50 mins agoMiami Heat forward Duncan Robinson (back) has been ruled out for Friday's meeting with the Portland Trail Blazers. Left facet syndrome will cost Robinson a fifth game in a row, with the catch-and-shoot wing's next chance to return coming in Sunday's clash with the Washington Wizards. 2022 first-rounder Nikola Jovic has seen the most noticeable increase in playing time during Robinson's absence, logging 25.4 minutes per contest over his past four games (all starts) with averages of 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.5 threes. He's a barely-there steamer during the fantasy semifinals against a Portland squad yielding the fifth-fewest treys per game (11.7).Source: Miami Heat on X
60 mins agoMiami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (illness) is probable for Friday's tilt versus the Portland Trail Blazers. Butler was expected to play through his illness in Tuesday's win over the Cleveland Cavaliers before being surprisingly ruled out, but the Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang also reports the 34-year-old two-way superstar was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. Over 13 games since the All-Star Break, Butler is collecting a strong 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.9 three-pointers per contest. His return for the Heat would send first-round rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. to Miami's bench, and Butler would be a must-start season-long fantasy option in a soft matchup with the 19-54 Blazers on Friday.Source: Anthony Chiang - Miami Herald
2 hours agoAtlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu (toe) has been ruled out for Thursday's contest against the Boston Celtics. Sidelined for a fourth straight game with a sprained left big toe, the 23-year-old paint presence looks to return in Saturday's matchup versus the Milwaukee Bucks. Starting center Clint Capela has posted three consecutive double-doubles in Okongwu's absence, while backup big man Bruno Fernando has received more run from Atlanta's second unit. Fernando is averaging 15.0 points on 76.0% shooting from the field, 6.0 boards, and 2.0 combined steals plus blocks in 21.9 minutes over his last three outings for the 33-39 Hawks, but he'll take on a Celtics team allowing the third-fewest FanDuel points to opposing centers.Source: Brad Rowland - Locked On Podcast Network
2 hours agoAtlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (back) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Boston Celtics. Murray was iffy for Wednesday's win over the Portland Trail Blazers with lower back soreness, and his status remains up in air on the second night of Atlanta's back-to-back. Bogdan Bogdanovic would play more as a point forward if the star guard sits out on Thursday, while 2020 second-rounder Vit Krejci would handle the bulk of the ball-handling duties in this case. Krejci has started the last five games for the Hawks and averaged 10.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.0 three-pointers in 31.9 minutes, but Boston ranks first in the Eastern Conference in opponent field-goal percentage (45.4%).Source: Brad Rowland - Locked On Podcast Network
5 hours agoBrooklyn Nets forward Keita Bates-Diop (shin) will be out for the rest of the year, the team has announced. He has undergone a procedure to address a stress fracture in his right tibia and will need to recover for a month before resuming on-court activities. The Nets finish their regular-season schedule on April 14 against Philadelphia. Bates-Diop has averaged only a handful of minutes across 14 appearances with the Nets since being acquired from Phoenix in February. He missed a second straight game on Wednesday versus Washington.Source: Reuters
5 hours agoNew Orleans Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels (knee) will be out for a 21st straight game on Thursday versus Milwaukee, but he could be back in the lineup soon after playing in the G League. Daniels, who underwent meniscus surgery in February, had 22 points across 24 minutes in the Birmingham Squadron's 115-99 loss to the Oklahoma City Blue on Wednesday. The versatile guard has averaged 5.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals during his sophomore season with the Pelicans. His next chance to make a return to the NBA stage comes on Saturday versus Boston.Source: NBA Injury Report
5 hours agoCharlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) will miss the rest of the season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The talented playmaker has been on the shelf for 29 games already and will remain out for the final couple of weeks. After playing only 36 games last season, Ball will be forced to settle with just 22 outings in 2023-24 as he continues to have awful luck with injuries. Ball notched 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.8 steals whilst in the lineup. Vasilije Micic and Tre Mann have taken over the Hornets' backcourt lately and should remain strong fantasy options for the rest of the way.Source: Adrian Wojnarowski
