According to broadcaster Jeff Turner, the Orlando Magic are expected to get forward Franz Wagner (ankle) "back within the next week." Orlando has upcoming games against the Pacers, Wizards, Nets, and 76ers during that span, so it appears there is a light at the end of the tunnel for fantasy managers. The 2021 No. 8 overall selection was having another solid campaign before an ankle injury put him out of commission, averaging 22.7 points, 4.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and a career-high 6.1 rebounds. Wagner will presumably be limited for at least a few contests upon his return. However, even then, his presence should take away scoring opportunities from others right away, including Anthony Black, who has averaged 19.2 points in 14 starts this season.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is clear to suit up for Friday's matchup versus Charlotte. The multi-time MVP was listed on the injury report. However, that's nothing new, with Antetokounmpo in line to appear in his fourth-straight contest. He has faced the Hornets twice throughout the 2025 campaign, averaging 24.5 points, 12.5 assists, 5.5 boards, and 1.5 steals.

New York Knicks forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns (illness) won't suit up on Friday against Atlanta. The Knicks also won't have Mitchell Robinson (ankle), meaning the team will be extremely thin at the five. New York will play again on Saturday versus the visiting 76ers. Hopefully, KAT will feel better by then. In the meantime, Ariel Hukporti is expected to take his place in the rotation, with the 23-year-old averaging two points, four boards, and one block in three starts throughout the 2025 campaign.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (ankle) has been downgraded to out on Friday and will not take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The superstar point guard is dealing with an ankle sprain that will cause him to miss at least one contest so far. Jimmy Butler III (illness) has also been ruled out, so Brandin Podziemski and Will Richard may join Moses Moody in the starting five. Podziemski has averaged 12.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while Moody has put up 10.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest. Both could serve as solid streaming options in most fantasy formats while Richard would have more value in deeper leagues.

Golden State Warriors guard Seth Curry (back) will not suit up against the Oklahoma City Thunder while he suffers from sciatic nerve irritation. The 35-year-old has only been able to play in two games for the Warriors so far while the team has been hit hard with the injury bug lately. Most of the backcourt is going to miss this game, so that leaves Will Richard, Brandin Podziemski, and Moses Moody to get more opportunities. Since Stephen Curry (ankle) and Jimmy Butler III (illness) are both ruled out, Podziemski and Richard could join the starting five. The former would be a more reliable option for fantasy managers as he averages 12.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.0 threes per game.

Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (illness) has been ruled out for Friday's meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder due to an illness. The veteran wing is coming off of a very efficient and well-rounded game against the Charlotte Hornets on New Years Eve. Unfortunately, Butler will be joined by Stephen Curry (ankle) and Draymond Green (rest) on the sidelines for this game, so Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, and Moses Moody should all see added minutes. Podziemski is likely the more reliable streaming option, but Moody has been more consistent than Richard with averages of 10.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (rest) will not play on Friday against the defending champ Oklahoma City Thunder. The former Defensive Player of the Year is receiving a rest day which will open up some minutes for Al Horford (probable - back) and Trayce Jackson-Davis. Horford may move into the starting five, but has only started in one game out of his 16 appearances. Jackson-Davis has the same amount of starts, and similar stats to the former Celtic. Both could give fantasy managers in category formats some points and rebounds with a higher efficiency, but there are better options for shallower leagues. Especially if Jonathan Kuminga finally gets into the mix again for this game.

Chicago Bulls center Zach Collins (toe) will not suit up against the Orlando Magic while he continues to deal with a toe sprain. The 28-year-old has already missed two consecutive games prior to Friday, and has only appeared in 10 games so far this season. While he's been out, Jalen Smith has seen some added playing time and has joined the starting five alongside Nikola Vucevic while the team experiments with lineups. Smith is widely available in most fantasy formats and averages 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.4 threes per game in his 28 appearances.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (Achilles) will miss an eighth consecutive game on Friday as he continues to deal with tendonitis in his left Achilles. The veteran forward has battled with injuries for most of his career, but has posted 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game through 26 appearances this season. While Grant and the Blazers deal with a plethora of injuries, Sidy Cissoko, Caleb Love, and Kris Murray will all see added opportunities. Cissoko has received the starting nod the past two games, and has averaged 7.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in his 12 total starts. Caleb Love, on the other hand, has averaged 10.1 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per contest in the month of December, so fantasy managers will have to decide based on what category they need most for a streamer.

Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (illness) will remain on the bench for Friday's game against the Washington Wizards. Porter will miss both legs of the back-to-back set due to a lingering illness. This comes at a bad time with Nicolas Claxton (personal) and Cam Thomas (rest) both sidelined as well. The Nets will likely use a committee approach to fill the void at the forward spot. This should mean that Ziaire Williams, Jalen Wilson, and Tyrese Martin should all get more playing time. Between the three, Williams offers the highest upside in terms of streaming value for Friday's slate. Terance Mann (hip) is also worth a look, but is currently listed as questionable for this game.

