January 1, 2026
Philadelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (ankle/knee) has been upgraded to available for Thursday's game against Dallas, a welcome sign after a stretch of heavy management and spotty availability. When he does play, the production has followed. Embiid has appeared in just 14 games but is coming off a 38-minute overtime effort Tuesday with 34 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and two blocks. His return squeezes minutes for
Andre Drummond and
Adem Bona. Embiid remains a must-start when active, though rest risk lingers in weekly formats.
--Brian DailisanSource: Austin Krell
January 1, 2026
Denver Nuggets center
Jonas Valanciunas (calf) will be re-evaluated in four weeks after a right calf strain, leaving Denver thin up front with
Nikola Jokic (knee) also sidelined.
DaRon Holmes II and
Zeke Nnaji are positioned for increased roles. Holmes has averaged just 8.6 minutes over four games, but an expanded workload would give him deep-league streaming appeal through rebounds and defensive stats. Nnaji could see situational run, while
Peyton Watson may log minutes at the five if Denver goes small.
--Brian DailisanSource: Shams Charania
January 1, 2026
Dallas Mavericks guard
D'Angelo Russell (illness) is out for Thursday's game, continuing a stretch of inconsistent availability. His role has also varied when active, keeping Dallas' point guard rotation unsettled.
Brandon Williams again benefited last game, logging 30 minutes with 22 points, three rebounds, four assists, and one steal, positioning him as a short-term streaming option. Rookie
Ryan Nembhard drew the start but played 17 minutes, while
Max Christie and
Naji Marshall should continue to see steady run.
--Brian DailisanSource: Noah Weber
January 1, 2026
Houston Rockets center
Alperen Sengun (soleus) is available for Thursday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. Sengun drops the questionable tag for tonight's tilt after missing the last two contests because of a left soleus strain. The Rockets are hurting heading into this one, with
Clint Capela (illness) and
Steven Adams (ankle) out, so having the 23-year-old active will bring a much-needed boost to a depleted frontcourt. Before missing two previous contests, Sengun registered 14 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and one steal across 31 minutes in a 119-96 win over the Lakers on Christmas Day.
--Andrew LennoxSource: NBA Injury Report
January 1, 2026
Sharif Phillips-Keaton of USA Today reports that Houston Rockets centers
Steven Adams (ankle) and
Clint Capela (illness) are unavailable for Thursday's matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. Adams sprained his right ankle during Monday's 126-119 win over the Pacers, while Capela is feeling under the weather. With both veteran big men out of action,
Dorian Finney-Smith may see an expanded role, but he should not be viewed as a streaming option for fantasy managers.
--Andrew LennoxSource: Sharif Phillips-Keaton
January 1, 2026
Brooklyn Nets guard
Egor Demin (back) won't play on Thursday against Houston. He had 23 points in Monday's loss to the Golden State Warriors. However, the rookie will sit this one out because of back soreness. With
Michael Porter Jr. (illness) also sidelined,
Noah Clowney,
Danny Wolf, and
Nicolas Claxton are all in line for more production.
Cam Thomas, who has been limited since returning from a hamstring injury, should be considered the favorite to lead the team in scoring.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
January 1, 2026
Utah Jazz guard
Ace Bailey (hip) remains out for Thursday's meeting with the Clippers, marking his third-straight absence. With
Keyonte George (illness),
Lauri Markkanen (knee), and
Jusuf Nurkic (toe) also ruled out, Bailey would have been in line for a significant bump on the offensive end. However, since he's sidelined as well,
Walter Clayton Jr. and
Isaiah Collier should see all the minutes they can handle, with
Svi Mykhailiuk also likely being more involved on both ends of the floor.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
January 1, 2026
According to Sharif Phillips-Keaton of USA Today, Houston Rockets forward
Tari Eason (illness) is set to suit up against the Brooklyn Nets. Eason was listed as questionable due to an illness, but he has since been cleared to play. This evening's clash will be the sixth game in a row the 24-year-old has played after missing over a month due to an oblique injury. With
Steven Adams (ankle) and
Clint Capela (illness) out of action, fantasy managers could look to Eason as an option, as he will likely see extended minutes during tonight's contest.
--Andrew LennoxSource: Sharif Phillips-Keaton
January 1, 2026
Utah Jazz forward
Lauri Markkanen (knee) will not play on Thursday against the Clippers. He had 22 points, nine boards, two steals, and one block in Tuesday's loss to the Boston Celtics. However, the veteran won't suit up for this one because of knee soreness.
