NBA Player News

Cain’s continued absence will not significantly impact fantasy basketball, even with the Pelicans’ many injuries. It’s safe to leave him on the waiver wire when healthy.

Due to his lingering ankle issue, Wiggins has missed Golden State’s last two games. Gary Payton II replaced him in the starting lineup for both contests, but he does not provide enough value to merit being streamed in most fantasy leagues.

Both bigs will be sidelined, with Williams having been out for over two weeks. Ayton has been available in recent weeks, but his absence will coincide with Donovan Clingan (knee) returning. However, Clingan will be on a minutes restriction, so Jabari Walker will get the start at center.

Clingan is available for the first time since November 23, when he injured his knee during a win over the Rockets. His minutes will be restricted, but there’s room for fantasy production due to the absences of Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III. Jabari Walker will start and is worth streaming due to the injuries.

Once again, Young is expected to play through this Achilles ailment. It has only forced him to miss one game this season, and it likely won’t be his second in the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday.

After sitting out Sunday’s loss to the Nuggets, Bogdanovic played 24 minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s win over the Knicks. Hunter played 29 minutes in New York and has not missed a game since November 17. Look for both players to be part of the Hawks’ bench rotation in Las Vegas.

Johnson tweaked his ankle in the fourth quarter against the Knicks on Wednesday, and there is a chance that he keeps him out of their semifinal matchup in the NBA Cup. Larry Nance Jr. got the start when Johnson was sidelined on Sunday, though De’Andre Hunter will also see extra minutes.

Gordon and Braun were initially probable for Friday’s game, so the status upgrades were expected. They’ll take their usual places in the starting lineup, with Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson coming off the bench.

Murray will be back after a two-game absence, and his return will force Russell Westbrook to return to his typical role off the bench. He was a strong streaming option when he was starting, but he’ll lose that value with Murray back.

Clarkson is back after a seven-game absence, giving the Jazz additional scoring production off the bench. At best, he should be rostered in deep leagues. Fantasy managers should expect Clarkson’s minutes to be restricted due to the time off.

Markkanen was upgraded to probable earlier in the day, so his official availability doesn’t come as a surprise. He finished with just eight points in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Kings and will look to bounce back in this game.