Milwaukee Bucks forward/center Bobby Portis (hip) is considered questionable for Friday's tilt against the Indiana Pacers. He is bothered by a hip problem, which may keep Portis sidelined for a third consecutive game. After Portis exited the lineup, Amir Coffey had a pair of outings as a starter. Coffey is no longer on the team, opening an opportunity for Jericho Sims and Pete Nance. Both played well as reserves in Wednesday's overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Boston Celtics center Nikola Vucevic is not on the injury report for Friday's clash against the Miami Heat, indicating that he will make his team debut. Vucevic's arrival in Beantown is bad news for Neemias Queta, who has been Boston's starting center this season. As a strong rebounder, Quete will still have a role to play on the team, but his minutes are set to drop. This season, Vucevic has not enjoyed his time against Bam Adebayo and the Heat, posting only 11.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 34.2 percent from the field across three games.

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (back) is not on the injury report for Friday's contest against the Milwaukee Bucks. Indiana rested several regulars, including Nembhard, when the team wrapped up a back-to-back set on Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz. Nembhard has been inconsistent in recent outings and was quiet on Monday against Houston, finishing with seven points and eight assists. He has a significantly better matchup on Friday against a team ranked eighth from the bottom in defensive efficiency. With T.J. McConnell (knee) also back on Friday, Kam Jones and Quenton Jackson must settle for lesser roles.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) will play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. He will start the contest after the team initially listed Embiid as questionable for the matchup. The former MVP will return from a one-game absence, having sat out the second leg of a back-to-back on Tuesday against Golden State. Recently, Embiid has been on a roll, averaging 32.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists across his last eight appearances. With Embiid back, Andre Drummond will return to a reserve role.

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (rest) will hop back into the lineup on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks. The team has removed him from the injury report after Siakam sat out the second leg of a back-to-back on Tuesday against Utah for rest. Siakam's return will push Jarace Walker to the bench, though he should still have a prominent role in the rotation. In two meetings with the Bucks this season, Siakam has averaged 23.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.0 steals. He's in a good spot to improve his numbers on Friday, as Milwaukee remains without Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and might be without Bobby Portis (hip), who is listed as questionable on the injury report.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (back) is questionable for Friday's encounter with the Memphis Grizzlies. Avdija practiced on Thursday, but Sean Highkin of Rip City Radio 620 Portland reported that he is unlikely to play on Friday night. However, Avdija hasn't been officially ruled out, leaving hope that he can return to the court. Due to a lingering back issue, Avdija has played in only four of the last 11 games. Jerami Grant and Sidy Cissoko see increased usage in Avdija's absence, while the returning Scott Henderson (hamstring) will also help fill the void.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome (calf) won't suit up on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers. Memphis will begin a back-to-back on Friday night, and Jerome will exit the lineup after making his first three appearances of the season. He has looked very impressive in his first few outings, averaging 22.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.0 steals in just 20.3 minutes per game. Cam Spencer and Jevon Small are set to fill the point guard minutes on Friday night.

Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton (knee) will be active on Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. He was initially considered questionable for the game due to a sore left knee. Melton has enjoyed a productive campaign as a reserve guard in San Francisco, averaging 13.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 steals across his last eight outings. With Stephen Curry (knee) out, Melton can make an even larger impact.

Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (knee) won't return to Thursday's game against the Washington Wizards. He managed only four points and three rebounds in 13 minutes during the first half before being ruled out for the rest of the contest due to right knee soreness. Ron Holland II started the second half in Duren's place. Paul Reed will help fill the center minutes behind Isaiah Stewart. Hopefully, this isn't a serious injury for Duren, as he's been having a great year. Across 42 outings, Duren has averaged 18.0 points and 10.7 rebounds.

Sacramento Kings forward/center Domantas Sabonis (back) is listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Lithuanian star returned from a back problem in Wednesday's loss to Memphis, but the team hasn't removed him from the injury report. Sabonis had 24 points and 15 rebounds in 24 minutes against the Grizzlies. If he can't play on Friday night, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell will see additional action against a Clippers frontcourt that no longer has Ivica Zubac, making it an easier matchup for Sacramento's bigs.

Los Angeles Clippers point guard Darius Garland (toe) won't be ready to make his team debut on Friday against the Sacramento Kings. Garland has landed in L.A. nursing a toe injury, and it remains uncertain when he will be available for action. With Garland out of the mix, Kris Dunn and Kobe Sanders have more fantasy appeal, but the two are hard to trust due to their inconsistent performances. After a couple of strong outings, Sanders produced a four-point dud as a starter in Wednesday's loss to Cleveland. Meanwhile, Dunn has been limited to 5.3 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game over his last four appearances.

