NBA Player News

Adebayo had his third game with at least 30 points so far in the month of March. The 27-year-old center was a force Wednesday against the Pistons and was just one rebounds and two assists shy of a triple-double. Adebayo has been a top-30 fantasy player since the All-Star break. Miami’s nine-game losing streak hasn’t slowed down the Heat’s big man at all.

Stevens is not in the Heat rotation when available, so his status for Friday’s game will not impact active fantasy leagues.

Jovic was cleared to resume on-court work in late March after suffering a fractured finger on his right hand at the end of February. Unfortunately, he is still not ready to return to game action. Kyle Anderson and Haywood Highsmith will continue to figure prominently in the Heat rotation with Jovic sidelined.

The Heat trail Chicago by one game in the race for home-court advantage in the East’s nine vs. ten play-in game next week. Given the stakes and Herro and Burks being probable, fantasy managers in active leagues should expect to see those two in the Heat rotation on Friday. Jaime Jaquez Jr. would figure more prominently in the rotation if either player sits.

Larsson will miss a second straight game, and Love will sit out for an 11th straight. Love’s availability isn’t of much concern, but Larsson’s absence will free up more minutes for Kyle Anderson and Haywood Highsmith.

Ball still is not in a position where he can be effective with his sprained wrist, so he will not be available on Friday. As for Smith, the probable tag suggests he will ultimately play after not playing in Wednesday’s win over Miami. If not, Zach Collins would be Nikola Vucevic’s lone backup. Smith played 32 minutes as Vooch’s replacement in the starting lineup on Tuesday.

Yabusele will miss a third straight game, and Adem Bona should continue to soak up minutes in his absence. Bona finished with 17 points, nine boards and two blocks in his last game out.

Grimes has been doing it all for the Sixers lately, and his absence would be a huge loss for the team. With Edwards also banged up, guys like Lonnie Walker IV and Jared Butler should see more playing time, with Walker IV the preferred fantasy option.

A fixture in the Magic starting lineup since the All-Star break, Carter has not missed a game since November 25. If he’s unable to play on Friday, Goga Bitadze will be the player tabbed to fill the void in the middle. He’s worth adding in active fantasy leagues, especially with the Magic locked into the seven-seed in the East.

While Joseph is dealing with a sore left knee that led to his addition to the injury report, Caldwell-Pope exited Wednesday’s win over the Celtics with a strained left knee. KCP was replaced in the lineup by Caleb Houstan, who would likely start if the veteran is unavailable on Friday. Joseph’s absence would mean a point guard rotation of Cole Anthony and Anthony Black. With the Magic locked into the seven-seed in the East, the last two games of the regular season have minimal meaning for them.

These are new injuries for Orlando’s star duo, and their availability will have significant ramifications in the world of fantasy hoops. Guys like Caleb Houstan and Tristan da Silva would likely be the next ones up in the rotation, though the Magic will have to cover Banchero’s and Wagne’s absences by committee.