Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (foot) is making progress from a partial plantar plate tear and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the team announced Friday. The 32-year-old injured the second toe of his right foot during an Oct. 4 preseason game against Denver and has begun taking part in on-court activities. Nurkic averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists last season. Jaxson Hayes should continue handling most of the center minutes while Nurkic remains sidelined, and Utah will likely keep mixing and matching behind him in the frontcourt.

Charlotte Hornets center Moussa Diabate (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Boston Celtics, ending a run of nine straight starts to open the season. The 24-year-old is averaging 8.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals while shooting 63.5 percent from the field. Ryan Kalkbrenner is a strong candidate to step into the starting lineup, while Charlotte could also mix in smaller frontcourt looks. Kalkbrenner would have a chance to provide short-term value on the glass if he takes on a larger role.

Charlotte Hornets guard Dennis Schroder (thigh) has been ruled out for Friday's NBA Cup matchup against the Boston Celtics, marking his first absence of the season. The 33-year-old opened the year as Charlotte's starting point guard before shifting to the bench when Coby White returned Monday. Schroder is averaging 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists through nine appearances. White should take on more of the ball-handling while Schroder sits, with Sion James also in line to stay heavily involved. Kon Knueppel (hamstring) remains sidelined after aggravating the injury Wednesday.

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (eye) is available for Friday's game against the Charlotte Hornets after being upgraded from questionable. Pritchard left Wednesday's win over Milwaukee with an abrasion after posting 10 points and five assists on 4-for-7 shooting in 18 minutes. The 28-year-old is averaging 13.0 points, 3.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 31.0 percent from three. His return keeps Boston's second-unit backcourt intact as the Celtics open a four-game road trip.

New Orleans Pelicans guard/forward Trey Murphy III (knee) is available for Friday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing Wednesday's overtime win over Utah with bilateral patella tendinopathy. Murphy had initially carried a probable tag before being ruled out, marking his first absence of the season. The 26-year-old is averaging 14.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 33.0 minutes per game. His return could send Herbert Jones back to the bench, while Saddiq Bey may see fewer scoring chances after putting up 22 points in Wednesday's win.

Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell had a nice game in the team's defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. The guard recorded 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field and 4-of-9 shooting from the 3-point line in the team's 120-100 loss. Mitchell added eight assists, two rebounds, and a steal in the team's losing effort. Mitchell averages 16.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game this season while shooting 50 percent from the field. Mitchell is a talented scorer and provides fantasy managers with points and assists while maintaining a pretty good shooting percentage. Thursday's effort was a good sign for the guard and he will be counted on by the Heat moving forward.

Miami Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded a double double in Thursday's 120-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Antetokounmpo scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds despite his team's losing effort. He shot 7-of-13 from the field, 1-of-5 from 3-point range, and 5-of-7 from the free throw line in the loss and added four assists. Antetokounmpo did not contribute any defensive stats on the night. The Greek forward averages 27.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game on 56.0 percent shooting from the field. The talented forward is an elite source of points and rebounds as he averages a double double and is a good source of field-goal percentage as well. He is one of the top forwards in fantasy basketball and produces on a nightly basis.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry made six three-pointers on his way to 29 points in his team's 120-100 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday night. Curry shot well on the night, knocking down six of 12 from long range and nine of 19 overall from the field. The All-Star guard added 5-for-5 from the free-throw line and chipped in with four assists and a steal. Curry is averaging 29.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game on 46.9 percent shooting from the field. Curry is an elite fantasy scorer and a great source of three-pointers made. He scored right on his average in the win over Miami on Thursday night and will continue to be one of the top guards in the league.

Memphis Grizzlies forward/center Isaiah Stewart (knee) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a right knee bone bruise. Stewart suffered the injury in Wednesday's loss to Indiana and finished with six points and one rebound in 10 minutes before exiting. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo said Stewart appeared to have avoided a major injury, though he is still undergoing further evaluation. The 25-year-old is averaging 11.9 points on 66.7% shooting in 18.3 minutes this season. Quinten Post should see more time behind Zach Edey while Stewart is sidelined. His next chance to return comes Monday at Toronto.

Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. recorded a double-double in his team's 117-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. Carter Jr. finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds in a nice performance despite his team's defeat. The talented center shot 10-of-12 from the field and made 2-of-2 from 3-point range, adding a 5-of-6 mark from the free throw stripe. It was a great all-around performance from Carter Jr., who added two assists, one steal, and one blocked shot. Carter Jr. is averaging 14.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game on 65.6 percent shooting from the field. Carter Jr. is a good source of points, rebounds, and field-goal percentage and more efforts like the one on Thursday night will help make him one of the best fantasy center assets in the league.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (back) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a lumbar disc herniation, marking his fourth straight absence. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo said Pippen could be day-to-day or week-to-week depending on how he responds to treatment. The 25-year-old is averaging 6.4 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.0 steals in 16.0 minutes through five games. He dealt with a similar back issue in 2024, making his recovery worth monitoring. Cam Spencer should remain Ty Jerome's primary backup after dishing out 13 assists in a spot start last Saturday.

Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker tallied 30 points in his team's 117-104 win over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night. Booker shot 11-of-22 from the field, 4-of-8 from the 3-point line, and 4-of-4 from the free throw line in his team's big win. The talented shooter added eight assists and chipped in defensively with three steals. Booker is averaging 25.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game on 48.8 percent shooting from the field. Booker is an elite scoring guard for fantasy and anything he can add in terms of rebounds and assists is icing on the cake. He is not the best for defensive categories so the three steals on Thursday night were a welcome sign.

Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili (illness) is questionable for Friday's NBA Cup game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The 27-year-old has played in all nine games this season, averaging 9.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists off the bench. He is coming off a quiet two-point effort against Sacramento but scored a season-high 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting in his first meeting with Portland. If Mamukelashvili sits, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia could see a little more run, while Adou Thiero is also available to make his season debut.

Charlotte Hornets guard Dennis Schroder (thigh) is questionable for Friday's NBA Cup game against the Boston Celtics. Schroder played through a foot issue last week before moving to the bench Monday after Coby White returned, logging 23 minutes against Detroit. The 33-year-old is averaging 10.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists this season. If Schroder sits, White should take on more ball-handling duties, while Charlotte may have to dig deeper into its guard rotation, with Kon Knueppel (hamstring) also sidelined.

Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Max Christie (hip) is probable for Friday's NBA Cup game against the Utah Jazz after missing Wednesday's loss to San Antonio. Christie left Monday's game against Sacramento after eight scoreless minutes and had started all seven of his appearances before the injury. He is averaging 7.1 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting just 27.0% from three this season. Zaccharie Risacher started in his place Wednesday but scored only two points in 18 minutes, so Christie has a good chance to return to the first unit. He'll need to get closer to last season's 40.4% mark from deep to offer much fantasy value.

Dallas Mavericks forward Santi Aldama (knee) is probable for Friday's NBA Cup game against the Utah Jazz and appears set to make his season debut. Aldama has missed the first eight games while recovering from right knee surgery in March, though head coach Dusty May said earlier this week that he was "very, very close." The 25-year-old averaged career highs of 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 43 games with Memphis last season. Aldama could be eased back in after the long layoff, but his return may eventually cut into the minutes of Zaccharie Risacher and Morez Johnson Jr.

Toronto Raptors forward/center Scottie Barnes (groin) is questionable for Friday's NBA Cup game against the Milwaukee Bucks with left adductor/groin soreness. Barnes is coming off 17 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals in Wednesday's loss to Denver after also carrying a hip injury tag earlier in the week. The two-time All-Star is averaging 23.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists this season while Kawhi Leonard (knee) remains sidelined. If Barnes sits, Collin Murray-Boyles and Jamison Battle could pick up more minutes, with Allen Graves another option in Toronto's forward rotation.

Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Kon Knueppel (hamstring) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Boston Celtics after his season debut lasted only six minutes Wednesday in Brooklyn. Knueppel had already missed the first eight games with a left hamstring strain before returning with soreness in the same leg. The 2026 Rookie of the Year runner-up averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists last season while leading the NBA with 273 made threes. With Knueppel sidelined again, Sion James should remain busy, while Grayson Allen could also see more shots after scoring 22 points Wednesday.

Charlotte Hornets center Moussa Diabate (quadriceps) is questionable for Friday's NBA Cup game against the Boston Celtics with right quadriceps tendinopathy. The 24-year-old has yet to miss a game this season, averaging 8.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while starting all nine contests. If Diabate can't go, Ryan Kalkbrenner would likely step into the starting lineup. With Grant Williams (hamstring) also sidelined, Kalkbrenner could be worth a look for rebounds and blocks if he gets the extra minutes.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Peyton Watson (hamstring) is questionable for Friday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers after missing two straight contests. The 24-year-old is being managed carefully after hamstring trouble also affected the end of his time in Denver. Watson is shooting just 37.1% from the field and 16.7% from three this season, but he has still contributed 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. With Jaylon Tyson (ankle) also out, Meleek Thomas could continue seeing a bigger role if Watson sits again, while Mario Hezonja should stay involved off the bench.