Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (personal) will not play on Thursday night against the Kings after being listed as out for personal reasons. FVV played 35 minutes on Wednesday in the first game of the team's back-to-back and had 16 points, eight assists, and three steals in Houston's 128-108 win over Denver. The Rockets have won six of their last seven games, but they'll have to go without their starting point guard against the Kings. VanVleet has played all but two of the Rockets' 39 games this season with Amen Thompson stepping in to start the two games he missed. Thompson has already been in the lineup recently and has turned up his production, averaging 15.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.7 steals, and 36.9 minutes per game over his last nine contests. He'll be even more involved in the backcourt without VanVleet along with Jalen Green, while Aaron Holiday, Nate Williams and Reed Sheppard could all get more minutes as well.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann (calf) is listed as questionable for Thursday night's road matchup with the Trail Blazers. Mann only played eight minutes on Wednesday in the first half of the team's back-to-back, and his role has been fairly minimal lately. However, if he does play on Thursday, there should be more work available since Kawhi Leonard (knee) is out for injury management. If Mann is sidelined in addition to Leonard, more work would be available for Amir Coffey and Kris Dunn.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (knee) will not play on the second night of the Clippers' back-to-back when they visit the Trail Blazers on Thursday. On Wednesday, Leonard played 24 minutes and had 23 points and two rebounds in the franchise-record 59-point win over the Nets, but the star will get Thursday off for injury management. Coach Ty Lue said before Wednesday's game that the plan was for Kawhi to get Thursday off, so it's no surprise that the team announced he is out. His absence will leave more work and upside for James Harden, Normal Powell, and Derrick Jones Jr. as the Clippers look to win their third straight game since having their game against the Hornets postponed last weekend.

Toronto Raptors forward Ochai Agbaji (hand) had to leave Wednesday's game against the Celtics with a right hand laceration, and he could be forced to miss Friday's game against the Bucks. Agbaji has averaged 28.5 minutes per game in his 39 games this season, producing 10.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.8 steals per game. He has been in a reduced role since the Raptors have gotten other key members of their rotation back, and if Agbaji is ultimately ruled out, there would be more minutes and usage in the second unit for Bruce Brown, Jamison Battle, and Chris Boucher.

Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (illness) was originally listed as doubtful, but he has now been upgraded to questionable for Thursday night's matchup against the Clippers. Williams has missed three straight games due to illness, and even before that, he had been crowded out of the Blazers' rotation with Deandre Ayton and Donovan Clingan available. Now that Clingan (ankle) has been ruled out for at least a week, though, there should be backup minutes available for Time Lord when he's ready to return. If Williams needs another day to recover, his next chance to play would be Saturday against the Rockets, and Duop Reath would likely serve as Ayton's primary backup against the Clippers.

Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (groin) will not play on Friday when the Raptors visit the Bucks. It will be Quickley's third straight game on the sidelines due to a groin strain. Davion Mitchell has started the last two games in his absence and played well with ten points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 27 minutes against the Celtics on Wednesday. While Mitchell has been getting more minutes, he's a low-usage player so Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett get more work with Quickley out. Jamal Shead could also get some extra work off the bench, and he brings a high ceiling for DFS and streaming use when he steps into an expanded role.

Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter (shoulder) is listed as questionable for the Kings' Thursday night home game against the Rockets. The rookie has been limited to just six games this season after he underwent left shoulder surgery in July. He has played 14.2 minutes per game in his six games while contributing 5.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in the Kings' second unit. Carter was able to go through shootaround which could indicate he'll be able to play through the soreness, but if he's out, the Kings would be very short-handed since Jordan McLaughlin (personal) is also listed as out. Keon Ellis and De'Aaron Fox would have to handle more of the work since the Kings wouldn't have many other guard options on the bench if Carter is unable to give it a go.

Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (illness) is still not available for the Suns after testing positive for the flu. Nurkic had fallen out of the Suns rotation even before the illness, and his time with the team could be quickly coming to an end after the Suns acquired Nick Richards on Wednesday. Nurkic averaged 8.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 23.7 minutes per game in his 25 games this season, but it remains uncertain when and where he'll play next. At this point, Mason Plumlee has stepped in as the starting center for the Suns with rookie Oso Ighodaro serving as his primary backup. Both are in a good matchup on Thursday against the Wizards with Nurkic out and Richards not yet available for his debut.

