Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Maxi Kleber (back) will miss the first game of a back-to-back on Thursday against the Denver Nuggets. He was listed as questionable on the initial injury report due to back soreness. Kleber was also considered questionable for Tuesday's meeting with New Orleans before getting the green light to play. Yet Lakers head coach JJ Redick elected not to use Kleber in that game. It wasn't surprising, as Kleber doesn't have a consistent role with the Lakers. Even if the German veteran returns to the lineup on Friday against the Indiana Pacers, he might receive another DNP-CD.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (back) has been tagged as doubtful for Friday's matchup with the Houston Rockets. A lower back injury is likely to keep him sidelined for a sixth consecutive game. With Kris Murray (illness) also on the injury report, Scoot Henderson and Vit Krejci may continue to see increased minutes. Meanwhile, Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant, who combined for 65 points in Wednesday's 122-114 win over Memphis, are expected to keep leading the offense.

Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (ankle) will miss his first game of the season on Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns. The 21-year-old hurt his right ankle on Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder and was initially listed as questionable for Thursday's action. Buzelis' absence opens the door for greater involvement from Leonard Miller and Nick Richards. Of the two players, Richards -- fresh off a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double -- offers more fantasy upside.

Chicago Bulls point guard Josh Giddey (ankle) won't play on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns. He was initially listed as questionable for the contest after Giddey rolled his right ankle in Tuesday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Chicago's backcourt has been hit by several injuries, forcing Tre Jones, Collin Sexton, and Rob Dillingham to step up. With Giddey out, Sexton is the prime candidate to join Jones in the starting lineup on Thursday.

Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams (foot) will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks, Shane Young of the Suns' official site reports. The big man has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in the third metatarsal of his left foot. Williams will miss his first game of 2026 on Thursday against Chicago and won't make a quick return to action. Oso Ighodaro has put together a nice stretch recently and could make even more noise as Williams' replacement in the first unit. At the same time, Khaman Maluach is likely to enter the rotation as a backup big.

Toronto Raptors guard/forward Brandon Ingram (thumb) will be in the lineup on Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was initially considered questionable for the game due to a left thumb sprain. Since Ingram is a right-handed shooter, the injury is unlikely to significantly affect his play. Ingram notched 31 points on Tuesday against the New York Knicks and has upped his game since the All-Star break, averaging 23.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists.

According to Lachard Binkley of SI.com, Houston Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) won't suit up Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. The 32-year-old will sit out the first half of back-to-back games due to left ankle injury management. He will likely be good to go for Friday's matchup with Portland. With Finney-Smith on the shelf, Josh Okogie will likely take on a heavier workload than usual during tonight's clash in Houston.

Houston Rockets forward/center Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) will be back in action on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. He has been cleared to return after sitting out two games with a right ankle sprain. Smith Jr.'s return will hurt Reed Sheppard, who performed well in two outings as his replacement in the starting lineup. Smith Jr. is coming off his best month of the season, having averaged 17.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in February.

According to Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle, Houston Rockets guard/forward Amen Thompson (ankle) is available to play Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. Thompson sprained his right ankle during Monday's win over the Washington Wizards. However, after a few days of rest, the 23-year-old has been cleared to suit up for tonight's contest. Fantasy managers should expect Thompson to make an impact against the Warriors, as he has been on an impressive run over his last five games, recording three double-doubles.

Los Angeles Clippers point guard Darius Garland (toe) has been listed as out for Friday's matchup with the San Antonio Spurs. Garland returned from a seven-week absence on Monday against the Golden State Warriors, and he won't be utilized during the first leg of a back-to-back on Friday night to prevent overworking him so soon after his toe injury. We will likely see him back on the court against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. With Garland out, Kawhi Leonard and Kris Dunn will take on additional playmaking duties. Meanwhile, Bennedict Mathurin and Kobe Sanders could see more time on the floor.

Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill (illness) has been upgraded from questionable to available for Thursday's contest against the Utah Jazz. The 33-year-old has missed a couple of games due to illness. After riding the bench for most of the campaign, Gill has become an important part of the Wizards' rotation lately. He has averaged 28.0 minutes per game across his last six outings, posting 9.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. If he maintains a similar workload on Thursday, Gill could be more productive against the NBA's worst defense.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Anthony Edwards (foot) will play on Thursday night against the Toronto Raptors. There was concern that Edwards might miss the game after he was a late addition to the injury report. Now, he has received the green light to make his 16th consecutive appearance. Edwards has produced two 40-point efforts in his last five games, averaging 31.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.2 steals during that span.

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (illness) is available to suit up against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. Sengun will play in his 26th consecutive game tonight despite feeling under the weather. Fantasy managers should expect the 23-year-old Turkish big man to continue to produce, as he posted 32 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block across 38 minutes during Monday's 123-118 win over the Wizards.

Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Klay Thompson (adductor) will be active against the Orlando Magic on Thursday. The team will welcome the veteran back to the lineup after Thompson skipped Tuesday's loss to Charlotte with a right adductor contusion. Thompson is averaging a career-low 11.5 points per game this season, and as a three-point specialist, he faces a very tricky matchup on Thursday night, with Orlando giving up the fewest three-point attempts in the league at 32.9 per game.

Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (finger) will suit up on Thursday against the Orlando Magic. The team has upgraded Marshall from probable to available. Marshall has missed two games with a finger injury. Cooper Flagg (foot) will also return for the Mavericks, so the offense will look very different compared to the past few games. Marshall has been one of Dallas's main offensive catalysts this season, posting a career-high 15.4 points per game. He is also averaging career-highs in rebounding (4.9), assists (3.1), and steals (1.1).

Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Jaylen Clark (illness) is set to suit up against Toronto on Thursday. Clark was previously listed as questionable due to an illness, but he's since been cleared for action versus the Raptors. The 24-year-old isn't expected to make an impact in fantasy this evening as he's only averaging 3.8 points in 13.3 minutes across 54 games this season.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Brandon Williams (quadriceps) won't take the court on Thursday against the Orlando Magic. The team downgraded him from probable to questionable during the day and has now officially ruled Williams out. In Williams' absence, Ryan Nembhard might take on a few extra shifts against Orlando, but the return of Cooper Flagg (foot), Naji Marshall (finger), and Klay Thompson (adductor) will also influence the rotation. It's possible Williams' absence will be limited to one game, as Dallas will complete a back-to-back on Friday against the Boston Celtics.

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II (ankle) won't play Thursday against Houston. He will miss his second consecutive game due to a left ankle injury. The 33-year-old contributes primarily on the defensive end for the Warriors and doesn't carry significant fantasy value. With Payton II sidelined, Nate Williams and Gui Santos could see expanded roles, as Will Richard (ankle) and Moses Moody (wrist) are also out.

The Washington Wizards announced Thursday that forward/center Anthony Davis (hand) will be re-evaluated in two weeks. The 32-year-old big man is recovering from ligament damage in his left hand. Davis has been cleared for limited individual on-court activities, but the Wizards are expected to remain cautious and avoid rushing him back into game action. In the meantime, Anthony Gill (illness) and Julian Reese should continue to see increased frontcourt minutes with Alexandre Sarr (hamstring) and Tristan Vukcevic (thigh) also sidelined.

Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (ankle) will return from a one-game absence on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks. He has been cleared to play after sitting out one game due to a sore left ankle. With Carter Jr. unavailable, Goga Bitadze started Tuesday's contest against Washington and will be bumped back to the bench for Thursday's action. Still, both big men could have fun against the Mavericks, who are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points in the league to opposing centers.