March 6, 2026
San Antonio Spurs forward
Harrison Barnes (ankle) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The usually reliable Barnes is set to miss his third straight game due to a lingering ankle issue. His next chance to play will come on Sunday, so fantasy managers should check back later this weekend. In the meantime,
Carter Bryant and
Julian Champagnie (knee) should see increased roles in the rotation. Champagnie is currently considered questionable with a knee injury, so Bryant could be looking at a bigger role, assuming he sits out as well.
--Andy WebbSource: NBA Injury Report
March 6, 2026
New Orleans Pelicans guard
Dejounte Murray (rest) has been removed from the injury report ahead of Friday's game against the Phoenix Suns. Murray is set to return after sitting out the front end of the back-to-back set for rest purposes. The Pelicans will continue to be cautious with Murray, who recently returned from an Achilles injury. When healthy, Murray has been solid, so fantasy managers should get him active in their lineups on Friday. He finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists across 28 minutes of action during Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He figures to have a similar workload during Friday's contest.
--Andy WebbSource: NBA Injury Report
March 6, 2026
Philadelphia 76ers guard
VJ Edgecombe (back) was unable to practice on Friday, according to Noah Levick. Instead, Edgecombe went through an individual workout session following Friday's practice. The rookie guard is in danger of missing a second straight game after suffering a lumbar contusion during Tuesday's contest. The Sixers are likely going to wait and see how Edgecombe feels on Saturday before deciding if he'll suit up against the Atlanta Hawks. If he's unavailable,
Quentin Grimes and
Cameron Payne are expected to help fill the void. Between the two, Grimes is the better streaming choice after dropping 16 points with five rebounds during Wednesday's game.
--Andy WebbSource: Noah Levick
March 6, 2026
Philadelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (oblique) isn't quite ready to return yet. According to Noah Levick, Embiid will be shut down and re-evaluated in one week. The Sixers were hopeful that Embiid could potentially return on Saturday, but that won't be the case. He has missed three straight games and eight of the last 10 games. During that span, the Sixers have only won two games, so they desperately need their superstar center back on the court. In the meantime,
Andre Drummond and
Adem Bona should continue to split up the playing time at center. Between the two big men, Bona has been the more consistent fantasy option while Embiid has been out.
--Andy WebbSource: Noah Levick
March 6, 2026
Los Angeles Clippers center
Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot) has been ruled out for the rest of the 2025-2026 season. It was announced on Friday that Niederhauser has been diagnosed with a Lisfranc injury in his right foot, which will require surgery. This is a tough blow for the first-round rookie who suffered the injury during Wednesday's game against the Indiana Pacers. He'll finish his rookie season averaging 4.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.3 assists across 10.4 minutes per game in 41 contests. The absence of Niederhauser should mean an uptick in minutes for
Brook Lopez and
Isaiah Jackson. The hope is that the 22-year-old will be ready for the beginning of next season, but more information should be known later in the offseason.
--Andy WebbSource: Michael Scotto
March 6, 2026
Boston Celtics forward
Jayson Tatum (Achilles) is officially making his season debut against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. Tatum is off the injury report and will return to the court after missing 10 months of action. Tatum had surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon in May of last year. He has made incredible progress to get back on the court this quickly. Given the circumstances, the Celtics are likely going to be extremely cautious with Tatum. He probably won't handle a full workload until closer to the postseason. Despite the limitations, Tatum should still be worth rostering in basically all fantasy formats. The superstar forward should still be able to make a solid contribution even with a monitored workload.
--Andy WebbSource: Boston Celtics
March 5, 2026
Charlotte Hornets forward/center
Grant Williams (knee) will rejoin the lineup on Friday against the Miami Heat. He hasn't been listed on the injury report after sitting out the second leg of a back-to-back on Wednesday against Boston. Williams has contributed 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 19.9 minutes per game since recovering from a bad knee injury and making his season debut on Jan. 10. On Friday, Williams might be slightly more productive on the offensive end, as Miami allows the sixth-most bench points in the Association.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Indiana Pacers center
Ivica Zubac (ankle) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Before Wednesday's loss to the Clippers, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters that Zubac would definitely play this season. However, his Pacers debut won't happen on Friday night. The Croatian big man has been on the shelf since Feb. 2 due to a left ankle sprain.
