Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green will move into the starting five ahead of Thursday's game against the Sacramento Kings. The veteran forward will shift into the starting unit with Fred VanVleet (personal) unavailable for this game. The absence of Vanvleet means that Amen Thompson will likely take over as the primary ball handler. Green hasn't seen a consistent role in the rotation this season, but he did play 20 minutes during their last contest. He doesn't really bring enough to the table at this point in his career to be considered a reliable fantasy option.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (ankle) has been downgraded to out ahead of Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. This marks the second game in a row that Avdija has been forced to miss due to an ankle issue. The Blazers are shorthanded at the forward spot with Jerami Grant (face) also on the sideline. That means, Toumani Camara and Scoot Henderson should see extended playing time on Thursday. Henderson finished with 39 points during his last outing, but the young guard is known for being inconsistent. The fact he should see heavy playing time will likely give him more fantasy appeal for Thursday's slate.

Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (leg) has been upgraded to available ahead of Thursday's game against the Sacramento Kings. Eason has missed over a month of action due to a lower leg injury. He will finally return on Thursday, but will unsurprisingly be on a minutes limit for this game. Before the injury, Eason was averaging 11.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 22 minutes per game. When healthy, Eason is a solid contributor, but he won't be an ideal option on Thursday. Head coach Ime Udoka said Eason will play around 20-25 minutes. He could be worth plugging in for season-long formats, but isn't a reliable DFS option for Thursday's slate.

Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson (ankle) is listed as questionable ahead of Friday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson sat out of Wednesday's contest, which was the second leg of a back-to-back set. He recently returned from a right ankle sprain, so his absence was likely rest related. The hope is that Johnson will be back in the mix for Friday's game. When healthy, Johnson has been a reliable fantasy contributor with 20 points scored or more in each of the last three games he's played in. Noah Clowney figures to see reduced playing time if Johnson is unable to go. Clowney has been an inconsistent fantasy option this season.

Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (illness) has been upgraded to available ahead of Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. This is a bit of a surprise considering Williams was originally considered doubtful to suit up. Now, Williams will be back in the mix after missing each of the last three games due to an illness. Williams figures to serve as the primary backup to Deandre Ayton. That being said, Williams is likely only going to see minutes in the teens which isn't going to make him a viable fantasy option.

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (foot) has picked up a questionable tag ahead of Friday's contest against San Antonio. He's nursing right foot soreness. It doesn't sound like a serious issue, but Morant might have to drop out of the lineup after playing in each of the past four contests. This would allow Scotty Pippen Jr. to move back to the first unit. Pippen Jr. has been solid but unspectacular as a starter this season, averaging 13.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 steals.

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (back) has been labeled as questionable for Friday's clash against Oklahoma City. Irving returned from a back injury on Tuesday against Denver, but he was once again out when the team finished off a back-to-back set versus New Orleans on Wednesday. Irving struggled significantly on Tuesday, finishing with 11 points on 4-for-18 shooting, so he might indeed need a bit more time off. Spencer Dinwiddie should make another start if Irving is out again. The veteran guard notched 20 points on Wednesday and contributed three steals on the defensive end. Dinwiddie has performed well as a starter throughout the campaign, averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.3 steals.

Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray (knee) is probable for Friday's game against Miami. He's a mainstay on the injury report with a knee issue, but Murray has been in the lineup for 13 consecutive contests. Last time out, he notched 22 points with red-hot 4-for-5 shooting from deep in 30 minutes against Houston. Scoring also came easily for Murray in this season's first matchup against the Heat, as he totaled 28 points with a 9-for-17 effort from the field in a 135-122 win on Nov. 8.

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (calf) is considered questionable for Friday's 2023 NBA Finals rematch against Miami. Gordon recently returned from a calf injury, but he was kept off the court as the Nuggets completed a back-to-back on Wednesday night against Houston. Peyton Watson will have additional fantasy value if Gordon remains out on Friday. Watson averages 2.0 blocks per game for the month and has scored 10-plus points in three of the last four games, making him a solid two-way contributor for fantasy managers.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (elbow) is questionable for Friday's contest against Miami. The Serbian superstar is dealing with an elbow sprain and may have to sit out a second consecutive game. DeAndre Jordan jumped into the starting lineup with Jokic out on Wednesday versus Houston. He recorded eight rebounds, three blocks, and one steal without attempting a single field goal in 23 minutes. Providing cover for the center position off the bench, Dario Saric finished with eight points, four rebounds, and five assists in 19 minutes. The two will likely see additional action again on Friday if Jokic remains out.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Donte DiVincenzo (toe) will not be available for Friday's matchup against the Knicks. Friday night should have marked DiVincenzo's return to Madison Square Garden, but he has sprained his left big toe, which will keep the 27-year-old sidelined for at least one game. The Timberwolves have three games scheduled over the next four days, so DiVincenzo could miss out on a fair bit of action if he doesn't shake off the injury quickly. With DiVincenzo out, we will likely see Mike Conley back in the starting unit. More work should also be available for Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (illness) will be in the lineup against Oklahoma City on Thursday. He has missed two games due to an illness, but Cleveland has upgraded Jerome from questionable to available. The 27-year-old has been a valuable bench contributor this season for the Cavaliers, averaging 10.1 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.2 steals with 41.2 percent shooting from deep. Jerome notched 15 points and a pair of steals in just 12 minutes as Cleveland defeated the Thunder 129-122 last week.

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (ankle) will return to the lineup on Thursday against Detroit, but he will have a minutes restriction. Per Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has not specified what it will be. Nesmith has been out since Nov. 1, so it's no surprise Indiana wants to ease him back into action. He will probably come off the bench, which will help the team control his minutes better. Before suffering a left ankle sprain, Nesmith averaged 9.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 22.7 minutes.

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (thumb) has been listed as questionable on the injury report for Friday's game against Minnesota. Towns might miss the special matchup against the team that drafted him due to a thumb injury. He exited the lineup for the fourth time this season on Wednesday versus Philadelphia. Jericho Sims started instead of Towns, finishing with eight points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes. Precious Achiuwa logged 30 minutes off the bench and had 10 points with six rebounds and three blocks. Achiuwa has more fantasy upside compared to Sims, but it's possible Towns will manage to play through his injury on Friday.

Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton (groin) will suit up against Detroit on Thursday. He has been upgraded from questionable to available, meaning Haliburton will sit out only one game due to a mild groin strain. Haliburton's presence reduces the fantasy value of Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell. Ben Sheppard might also take a hit because he started instead of Haliburton on Tuesday against Cleveland. However, with Bennedict Mathurin (suspension) unavailable, there is a possibility Sheppard remains in the starting unit for Thursday's game. Haliburton has not played well against Cade Cunningham and the Pistons this season, averaging 17.0 points and 4.5 assists.

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.