December 18, 2025
Charlotte Hornets guard
LaMelo Ball (ankle) is available for Thursday's meeting with the Hawks. On a night when Atlanta will get
Trae Young (knee) back in the lineup, Ball will return from a three-game absence. However, the 24-year-old will be on a minutes restriction, so his fantasy ceiling will be considerably lower. Although he's still a must-start in season-long fantasy formats, DFS managers may want to look in another direction.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
December 18, 2025
Atlanta Hawks guard
Trae Young (knee) will return on Thursday against Charlotte. However, according to head coach Quin Snyder, he'll be on a minutes restriction. The former Sooner missed the last 22 games because of a right MCL sprain, so it's not surprising that he'll see fewer minutes than the 27.8 he averaged before going on the shelf. Still, it's hard to imagine Young not being productive for fantasy managers in a favorable matchup versus the Hornets, even if he's limited to 20-25 minutes.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Sam Perley
December 18, 2025
Philadelphia 76ers guard
Tyrese Maxey (illness) isn't listed on the injury report heading into Friday's matchup with the Knicks. He was having an exceptional year before an illness forced him to miss the last two games, averaging a career-high 31.5 points. Without question, that type of production has put him in the MVP conversation. Maxey is always a must-start in any fantasy setup. However, he might be even more potent offensively if
Karl-Anthony Towns (knee),
Josh Hart (abdomen), and
Mitchell Robinson (ankle), who are all sidelined on Thursday against Indiana, aren't able to get back on the floor.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
December 18, 2025
Miami Heat forward
Norman Powell (ankle) is available on Thursday against Brooklyn. The ankle injury isn't anything new. Fortunately, it won't keep him off the floor, which is excellent news, considering
Tyler Herro (toe) won't suit up. As a result, Powell, who has averaged a career-high 24.4 points this season, could be in line for a productive showing versus a Nets team that hasn't been consistent defensively.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
December 18, 2025
New York Knicks center
Mitchell Robinson (ankle) won't play on Thursday versus Indiana. He logged 18 minutes in Tuesday's NBA Cup win over the San Antonio Spurs, finishing with four points, 15 rebounds, two blocks, and one steal. The 27-year-old is listed as out for injury management purposes, so it appears he may be back on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers. With
Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) also unavailable,
Ariel Hukporti and
Guerschon Yabusele will presumably split time in the middle, with the former the favorite to start.
--Dennis ClausenSource: James L. Edwards III
December 18, 2025
New York Knicks forward
Josh Hart (abdomen) is ruled out heading into Thursday's matchup with the Pacers. The 30-year-old has been starting of late, most recently amassing 11 points, eight rebounds, and two steals in Tuesday's NBA Cup win over the San Antonio Spurs. Fantasy managers will now have to take the wait-and-see approch regarding his availability for Friday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. With
Mitchell Robinson (ankle) and
Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) also sidelined,
Jalen Brunson and
OG Anunoby (knee) should have plenty of work to do versus one of the worst defensive clubs in the National Basketball Association.
Jordan Clarkson and
Tyler Kolek, combining for 29 points on Tuesday, are also projected to see some extra minutes.
--Dennis ClausenSource: James Edwards III
December 18, 2025
New York Knicks forward
OG Anunoby (knee) will play on Thursday against the Pacers. The former Raptor had a fantastic showing in Tuesday's NBA Cup win over the Spurs, amassing 28 points and nine rebounds while shooting 5-for-10 from behind the arc. The Knicks won't have
Karl-Anthony Towns (knee),
Josh Hart (abdomen), and
Mitchell Robinson (ankle), so Anunoby should be very busy versus an Indiana team that hasn't looked good defensively throughout the 2025 campaign.
--Dennis ClausenSource: James Edwards III
December 18, 2025
New York Knicks center
Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) won't play in Thursday's game in Indiana. KAT, who had a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double in Tuesday's NBA Cup win over the San Antonio Spurs, will miss his second contest of the 2025 campaign. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day, so there's a chance he may be back on the floor on Friday night against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers. With
Mitchell Robinson (ankle) also out,
Guerschon Yabusele and
Ariel Hukporti will presumably split time in the middle for the meeting with a Pacers team that has struggled on the defensive side of the ball this season.
--Dennis ClausenSource: James Edwards III
December 18, 2025
Miami Heat guard/forward
Norman Powell (calf) was upgraded from questionable to probable on Thursday before his team visits the Nets. Powell also said he'll play, so he should be ready to roll in what should be a favorable matchup for him in the absence of
Tyler Herro (toe). Powell has scored at least 20 points in six of his last seven games and is averaging 24.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in his 22 games this season. Without Herro, Powell will carry more of the work on Thursday, and he'll be a strong DFS option with a high ceiling in all formats.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NBA Injury Report
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
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