Brooklyn Nets center Nicolas Claxton (personal) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Washington Wizards. Claxton is currently away from the team due to personal reasons, which will put the Nets in a tough spot. They'll look to Day'Ron Sharpe and Danny Wolf to take on larger roles in the rotation. Sharpe is the better all-around player, so he's the more trustworthy streaming choice between the two big men. Sharpe has mostly been playing minutes in the teens and has been able to produce at least low-end streaming value.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (quadriceps) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the New York Knicks. Young will now miss his third straight game due to a right-quad contusion. He was listed as questionable on the injury report, but Young isn't quite ready to play yet. His absence will mean increased roles for Vit Krejci and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Between the two, Alexander-Walker is the better streaming option for Friday's slate. He dropped 30 points during Monday's game, and he should continue to see more usage while Young is sidelined.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey (hip) is officially ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He was listed as questionable coming into this contest due to right-hip soreness. The Pelicans will play it safe and hold out Bey for at least one game. The Pelicans are likely going to use a committee approach to fill the void left by Bey. This means that Jordan Hawkins, Bryce McGowens, and Micah Peavy should all see increased run. There's no clear streaming option from Bey's absence, but Hawkins offers the most upside. Fantasy managers should view him as a low-end streaming choice with the team likely leaning on multiple players to fill the playing time.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey (hip) is questionable to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. He is dealing with a sore right hip and might be out for only the second time this season. It has been an impressive comeback campaign for Bey, who was unavailable for the entire 2024-25 season due to an ACL injury. The 26-year-old is averaging 15.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, having started every game since Nov. 22. Jose Alvarado will return from a suspension on Friday and could help fill some of Bey's minutes if needed. Bryce McGowens could also be back in the rotation.

Charlotte Hornets center Moussa Diabate (wrist) has been tagged as questionable on the injury report ahead of Friday's contest against the Milwaukee Bucks. The 23-year-old big man, who has been Charlotte's starting center in recent games, sprained his right wrist against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. Diabate's absence would be a massive blow for the Hornets, who have already been without Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow) and Mason Plumlee (groin). PJ Hall will likely be the next man up as the starting center if Diabate exits the lineup. With that said, Friday is a tough matchup for Charlotte's bigs, as Milwaukee allows the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing fives.

Phoenix Suns guard/forward Grayson Allen (knee) is questionable for Friday's meeting with the Sacramento Kings. He has been out of action for seven games due to a right knee problem. If Allen remains on the shelf on Friday night, Royce O'Neale will continue to roll with the starters. At the same time, Jordan Goodwin will see increased playing time off the bench. This is an outstanding fantasy matchup for Suns players, as it's a pace-up spot for the team against one of the worst defenses in the league.

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (ankle) seems set to return to the lineup on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks, as he is listed as probable for the game. Bridges sprained his right ankle earlier in the week against the Bucks, but it looks like the injury will cost him just one game. Collin Sexton started in Bridges' place on Wednesday versus the Golden State Warriors and is likely to drop back to the second unit on Friday. Still, Sexton will continue to have fantasy value as a microwave scorer off the bench. Bridges' recent performances have been mostly mediocre, as he hasn't reached the 20-point plateau in six consecutive appearances.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter (illness) has been listed as questionable for Friday's matchup against the Denver Nuggets. He's in danger of missing a second consecutive game due to illness. Hunter lost his starting role midway through December, but his workload has remained about the same. The 28-year-old has posted 12.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 25.0 minutes per game since dropping to the bench. Due to Hunter's absence, Jaylon Tyson and Nae'Qwan Tomlin saw more action in Wednesday's win over the Phoenix Suns. The latter doesn't have any significance in fantasy basketball, but Tyson's stock has been rising all season, and he has even more appeal with Hunter out.

San Antonio Spurs guard/forward Devin Vassell (adductor) will remain sidelined on Friday against the Indiana Pacers. He will miss a second straight game due to an adductor strain. The 25-year-old likely also won't play in Saturday's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, as Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said prior to Wednesday's win over the New York Knicks that Vassell will be out for "more than a game or two." With Vassell out, Julian Champagnie stepped into the starting unit on Wednesday and had a career night with 36 points. Keldon Johnson, who notched 19 points and eight rebounds off the bench, also sees more action as a result of Vassell's absence.

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (ankle) is considered questionable for Friday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. Due to ankle injury management, Robinson may be absent for a third consecutive contest. It's the start of a back-to-back, making it likely Robinson will be out for at least one of the upcoming two games. With Robinson sidelined, Ariel Hukporti has operated as the backup big in recent games, contributing six points, six rebounds, and one block in Wednesday's defeat to the San Antonio Spurs.