Phoenix Suns center Nick Richards is listed as out for the team's Thursday night matchup with the Wizards in Washington. He was acquired in a trade from the Hornets on Wednesday night but has not joined the team yet, according to the official NBA Injury Report. Richards' next chance to suit up for Phoenix will be Saturday in Detroit. Until he's ready, Mason Plumlee will likely continue to start with Oso Ighodaro as his primary backup since Jusuf Nurkic (illness) was also listed out for Thursday Night's game.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (ankle) was downgraded to out after being initially listed as doubtful for Thursday night's matchup against the Wizards. Beal sustained his sprained ankle on Tuesday against the Hawks. Beal won't get a chance to face his old team on Thursday, but he has been playing pretty well since moving to the bench for the Suns. While he's out on Thursday, other members of the second unit like Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale will get more work. Allen could be an especially strong DFS or streaming option in a fantasy-friendly matchup against the Wizards, who allow the most points per game in the NBA.

Washington Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon (foot) has been ruled out for a sixth consecutive game ahead of Thursday's matchup against Phoenix. He has landed on the shelf with a plantar fascia contusion on his right foot. Jared Butler had an impressive spell during the first few games Brogdon missed but has logged just 15 minutes over the past two contests. Corey Kispert, Kyshawn George, and Justin Champagnie have shared most of the available minutes among Washington's bench players. However, none of the trio appears to be good fantasy options due to inconsistency.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (illness) is questionable for Thursday's game against Oklahoma City. An illness has kept him sidelined for a pair of games, and Jerome might also be forced to miss a meeting with his former team. Caris LeVert and Max Strus have carried the bench with Jerome out. However, they have been inconsistent and face a tricky matchup on Thursday as the Cavaliers go up against the league's top defense.

Sacramento Kings guard/forward Malik Monk (groin) will likely return to the lineup on Thursday against Houston, as the team lists him as probable for the contest. Monk missed Tuesday's action against Milwaukee due to groin soreness. Keon Ellis took over his spot in the starting lineup and had a fine night with 18 points. He will lose a significant amount of fantasy value by returning to the bench. Monk has provided 18.6 points with 4.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists since being promoted to the first unit. One of his first games in the new role was against the Rockets, and Monk had a fun night in a 120-111 win with 17 points and a career-high 12 assists.

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (ankle) will likely miss Thursday's return to his old stomping ground, as the team has labeled him doubtful ahead of the game against Washington. Beal injured his left ankle against Atlanta on Tuesday. Phoenix sent the former Wizards leader to the second unit earlier this month, but Beal has coped fairly well with his new role. He has averaged 16.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists coming off the bench. Other bench pieces, like Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale, should feature more in the rotation if Beal can't play in Thursday's game. Allen has more fantasy upside, particularly in a matchup against a team that gives up the most three-point attempts in the league.

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (ankle) might be ready to return to the lineup on Thursday against Detroit, with the team listing him as questionable on the injury report. He has picked up the questionable tag after missing nearly 11 weeks due to a left ankle sprain. Nesmith was a starter for the Pacers early in the campaign over Bennedict Mathurin, so it will be interesting to see how the rotation works out with everybody healthy. Indiana has played well with its current lineup, going 12-4 since Dec. 8. Even if Mathurin gets bumped to the bench, he should still have a major role to play, with Nesmith's return having a much bigger impact on Ben Sheppard's playing time.

Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton (groin) is questionable to play in Thursday's matchup against Detroit. He's nursing a "mild" groin strain, which has already kept Haliburton out of one game. Ben Sheppard replaced Haliburton in the starting lineup against Cleveland on Tuesday, but he didn't do much in 32 minutes. T.J. McConnell also picked up a few extra minutes and came close to a double-double off the bench. Bennedict Mathurin (suspension) is already out for Thursday's game, so several players must step up offensively if Haliburton also can't play.

Indiana Pacers guard/forward Bennedict Mathurin has been handed a one-game suspension, meaning he will not be available for Thursday's contest against Detroit. Mathurin was given the suspension for inappropriate contact and verbal abuse of a game official. The incident occurred in Tuesday's 127-117 loss to Cleveland. Jarace Walker could feature more in the rotation with Mathurin out. However, Indiana might have Aaron Nesmith (ankle) back in the lineup, which would bump Walker down on the depth chart.

Knicks' F Josh Hart recorded a triple-double, finishing with 10 points, 12 assists and 17 rebounds in a 125-119 win over Philadelphia on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. will move into the starting five ahead of Wednesday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. Head coach Ty Lue has decided to tweak his starting unit and move Jones into the starting unit on Wednesday. Kris Dunn will head to the bench after posting a dud during his 25 minutes of action on Monday. Jones has been decent this season, but he isn't someone worth starting in most fantasy formats right now. So far, Jones is averaging 9.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 24 minutes per game this season.

Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell (shin) has been ruled out ahead of Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Russell played 21 minutes off the bench during Tuesday's game after missing the previous four games. That being said, it appears the Nets are going to play it safe and rest Russell in the second leg of the back-to-back set. Keon Johnson and Ziaire Williams should both see increased roles on Wednesday. Also, Ben Simmons will likely do most of the ball handling which should increase his fantasy value.