Keyonte George (illness),
Ace Bailey (hip), and
Jusuf Nurkic (toe) are also sidelined on Thursday evening, meaning players like
Brice Sensabaugh,
Kyle Filipowski,
Isaiah Collier, and
Walter Clayton Jr. should all surpass their usual statistical projections despite a challenging matchup on the horizon.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
January 1, 2026
Utah Jazz guard
Keyonte George (illness) will miss Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers due to an illness. This evening's contest will be the first the 22-year-old has missed all season long. George is averaging a career-high 24.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 4.3 boards across 32 outings this campaign. His next chance to suit up comes on Saturday against Golden State. With
Lauri Markkanen (knee) also ruled out,
Isaiah Collier,
Walter Clayton Jr.,
Kyle Filipowski, and
Brice Sensabaugh could be fairly productive fantasy-wise during tonight's tilt.
--Andrew LennoxSource: NBA Injury Report
January 1, 2026
Brooklyn Nets forward
Michael Porter Jr. (illness) won't play on Thursday against Houston. He had 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals in Monday's 120-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Unfortunately, Porter popped up on the injury report because of an illness, so he'll miss his first game in nearly a month. With
Egor Demin (back) also unavailable, Brooklyn may get more production from
Noah Clowney,
Danny Wolf, and
Nicolas Claxton.
Cam Thomas, who had been limited since returning from a hamstring injury, has the best chance of leading the team in scoring despite likely logging fewer minutes than usual.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
January 1, 2026
Detroit Pistons forward
Tobias Harris (hip) won't play on Thursday versus Miami. He suffered a hip sprain in Tuesday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, ending his night after only five minutes of work. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day, although they shouldn't be surprised if he misses more games moving ahead. With
Caris LeVert (hip) also sidelined,
Ron Holland II is the favorite to enter the starting lineup. The 2024 No. 5 overall pick has averaged 7.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in five starts throughout the 2025 campaign. While those numbers aren't the best, Holland will at least warrant consideration for those participating in deep fantasy setups.
Marcus Sasser and
Jaden Ivey could also surpass their usual fantasy expectations.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
January 1, 2026
Utah Jazz forward
Lauri Markkanen (knee) is questionable ahead of Thursday's game against the Clippers. The veteran was available on Tuesday in the loss to the Boston Celtics, amassing 22 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and one block in 38 minutes of action. With
Keyonte George (illness) questionable, and
Jusuf Nurkic (toe) and
Ace Bailey (hip) already ruled out, the Jazz may need guys like
Brice Sensabaugh,
Kyle Filipowski,
Isaiah Collier, and
Walter Clayton Jr. to step things up on both ends of the floor. .
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
January 1, 2026
Utah Jazz guard
Keyonte George (illness) is questionable for the meeting with the Clippers on Thursday night. He's having an excellent 2025 campaign, averaging a career-high 24.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 4.3 boards. The 22-year-old is also coming off one of his most productive games of the season, amassing 37 points in Tuesday's loss to the Boston Celtics. If
Lauri Markkanen (knee) can't suit up, George could be in line for additional scoring opportunities, making him a more enticing fantasy option. That will apply to Markkanen if George is ruled out. However, if both players are sidelined,
Isaiah Collier,
Walter Clayton Jr.,
Kyle Filipowski, and
Brice Sensabaugh might all smash their usual fantasy projections despite a challenging matchup.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
January 1, 2026
Utah Jazz center
Jusuf Nurkic (toe) won't suit up for Thursday's meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers. The 2014 No. 16 overall pick is averaging close to a double-double this season, most recently amassing 26 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists on Tuesday in the loss to the Boston Celtics. It's unknown when he suffered the MTP joint sprain. More importantly, it's unknown how long he'll be sidelined. With
Kevin Love (rest) also ruled out, the Jazz are expected to roll with
Kyle Filipowski at the five. The 22-year-old has played well in his 11 starts throughout the 2025 campaign, logging 11.8 points and 7.2 boards per contest. With Utah projected to be the second-lowest scoring club on Thursday's slate, Filipowski may have a tough time being more productive than that, although it could happen if
Keyonte George (illness) and/or
Lauri Markkanen (knee), who are both questionable, can't get on the floor.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
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