Indiana Pacers guard/forward Bennedict Mathurin (toe) will miss a third straight game on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle recently stated that Mathurin is week-to-week, so fantasy managers should anticipate that he will miss additional games following Friday night. Before he hurt his right big toe, Mathurin was outstanding at the start of the season, averaging 31.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. The Pacers backcourt is also dealing with other injury issues, which has given two-way player RayJ Dennis a significant role in the rotation. Meanwhile, Pascal Siakam's offensive usage has gone through the roof since Mathurin's exit from the lineup.

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (shoulder) will remain sidelined on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks. A left shoulder strain will rob him of a fourth consecutive game. T.J. McConnell (hamstring) isn't ready to return either on Friday, meaning Ben Sheppard and RayJ Dennis will continue to feature heavily in the backcourt rotation. Indiana's injury issues have also elevated the fantasy value of Jarace Walker, who stuffed the stat sheet in Wednesday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks, recording 20 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals, and one block.

New York Knicks forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns (quadriceps) continues to carry a probable tag on the injury report ahead of Friday's meeting with the Chicago Bulls. The star big man is battling a right quadriceps strain. While the ailment hasn't kept Towns off the floor, he has struggled with his performance. On Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks, Towns had his lowest-scoring game as a Knick, finishing with eight points on 2-for-12 shooting. Overall, he has shot just 35.2 percent from the field, including 33.3 percent from three-point range this season.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (finger) is considered questionable for Friday's matchup against the Toronto Raptors. He was injured during Wednesday's loss to the Boston Celtics, and X-rays revealed that Allen sustained a non-displaced fracture in his left ring finger. Despite the injury, it looks like there's a chance Allen will remain in the lineup on Friday night. However, if he must step aside, Dean Wade and Larry Nance Jr. will probably play larger roles in the frontcourt rotation.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (finger, leg) has been listed as questionable for Friday's contest against the Memphis Grizzlies. Following a three-game absence, Doncic is on the cusp of returning, and his comeback might happen in Friday's matchup. On Wednesday, Lakers head coach JJ Redick told reporters that he expected Doncic to be back in the "next couple of games." Before he was hurt, Doncic had a couple of monster games to start the season, averaging 46.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists. His return is bound to have a negative impact on Austin Reaves, but he will continue to have a big role on offense, especially with LeBron James (sciatica) still out.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Friday's meeting with the Toronto Raptors. Ahead of Wednesday's game against the Boston Celtics, Mitchell was a late addition to the injury report due to left hamstring tightness. He was cleared to play and logged 32 minutes of action, but the same issue might keep him sidelined on Friday. Darius Garland (toe) still isn't ready to make his season debut, meaning Lonzo Ball and Craig Porter Jr. may have to do the heavy lifting in the backcourt on Friday night.

Boston Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown (hamstring) has been removed from the injury report ahead of Friday's clash against the Philadelphia 76ers. He has carried a hamstring problem at the start of the season, but it appears as though Brown is now at 100 percent. The hamstring issue hasn't had any impact on Brown's performances, as he's averaging 26.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists for the season. In his last outing against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, Brown went for 30 points on 12-for-20 shooting, dropping four three-point bombs.

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (hip) will be in the lineup on Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs, Ira Winderman of theSouth Florida Sun Sentinel reports. Jovic has received a couple of upgrades throughout the day and is ready to play despite dealing with a hip contusion. Across the first few games of the season, Jovic has contributed 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. Jovic and the Heat frontcourt face a very tough matchup on Thursday against Victor Wembanyama, who has registered a league-high 4.8 blocks per game.

Milwaukee Bucks forward/center Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors, Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports. Antetokounmpo was listed as probable on the initial injury report, and Bucks head coach Doc Rivers told reporters during his pre-game press conference that he expected the Greek superstar to play. However, Antetokounmpo won't be in the lineup after all. His absence boosts the fantasy value of Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma. Antetokounmpo's first chance to return will be Saturday against the Sacramento Kings.

Miami Heat guard/forward Norman Powell (groin) has been ruled out for Thursday's matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, Ira Winderman of theSouth Florida Sun Sentinel reports. Powell is dealing with a groin issue and was initially listed as doubtful for the game. With him unavailable, Pelle Larssonis looking at a second consecutive start. At the same time, Jaime Jaquez Jr. will have additional offensive responsibilities, and Dru Smith may also benefit from Powell's absence in the Miami backcourt.

Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black will start in Thursday's game versus the Charlotte Hornets. Jalen Suggs (knee) will take the night off after logging 21 minutes in Wednesday's loss to the Detroit Pistons. Suggs will presumably be back on Saturday in Washington. Fow now, Black will roll with the first-five. The 21-year-old has averaged 11.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists this season. Of course, his statistical contributions should improve, giving him a higher ceiling for fantasy managers. Black will also be an enticing value play for DFS participants.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (knee) has been ruled out of Friday night's game with a right knee sprain. This should come as no surprise after the 27-year-old when down in Wednesday night's game against the Nets. Young had an MRI scheduled for Thursday but no results have been released as of yet. In his absence expect Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard to get more minutes at guard. Jalen Johnson may see an uptick in assists as well.

San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet (ankle) will miss his third straight game on Thursday night against the Miami Heat. Kornet has been dealing with a left ankle sprain that's kept him out since San Antonio's overtime win over the Pelicans on October 24th. Kornet can provide a lot of value from deep but his role will be limited with Victor Wembanyama on the roster. Expect Bismack Biyambo to get more minutes while Kornet recovers. Biyambo has not been productive off the bench in Kornet's absence and fantasy managers should look for other options if they need help at center.

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (heel) is officially active for their Thursday night matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. Wagner has been dealing with a left heel contusion but hasn't missed any time due to the injury. The 24-year-old is averaging 22.4 PPG on the season and is a solid start against a fast-paced Hornets team that doesn't provide much resistance. Fantasy managers should ensure he gets into their starting lineups as soon as possible.

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (hip) is listed as probable for Thursday night's showdown against the San Antonio Spurs. Jovic has a right hip contusion but hasn't missed any time due to the injury. The 22-year-old is averaging 11.3 PPG while shooting 42.1% from three. His fantasy impact is a bit limited due to him coming off the bench but could provide value against teams who allow more threes. The Spurs don't appear to be a favorable three point matchup for him. Fantasy managers may be able to insert other options in their lineup if they're able to.

Washington Wizards forward Marvin Bagley III (ankle) has been upgraded to available for Thursday night's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bagley is fighting through a sprained ankle but it won't be enough to hold him out of action. The 26-year-old has averaged 6.8 PPG and 3.8 RPG in just over 14 minutes per game this season. He likely won't be able to make a true impact on any fantasy rosters unless he's able to get starting minutes. Even so, the matchup against the Thunder is a tough one for big men. Fantasy managers rolling with Bagley will want to hope for a blowout so he can get some garbage time minutes.

On Thursday, the Utah Jazz announced that they have exercised the fourth-year team option on forward Brice Sensabaugh's contract. The move keeps the 22-year-old in Utah through the 2026-27 season. So far this campaign, across four outings, Sensabaugh has averaged 10.8 points, 1.3 assists, and 3.8 rebounds across 17.5 minutes per game. Barring any Jazz injuries, Sensabaugh will likely continue to see a limited role with the Jazz throughout the season, making him mostly a marginal contributor across all fantasy formats.

On Thursday, the Utah Jazz announced that they have exercised the fourth-year team option on guard Keyonte George's contract. The move keeps the 21-year-old in Utah through the 2026-27 campaign. So far this season, in four appearances, George has averaged 22.3 points, 9.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals across 34.5 minutes per contest. Fantasy managers can expect him to continue making his mark throughout this season, as he should be locked in for 30-35 minutes per outing as the Jazz's starting point guard.

On Thursday, the Golden State Warriors announced that they have exercised the fourth-year team option on guard Brandin Podziemski's contract. The move secures the 22-year-old's place on the roster through the 2026-27 campaign. Podziemski has averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 29.6 minutes per game across five contests so far this season. After showing steady improvement over his first two NBA campaigns, he projects as a reliable fantasy contributor in year three and beyond.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (knee) has been upgraded to available for Thursday night's home game against Washington. The veteran guard had been dealing with a left knee contusion that had forced him to miss the first five games of the season, but he'll be ready for his season debut on Thursday. Joe could have a relatively large role in the offense with both Jalen Williams (wrist) and Chet Holmgren (back) already ruled out for this matchup. He can be a streaky scorer, especially from long range. Last year, he averaged a career-high 10.2 points per game along with 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 0.6 steals in 21.7 minutes per game. With all the other players who are injured, getting Joe back in the mix could be very important for the Thunder, and Joe can be a fringe contributor in season-long fantasy leagues as well as a solid bargain DFS consideration when he's fully healthy.