NBA Player News

Drummond was originally listed as probable following a one-game absence with a toe injury, but is now questionable and thus trending in the wrong direction. If he’s still able to play, Drummond would be in line to start if Joel Embiid (foot) is ruled out.

Beal will likely miss a second straight game after injuring his ankle during Tuesday’s loss to the Hawks. Grayson Allen has higher fantasy value with Beal out of the lineup, and he accounted for 21 points and five 3-pointers in Thursday’s win over the Wizards. Allen is worth streaming in deep leagues while Beal sits.

Saturday’s game will be Risacher’s second straight on the sidelines. He was also held out of Wednesday’s win over the Bulls. David Roddy replaced him in the starting lineup but offered minimal streaming value in that role. Fantasy managers would be better served to target De’Andre Hunter, who is probable to play on Saturday.

Young missed Wednesday’s game with a rib injury, but is probable for Saturday against the Celtics. The 26-year-old point guard dropped a season-high 43 points in Tuesday’s win over the Suns. Dyson Daniels would see increased playmaking opportunities if Young can’t go Saturday.

Johnson has missed Atlanta’s last five games, most recently sitting out Wednesday’s win over the Bulls. While Vit Krejci has been the replacement in the starting lineup, he hasn’t done enough to merit being streamed in most fantasy leagues. Trae Young and De’Andre Hunter are probable, so there’s even less reason to roster Krejci.

Hunter is on track to play after sitting out Atlanta’s last two games. His return would push Daeqwon Plowden out of the rotation, with the two-way contract recipient excelling in the Hawks’ win over Chicago on Wednesday. Plowden was too risky to stream against the Bulls, so Hunter’s return won’t change much for him fantasy-wise.

Embiid has missed Philadelphia’s last six games, and he’s only appeared in 13 this season. This latest update means Embiid will be sidelined for at least the next four games and potentially more depending on the results of his re-evaluation. Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele will continue to fill in for him at center until he returns.

Murray hasn’t missed a game since returning from a month-long absence on November 27, and he’ll be available once again on Friday. New Orleans’ point guard has averaged 18.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists across his last 10 appearances.

Missi will miss his second game of the season, which should open up more minutes for Daniel Theis and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Theis started on November 22 against Golden State when Missi missed his first game, but the former was largely ineffective across 18 minutes. Robinson-Earl, however, delivered a useful 19/12 line in 23 minutes off the bench.

Giddey has appeared in 10 straight games following a four-game absence, and it looks like he’ll keep his availability streak active. Giddey averaged 11.0 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists across his last 10.

Yabusele’s absence will be offset at least in part by the likely return of Andre Drummond. If George and Lowry are sidelined Saturday, expect Eric Gordon, Ricky Council IV and Kelly Oubre Jr. to see a bump in playing time.