Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (knee) was diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right knee and is expected to miss some time, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. The team has officially listed him as out for Thursday's Christmas clash against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. will compete for a starting role during Johnson's absence, while Peyton Watson could also help to fill some of his minutes. Hardaway Jr. has had a hot hand lately, sinking 13 triples across two games, though Brown and Watson bring more overall versatility to fantasy teams.

Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (ankle) is listed as questionable for Thursday's Christmas matchup against the Houston Rockets. The 25-year-old big man hurt his left ankle in Tuesday's loss to the Phoenix Suns, logging only five minutes. Hayes recently started two consecutive games while Deandre Ayton was sidelined with an elbow injury. Now that Ayton has returned, Hayes offers little fantasy value. If Hayes sits out Thursday, Maxi Kleber and Jarred Vanderbilt could see increased minutes in the rotation, though neither player is an attractive fantasy option.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (groin) is set to end a two-game absence on Thursday, as the team has listed him as probable for a matchup against the Houston Rockets. The Japanese forward has missed back-to-back games for groin injury management purposes. Jake LaRavia has been in the starting unit during Hachimura's absence and will likely land back on the bench against Houston, which would negatively impact his fantasy value. Hachimura has been quiet in December, averaging only 9.4 points, a significant drop-off from his season average of 13.3 points per game. Getting buckets won't be easy on Christmas Day either, as Houston has a top-10 defense.

Houston Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) has picked up a questionable tag on the injury report ahead of the team's Christmas Day clash against the Los Angeles Lakers. The 32-year-old has yet to play this season following offseason ankle surgery. It would be a special night for Finney-Smith if he can make his season debut on Thursday, as he finished last season with the Lakers. During the offseason, the Rockets signed Finney-Smith as a free agent to a four-year, $53 million contract, clearly seeing a significant role for him in the rotation. Once he's in the lineup, Finney-Smith will almost certainly play with a minutes restriction, limiting his fantasy appeal.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic (leg) has been officially listed as questionable for Thursday's Christmas game against the Houston Rockets. Doncic is nursing a left leg contusion and wasn't in the lineup on Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Doncic is expected to play on Christmas Day, but the questionable designation keeps his status uncertain. Should Doncic be unavailable, Nick Smith Jr. could make a second straight start. Alternatively, the Lakers might return Austin Reaves to the starting lineup; he played 22 minutes off the bench on Tuesday after missing three games.

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (calf) is listed as questionable on the injury report ahead of a Christmas Day tilt against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Turkish big man is experiencing tightness in his left calf and may have to sit out his third game of the season. Sengun's absence from the lineup on Christmas would allow Clint Capela to move up in the pecking order, with Steven Adams likely taking over the starting center role. Jabari Smith Jr. could also get some minutes at the No. 5 spot. With that said, Thursday presents a tough matchup for Houston's bigs, as the Lakers have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to centers this season -- trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Golden State Warriors forward/center Al Horford (sciatica) is listed as probable for Thursday's clash against the Dallas Mavericks. The veteran big man looks ready to play for the first time in three weeks. He has missed time due to sciatica on his right side. While Horford's return would be a welcome boost for the Warriors, he hasn't been a good fantasy option in 2025-26. The 39-year-old is struggling to hit his shots, averaging 5.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks in 21.5 minutes per game.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Brandon Williams (ankle) is listed as probable for a matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. He is dealing with an ankle sprain but has appeared in four consecutive contests. However, Williams has been limited to 15 minutes in back-to-back games, making it tough for him to live up to fantasy expectations. He lost his starting spot to Ryan Nembhard late last month. Nembhard has been praised for his performances and looks locked into his new role, averaging 10.9 points and 7.0 assists in the first unit.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (oblique) is considered questionable for Thursday's Christmas game against the Denver Nuggets. He could miss a second consecutive contest due to a left oblique contusion. With McDaniels out on Tuesday against the New York Knicks, Mike Conley rejoined the first unit, logging a season-high 30 minutes. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, his production was modest, as the veteran playmaker settled for eight points and two assists. Naz Reid and Bones Hyland also benefit from McDaniels' absence from the rotation.

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (foot) is considered questionable for Thursday's meeting with the Golden State Warriors. He exited the lineup for Tuesday's matchup against the Denver Nuggets due to a sore right foot. Klay Thompson (knee) and Max Christie (illness) also didn't play on Tuesday, giving Jaden Hardy a starting role, while Caleb Martin logged 25 minutes off the bench. Thompson and Christie are expected back on Thursday, which would once more alter Dallas' rotation.

Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Max Christie (illness) is considered probable for Thursday's matchup against the Golden State Warriors. He looks ready to return to the lineup on Christmas Day after missing two contests due to illness. Christie is averaging a career-high 11.4 points on 45.3 percent three-point shooting, also notching 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. However, Christie's production has been inconsistent since he was relegated to a bench role earlier this month, making him difficult to trust in fantasy.

Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Klay Thompson (knee) is listed as probable for Thursday's special Christmas Day clash against his former team, the Golden State Warriors. Thompson has been dealing with a sore left knee for a while and skipped the second leg of a back-to-back on Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets. The veteran sniper began the week in impressive fashion, netting 20 points on 5-for-11 three-point shooting against the New Orleans Pelicans. He would no doubt love to replicate the effort against his former teammates on Thursday. Since leaving Golden State, Thompson has averaged 19.8 points and shot nearly 48 percent from three against the Warriors.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (concussion) won't play in Thursday's Christmas matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, missing a second consecutive game. Mitchell landed in concussion protocol after his early exit from Monday's victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. With him out, the Thunder have lost their fourth-highest scorer. Mitchell has notched 14.1 points per game in 26.1 minutes, adding 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals. Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins could see increased minutes off the bench on Thursday, but they are not reliable options for fantasy teams.

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Lonzo Ball (knee) will be active on Christmas Day against the New York Knicks. He sat out the second leg of a back-to-back on Tuesday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Ball has struggled with scoring this season, averaging 5.6 points on 30.5 percent shooting. Across 23.9 minutes per game, he has also notched 4.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.4 steals. On Thursday, Ball will probably have his usual workload, but he isn't expected to make a big impact.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward/center Chet Holmgren (face) will be ready for a rematch against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas Day. The big man made an early exit on Tuesday against the Spurs after suffering a facial injury. It seems Holmgren's injury was minor, as he is not listed on the team's injury report for Thursday's game. While Holmgren was quiet against San Antonio on Tuesday, he has posted decent numbers this month, averaging 18.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks.

New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (ankle) has been removed from the injury report ahead of a matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day. He skipped Tuesday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a sore left ankle. Anunoby had a big performance in this season's first meeting with the Cavaliers, notching 24 points, 14 rebounds, and three steals. Recently, he has dealt with some efficiency issues, averaging 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in December. With Jalen Brunson (ankle) also back for the Knicks on Thursday, Mitchell Robinson and Tyler Kolek will be relegated to the bench.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Evan Mobley (calf) is listed as questionable for a Christmas meeting with the New York Knicks on Thursday. Mobley suffered a left calf strain on Dec. 12 and was ruled out for 2-4 weeks. Yet, it looks like he might return from injury sooner than expected. Dean Wade's fantasy stock would take a significant hit with Mobley's return. Wade has started in each of the last five games, averaging 5.4 rebounds and scoring double-digit points three times.

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson (ankle) is not on the injury report for Thursday's Christmas clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Knicks star didn't play in Tuesday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves due to an ankle problem. Brunson missed only his third game of the season. After he dropped 47 points in his last outing, Brunson will be expected to put on a show for the Madison Square Garden crowd on Thursday. He has had a strong month, averaging 30.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists.

Washington Wizards forward Cam Whitmore (shoulder) will be out indefinitely after being diagnosed with upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. Whitmore recently dropped out of the lineup due to a shoulder issue, and now we know why. The 21-year-old is playing his first season in Washington after being traded by the Houston Rockets in the offseason. He has averaged 9.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game across 21 outings. Prior to his exit from the lineup, Whitmore had fallen out of the rotation, so his absence won't have an impact in fantasy basketball.

Washington Wizards guard/forward Corey Kispert (hamstring) was limited to 13 minutes in Tuesday's 126-109 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. He couldn't finish the contest due to left hamstring tightness. This was Kispert's first appearance since sustaining a fractured thumb in late November. He notched nine points on 3-for-8 shooting and had three assists. While the injury doesn't appear to be serious, Kispert may have to take some more time off. Justin Champagnie and Tre Johnson could then get more work off the bench, especially if Bub Carrington (foot) also has to exit the lineup. He missed the final few minutes on Tuesday due to foot soreness.