Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (ankle) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Raptors. His next opportunity to return will be Tuesday against the Thunder. Hardy's playing time often fluctuates based on the health of the Mavericks' roster, but he's shown the ability to score in bursts, as evidenced by his 13 points in just six minutes during his last outing. With Hardy sidelined, Spencer Dinwiddie could see increased minutes in the backcourt.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (knee) will be active against Phoenix on Saturday. He was listed as probable on the initial injury report. The Heat star recently missed one game with a sore knee but looked great last time out against the Lakers. He finished a blowout win on Wednesday with 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one block, and two steals in 29 minutes. Butler's presence in the lineup limits Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s fantasy appeal. He logged only 17 minutes off the bench on Wednesday.

Toronto Raptors guard Davion Mitchell (hip) is available for Saturday's game against the Dallas Mavericks. The 26-year-old has been dealing with right hip stiffness but will play through the issue. He's expected to continue logging 20-plus minutes off the bench. While Mitchell went scoreless in his last outing, the Raptors will count on his energy and defense to help contain the talented Dallas backcourt.

Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber (illness) will not suit up for Saturday's matchup against the Toronto Raptors. Kleber has been unproductive lately, failing to score in three of his past four games, so his absence shouldn't disrupt the Mavericks' rotation too much. In his stead, P.J. Washington and Quentin Grimes are expected to pick up additional minutes. Kleber's next opportunity to return comes Tuesday against the Thunder.

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (calf) will not be available for Saturday's clash against Washington. He was downgraded from probable to questionable earlier in the day, and Denver has now ruled Gordon out. The Nuggets begin a back-to-back with Saturday's outing, so it's possible Gordon can make a quick return on Sunday versus Atlanta. We should see Peyton Watson run with the starters against the Wizards with Gordon unavailable. The young forward has averaged 12.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 11 previous starts this season.

Denver Nuggets guard/forward Christian Braun (quadriceps) has been upgraded from probable to available ahead of tip-off against Washington on Saturday. A right quadriceps contusion isn't enough to keep Braun off the court. On Saturday, he also gets an opportunity to play a larger role, as two of Denver's starters -- Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Aaron Gordon (calf) -- will be missing from the lineup. Braun is enjoying a fine campaign with averages of 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals.

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (oblique) has been ruled out indefinitely. He suffered a torn right oblique in Friday's 102-94 loss to Philadelphia. Wagner recorded his third consecutive 30-point outing on Friday and has carried the Magic offense during Paolo Banchero's (oblique) absence. Orlando also lost Banchero to a torn oblique at the end of October. The team plans to re-evaluate Wagner in four weeks. With the Magic's two best scorers now out of the lineup, the rest of the group will have to step it up big time. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Tristan Da Silva have had limited offensive roles so far but may be asked to contribute more going forward.

Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray (hamstring) will not play in Saturday's matchup against Washington. He has been ruled out after landing on the initial injury report with a questionable tag. Murray's absence will be a big boost for Russell Westbrook's fantasy stock. He's set to move to the starting lineup, where Westbrook has recorded 18.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.0 steals this season. This is also a very favorable matchup for Westbrook, as Washington has given up the second-most fantasy points to opposing point guards throughout the season.

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) is questionable for Saturday's matchup against the Pistons. KAT has had an amazing first season with the Knicks, averaging 25.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and shooting 45.0% from deep. He's battling a knee issue, so if doesn't play versus Detroit, Precious Achiuwa, who made his 2024-25 campaign debut in Thursday's win over the Hornets, could enter the starting lineup. However, Achiuwa likely won't see much more than the 12 minutes he logged on Thursday night, meaning Jericho Sims may get more action, although not enough to justify his presence in fantasy lineups.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (hamstring) is questionable for Saturday's game against the Washington Wizards. The veteran most recently logged 42 minutes in Thursday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, logging 42 minutes and finishing with 19 points. Murray wasn't at shootaround on Saturday, and with the Nuggets also playing the Hawks on Sunday, the team may give him a night off to rest his inflamed hamstring. If that happens, Russell Westbrook, who averaged 18 points, six assists, five boards, and two steals in three games without Murray this season, is a lock for any fantasy lineup. Michael Porter Jr., Christian Braun, and Nikola Jokic could also see an uptick in production if Murray isn't out there.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (back) is questionable heading into Saturday's meeting with the Detroit Pistons. The former Maverick is coming off one of his best showings of the 2024-25 campaign, amassing 24 points and shooting 5-for-6 from behind the arc. But if the back contusion keeps him off the floor on Saturday night, Miles McBride will likely slide into the starting lineup and would be in line for a significant uptick in fantasy production, even more so if Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) doesn't suit up.