Jay Huff and
Micah Potter will continue to do the heavy lifting at the No. 5 spot until Zubac is ready to play.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Indiana Pacers guard/forward
Aaron Nesmith (ankle, back) is listed as probable for Friday's meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 26-year-old is a bit banged up, dealing with ankle and lower back injuries, but he is expected to make a second straight appearance. Nesmith ended a five-game absence on Wednesday against the Clippers but clearly wasn't himself, notching two points, three rebounds, and two assists with 1-for-8 shooting. Indiana limited Nesmith to 20 minutes on Wednesday night and may continue to monitor his minutes against the Lakers.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
New Orleans Pelicans guard/forward
Trey Murphy III (neck) will make a third consecutive appearance on Thursday against the Sacramento Kings. He was listed as questionable on the initial injury report due to neck spasms. The team upgraded Murphy III to probable earlier in the day, and he has now been officially cleared to play. Even with the Pelicans struggling, Murphy III has had a fantastic campaign. He is averaging career-high numbers in several categories, posting 22.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The Kings are horrible defensively, giving Murphy III a chance to do something special on Thursday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
New Orleans Pelicans forward
Zion Williamson (ankle) will suit up on Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings. Williamson played through an ankle injury on Tuesday against the Lakers and has been cleared for Thursday's game despite being listed as questionable on the initial injury report. While Williamson isn't at 100 percent, he managed 24 points, four rebounds, and one steal in 33 minutes against the Lakers. On Thursday, Williamson has an easier matchup and may also have more of the ball with
Dejounte Murray (Achilles) out of the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Indiana Pacers guard
Andrew Nembhard (back, neck) is considered probable for Friday's contest against the Los Angeles Lakers. The 26-year-old is dealing with soreness in his lower back and neck area, but the probable designation indicates that Nembhard is expected to make a second consecutive appearance. However, Nembhard's ongoing health issues appeared to impact him during Wednesday's game against the Clippers, where he managed only five points on 1-for-5 shooting. It was a major disappointment for fantasy managers who had seen Nembhard produce at least 20 points in each of his previous three games.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Indiana Pacers forward
Pascal Siakam (wrist) is probable for Friday's matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. He looks to be on track to make a second consecutive appearance after shaking off a wrist injury. Siakam returned from a three-game absence on Wednesday with a 29-point effort in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. While health issues have limited Siakam's involvement in recent weeks, he has been brilliant when available, averaging 29.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists over his last three outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 5, 2026
Memphis Grizzlies point guard
Ja Morant (elbow) will remain sidelined for at least a couple more weeks. On Thursday, the team announced that Morant continues to experience discomfort in his left elbow due to a UCL sprain, and follow-up imaging showed incomplete healing. Morant has been out since Jan. 21, playing in only 20 games this season. In Morant's absence, Memphis will continue to rely on
Ty Jerome (calf),
Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), and
Cam Spencer to handle playmaking duties, though Jerome and Pippen Jr. are both managing injuries of their own.
--Taavi PailkSource: Memphis Grizzlies PR
March 5, 2026
Phoenix Suns center
Oso Ighodaro has been named a starter for Thursday's matchup with the Chicago Bulls. He will replace
Mark Williams (foot) in the first unit. Williams has been ruled out for 2-3 weeks, meaning this should be the first of several consecutive starts for Ighodaro. In his previous seven starts this season, Ighodaro has averaged 6.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 23.8 minutes. However, earlier this week, Ighodaro demonstrated he is capable of much more by contributing to a 114-103 victory over Sacramento with a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double.
--Taavi PailkSource: Phoenix Suns
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