NBA Player News

Murphy will be back after a one-game absence, and he should fill one of the starting forward spots with Brandon Ingram and Jordan Hawkins both sidelined. His availability means that Brandon Boston Jr. won’t get the chacne to move into the starting unit.

The Bulls are without Nikola Vucevic, who will miss Friday’s game due to an illness. Smith moves into the starting lineup and is worth streaming, as Adama Sanogo is the other available center for the home team. Patrick Williams is available after missing ten games with a foot injury but will come off the bench, leaving Dosunmu in the starting lineup.

It certainly comes as a surprise that Williams will move into the starting unit for the first time this season. He has been playing around 10 minutes per game off the bench during his three appearances this season, but he’ll replace Nick Richards in the opening lineup. That doesn’t mean Williams will see his workload increase to 30 minutes, but he should play a larger role, with Richards still seeing plenty of minutes off the bench.

Morant and Bane are the changes to the Grizzlies lineup, as they sat out Sunday’s win over the Wizards. Scotty Pippen Jr. and Marcus Smart return to the bench, taking hits to their respective fantasy values. Wells, Clarke, and Jackson round out the starting quintet.

In Reaves’ return from a five-game absence, both Vincent and Christie will remain in the starting unit. That leaves Dalton Knecht as the odd man out. He’ll still have a role off the bench, but it will likely be too limited for him to make much of an impact in fantasy basketball.

A late addition to the injury report, Craig will not play on Friday. His absence will not impact fantasy basketball or the Bulls’ rotation, especially with Patrick Williams available.

Beal didn’t make the initial injury report, but there is now a chance that he doesn’t play due to swelling in his right knee. The odds of him being added two hours before tipoff and still playing are low, which means there will be a starting spot open. Grayson Allen will likely fill the void, with Royce O’Neale also seeing extra minutes.

Beauchamp hasn’t been able to carve out a role for the Bucks in his third season, so his expected availability won’t impact fantasy basketball.

Giannis should continue to play through this right knee ailment that has been bothering him all season. With a chance to make the championship of the NBA Cup on the line, Antetokounmpo should play a few extra minutes in this game.

Middleton’s probable tag suggests he will be cleared to play. The question is what kind of minutes restriction will he be under. Anything under 25 minutes likely guarantees Taurean Prince another start, but he has not been worth rostering since Middleton returned to action.

Reaves returns after a five-game absence, returning at a perfect time for the Lakers. With LeBron James (foot, personal) away from the team, Reaves’ scoring ability will be critical. Gabe Vincent or Max Christie will be headed to the bench, with the former being the more likely option. Neither Vincent nor Christie provides consistent fantasy value.