Houston Rockets guard/forward Tari Eason (lower leg) has been downgraded to out for Thursday's matchup against Charlotte as the team manages him on the second night of a back-to-back. Eason's absence pushes Josh Okogie into a starting role, though his fantasy impact projects as minimal. Okogie is posting 5.4 points and 2.9 rebounds across 20.0 minutes on the season, keeping his appeal limited to deep formats. Eason remains a hold when active due to his defensive contributions, while Houston's rotation sees only marginal fantasy movement with this change.

San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet (adductor, ankle) won't suit up on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks, while forward/center Kelly Olynyk (foot) has been cleared to play. Kornet has been banged up lately and will get some rest after his big 15-rebound performance in Wednesday's win over Oklahoma City. Olynyk will take over Kornet's duties as a reserve big behind Victor Wembanyama. He was initially listed as questionable for Thursday's game. Even when healthy, Olynyk hasn't played for the Spurs lately, so this will be an opportunity for the veteran to impress. However, he is unlikely to make a fantasy impact.

Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Julius Randle (thumb) remains on the injury report ahead of Friday's matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans. He's been dealing with a sore left thumb recently, though it hasn't yet kept Randle off the floor. However, the injury to his shooting hand has reduced Randle's scoring efficiency. Over the last two games, Randle has shot 12-for-32 from the field (37.5 percent). Naz Reid and Jaylen Clark could get more work if Randle has to exit the lineup.

Dallas Mavericks forward/center Marvin Bagley III (recently traded) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against San Antonio, as Dallas has yet to finalize its trade-related transactions. Bagley remains unavailable while paperwork is completed, delaying his Mavericks debut until at least Saturday. He averaged 10.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 19.2 minutes with Washington, mostly in a reserve role. For now, Daniel Gafford remains the clear fantasy priority in the frontcourt, though Bagley could emerge as a deeper-league points and rebounds option once active, especially if injuries thin the rotation.

New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (toe) is listed as probable for Friday's contest against the Detroit Pistons. Anunoby has a sore right toe but is expected to play in the matchup between the Eastern Conference's top two teams. Anunoby had a quiet five-point outing when the Knicks faced Detroit a month ago in this season's first meeting. Given his recent form, Anunoby is poised for a much stronger showing on Friday. He has averaged 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.8 steals across his last eight outings.

Atlanta Hawks center Jock Landale has been named a starter for Thursday's tilt against the Utah Jazz. The Australian big man has just joined the team and will be handed a significant role straight away. This is a great matchup for Landale to make a big first impression on the Hawks fans. Not only are the Jazz starting without Jusuf Nurkic, but they have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to centers over the course of the season. Landale is joining Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Zaccharie Risacher, andJalen Johnson in the first unit.

Sacramento Kings forward/center Dylan Cardwell (contract) is set to sign a four-year agreement Thursday, converting his two-way slot into a standard deal with the first two seasons fully guaranteed. The move reflects consistent, low-usage production rather than a clear path to immediate minutes. Over his last ten games, Cardwell has provided late-round value with 5.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.0 blocks while remaining efficient in limited run. With Domantas Sabonis locked into the starting role and Maxime Raynaud also in the rotation, Cardwell profiles as a deep-league blocks streamer. Fantasy managers can still track his role if Sacramento shifts toward evaluating younger players later in the season.

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (ankle) has been upgraded from questionable to available for Thursday's game against San Antonio after managing a sprained right ankle. The clearance is a positive sign given his recent workload and the Mavericks' thin frontcourt. Gafford has started his last two games and delivered back-to-back double-doubles, averaging 13.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks in 26.5 minutes while shooting 73.3 percent from the field. With Anthony Davis (finger) no longer in Dallas, Gafford's role carries strong streamer value with mid-tier hold appeal, though ankle management remains a risk.

Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams (lower leg) won't play in Thursday's matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, Abby Jones of DLLS Sports reports. A right lower leg contusion will keep Williams out for a second consecutive game, as the team has downgraded him from questionable to out. The rest of the Mavericks' bench will absorb Williams' minutes, but there aren't any standout names to count on for fantasy production. All Dallas' reserves finished with seven or fewer points in Tuesday's loss to Boston.