NBA Player News

Barnes came down on Karl-Anthony Towns’ foot in the third quarter and was reportedly seen repeating “I can’t feel my foot”. The team is calling it an ankle sprain, but that reaction isn’t promising. Barnes already missed an extended period of time earlier this season with an eye injury, and now there is a chance that he is sidelined for a bit with this ankle issue. Rookie Jonathan Mogbo entered the game in his place, though they’ll also need to rely on Davion Mitchell for playmaking, since Barnes had been playing the point guard role with Immanuel Quickley still sidelined with an elbow injury. Barnes will be re-evaluated on Tuesday, which will provide a better timeline for his return.

Antetokounmpo is once again listed as probable on an initial injury report. He should play against the Cavaliers, but his status for Saturday’s game against the struggling Wizards may be closer to questionable.

Middleton did not play in the Bucks’ most recent game, their win over the Thunder in Tuesday’s Emirates NBA Cup final. The probable tag for Friday suggests he’ll play against the Cavaliers, and fantasy managers should anticipate Middleton sitting out Saturday’s matchup with the Wizards. AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr. may see their minutes decrease on Friday, but Saturday will be their opportunity to take on a more significant workload.

Dame will miss a game for the first time in about a month. The last time he was sidelined, Delon Wright got the start at point guard. If that happens again, Wright should be a solid source of assists and steals. This is the first night of a back-to-back, so Lillard could be back against Washington on Friday.

Mykhailiuk is back after missing two games with a strained groin. However, with the rest of the Jazz rotation available, he’s unlikely to play enough to be fantasy-relevant on a 13-game night.

Barrett has unexpectedly been ruled out for Thursday, so the Raptors will need to replace their leading scorer and assist man in the starting lineup. Ja’Kobe Walter has a chance to slide in with the first unit and has regularly been logging more than 20 minutes off the bench lately.

While Huerter missed Monday’s loss to the Nuggets, Sabonis did not participate in Wednesday’s practice. Both are considered good to go for Thursday night, but the latter’s availability is far more critical to fantasy managers. Huerter’s status fortifies the Kings’ bench but remains a deep-league option at best.

RJ Barrett has already been ruled out for this game, and if Mitchell joins him, Toronto will be down their top four playmakers for this game. Rookie Jamal Shead will likely get a chance at extended minutes and potentially see the first start of his career if Mitchell is out.

Murray is back after sitting out Monday’s loss to the Nuggets. As a result, Sacramento’s starting lineup will be reunited, with Doug McDermott moving to the bench. There’s no need to stream McDermott when he’s coming off the bench.

Lyles didn’t make the initial injury report, which would have made this his return after missing nine straight games. However, he experienced soreness Thursday morning and is set to receive some treatment ahead of the game. Only Keon Ellis and Colby Jones played more than 10 minutes in their last game, but if Lyles suits up, he should join them as the backup post player.

Porter and Tyson will be available for Friday’s game, but earning playing time may be difficult for both. The latter has a slightly better chance of playing rotation minutes, as Isaac Okoro (shoulder) is expected to miss a few weeks. However, his absence may be countered by Max Strus returning from an ankle injury, limiting the minutes potentially available to Tyson.