According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green will continue to come off the bench. The 34-year-old missed two games before returning for Friday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, finishing with 10 points, nine boards, six assists, and two steals in 26 minutes in a reserve role. Head coach Steve Kerr indicated the move was made to keep Green healthy. At the same time, the team hopes to see more signs of life from Jonathan Kuminga, who has averaged 15.4 points in seven starts during the 2024-25 campaign. With that in mind, Green should continue to get minutes, so the move may actually work out in his favor, considering he has had issues staying healthy over the years.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (oblique) has missed the last 20 games. However, the 22-year-old is moving in a positive direction, recently beginning "light movement workouts" while "getting shots up." He was having a stellar year before tearing his oblique back in October, averaging 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 34.4% shooting from behind the arc, all the highest of his career. Banchero wants to return before the end of 2024. But it appears he has some hurdles to clear, so fantasy managers shouldn't be as optimistic. In the meantime, Franz Wagner should continue to benefit from a production standpoint while Banchero is sidelined. Goga Bitadze may also remain in the starting lineup, with Wendell Carter Jr. sliding over to the four spot.

San Antonio's F Julian Champagnie scored 30 points on 8-of-16 shooting in a 113-140 loss to the Kings on Friday, Dec. 6. Champagnie is owned in only 45.5% leagues.

Lakers' F LeBron James recorded a triple-double, finishing with 39 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a 132-134 loss to Atlanta on Friday, Dec. 6.

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II (knee) has received the green light to play on Friday against Minnesota. He has been upgraded from probable to available ahead of tip-off. The defensive specialist will play despite dealing with knee inflammation. The 32-year-old has been limited to 12.5 minutes per game this season, averaging 4.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. Fantasy managers should have far better options available to them.

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga will make a third consecutive start on Friday versus Minnesota. With Draymond Green (calf) back in the fold, it looked likely that the 22-year-old would have to relinquish his starting role, but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has decided to integrate Green back into the team as a member of the second unit. Kuminga is fresh off a career night after racking up 33 points on 13-for-22 shooting in Thursday's 99-93 win against Houston. He has averaged 15.8 points with 4.3 rebounds in six total starts this season.

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (back) will not suit up for Friday's meeting with Portland. He has been ruled out for low back injury management purposes. Svi Mykhailiuk will fill in for Markkanen in the starting lineup. This is an interesting move, as the Jazz have so far used the Ukrainian in only four games this season. He's averaged 4.3 points in 12.3 minutes. With Markkanen unavailable, Brice Sensabaugh and Johnny Juzang should also have more opportunities to play. The latter has built up momentum ahead of Friday's action by scoring 10-plus points in back-to-back games.

Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (ankle) will play on Friday against Minnesota. This is the second leg of a back-to-back for the Warriors, and Wiggins was initially listed as questionable for the game. However, he's good to go for the meeting with his former team. Wiggins is coming off one of his best offensive outings of the season, as he shot 9-for-15 from the field en route to 23 points in Thursday's 99-93 win over Houston.

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (knee) will be in the lineup on Friday against Minnesota. The former MVP returns to action after sitting out Thursday's game against Houston because of a knee issue. Curry went close to a triple-double in his last outing against Denver, but he faces a difficult matchup on Friday. The Timberwolves have limited opposing point guards to 43.5 percent shooting from the field, allowing the fifth-fewest points per 48 minutes to the position.