, and his fantasy production isn't dependent on whether he starts or not.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 16, 2025
Miami Heat forward
Nikola Jovic (elbow) will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports. Only seconds after entering Monday's tilt against the Toronto Raptors, Jovic injured his right elbow and had to exit the game. He took an awkward fall on a dunk attempt. X-rays on Jovic's right arm came back negative on Monday night, which is good news. However, he might still have to miss time.
Simone Fontecchio and
Jaime Jaquez Jr. will see additional playing time if Miami loses Jovic from the rotation. The team will return to work on Thursday night against the Brooklyn Nets.
--Taavi PailkSource: Anthony Chiang
December 16, 2025
Boston Celtics forward
Sam Hauser (ankle) played only four minutes in Monday's 112-105 loss to the Detroit Pistons. He left the action in the first quarter after injuring his left ankle. Initially, the team announced that Hauser was questionable to return, but he sat out the rest of the contest. In his absence,
Hugo Gonzalez and
Baylor Scheierman picked up more shifts off the bench. Gonzalez made a greater impact, scoring five points and recording five assists in 18 minutes. Boston will be off until Friday, when the team starts a back-to-back set, giving Hauser extra time to recover. Whether this will be enough for him to play and avoid his first absence of the season remains uncertain.
--Taavi PailkSource: Boston Celtics
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