5 hours agoNew Orleans Pelicans point guard Jose Alvarado (hip) has been tagged as questionable for Thursday's game against Milwaukee. He had to exit Tuesday's clash with OKC due to a hip problem, and the same ailment might keep him off the court entirely on Thursday. Alvarado's potential absence could help Jordan Hawkins re-emerge in the rotation. The rookie is a good three-point threat but doesn't offer much else to fantasy managers.Source: NBA Injury Report
5 hours agoBoston Celtics guard Jaden Springer (knee) has been labeled as questionable for Thursday's matchup against the Hawks. The youngster was recalled from the G League on Wednesday, but he's troubled by a left knee injury and might be unavailable for Thursday's game. It won't be a big loss for the C's, as Springer has been used very sparingly since he was acquired from Philadelphia. He's made only 13 appearances with the Celtics, averaging 5.5 minutes.Source: NBA Injury Report
5 hours agoBoston Celtics forward/center Xavier Tillman Sr. (knee) is questionable for Thursday's matchup against Atlanta. A swollen left knee might keep him out of action for a second consecutive game. Tillman Sr. is logging 15.5 minutes per game as a backup big in Boston. He's registered 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11 games with the team since arriving from Memphis. There might be an opportunity for Tillman Sr. to have a larger role on Thursday, with Al Horford (toe) in danger of missing the game, but he likely still won't see enough time on the court to be a viable fantasy option.Source: NBA Injury Report
5 hours agoAccording to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent (knee) is expected to rejoin the lineup on Sunday versus Brooklyn. Vincent has been unavailable since Dec. 20 due to knee surgery. The former Heat player has been limited to only five games in his first year in L.A. He's posted 5.4 points, 3.0 assists, and 1.2 steals across 25.4 minutes. Vincent's return gives the Lakers an additional backcourt piece, but he likely won't be making a big impact in fantasy hoops, as there's a lot of competition for playing time.Source: Shams Charania
16 hours agoBoston Celtics forward/center Al Horford (toe) is in danger of missing Wednesday's rematch against the Hawks. He is questionable because of a left big toe sprain, an injury he's been battling for the last week. But the 37-year-old has mostly played through the pain and logged 36 minutes when these clubs met on Monday night. With Jrue Holiday (shoulder) potentially in line to miss a sixth consecutive contest, Horford could stay with the starting unit. But if Holiday and Horford are out, Sam Hauser, averaging 12.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 10 starts this season, should continue to receive extra work.Source: NBA Injury Report
16 hours agoBoston Celtics guard Derrick White isn't listed on the league's official injury report heading toward Thursday's rematch with the Hawks. White wasn't in the lineup when these clubs met on Monday because of a hand issue. Yet, this injury isn't new, so he likely just got the night off to take a breather. Sam Hauser got the start, although he finished with just six points. With Al Horford (toe) and Jrue Holiday (shoulder) questionable for Thursday, there could still be room for Hauser to remain with the first five. Considering Hauser had double-digit scoring performances in five of his previous seven games means he has an excellent chance to bounce back.Source: NBA Injury Report
18 hours agoDenver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (foot) will play on Thursday against Phoenix. He's been battling a right plantar fascia strain for at least a few games. However, the 28-year-old finally sat out, missing Monday's win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Christian Braun got the start and played exceptionally well, finishing with 17 points off 8-for-10 shooting from the field. But with Gordon back in the lineup, Braun's fantasy ceiling will come crashing down.Source: Denver Nuggets
18 hours agoDenver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (illness) will play on Wednesday against Phoenix. He's made appearances on the injury report of late because of a non-COVID-illness. Yet, it hasn't cost him any time. However, the 25-year-old has combined for 23 points in the Nuggets' previous two games, so he may not be worth rostering in DFS contests until he's fully healthy.Source: NBA Injury Report