Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball (knee) is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair his left knee, putting him on the shelf for at least the next six to eight weeks. Ball had already missed the past three games due to the ailment, allowing Coby White to take over as the team's starting point guard. Ball has enjoyed a solid first season in Chicago, ranking ninth in the league in made triples per game (3.1), while shooting a career-best 42.3 percent from behind the arc. The team will also be down Zach LaVine (knee) for at least the next three outings, opening the door for DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic to continue seeing elevated offensive upside. Fantasy managers in season-long formats will have a tough roster decision with Ball, who may be of limited use down the stretch of the regular season.

Denver Nuggets guard Bryn Forbes will not be making his team debut against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. Forbes was recently part of a three-team trade that sent him to Denver from the San Antonio Spurs. The trade was finalized on Wednesday, so it's just a matter of the Nuggets clearing Forbes. There should be opportunities for Forbes to make an impact in Denver. However, his role on the team remains uncertain right now. Fantasy managers shouldn't rush to add him, but keep him monitored. The Nuggets are desperate for scoring options, so Forbes could very well make an impact if given 20 or more minutes per game.

Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. (ankle) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks. This marks the sixth game in a row that Trent has missed due to left ankle swelling. It's uncertain when Trent will be able to get back on the court. He has attempted to warm up pregame, but his ankle continues to hold him back. Head coach Nick Nurse has been using six or seven player rotation lately. That being said, Scottie Barnes and Fred VanVleet should play close to 40 minutes until Trent returns.

Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber (knee) and guard Reggie Bullock (knee) will play during Wednesday's game against the Toronto Raptors. However, neither player is expected to bring much to the table in this game. Kristaps Porzingis is back, which means Kleber won't be a recommended streaming option. Bullock normally gets significant playing time, but doesn't bring much in terms of stats. Possibly, Bullock could be a deep league option, but can be left alone in most formats.

Portland Trail Blazers guards CJ Elleby (ankle) and Dennis Smith Jr. (ankle) will be available for Wednesday's game against the Miami Heat. The Blazers are finally getting healthy, so neither of these players have too much value. Elleby is likely only going to play minutes in the teens going forward. Smith has shown flashes during this season, but is behind Anfernee Simons on the depth chart. That being said, neither are trustworthy streaming options for Wednesday's slate. Both are likely going to slide back into their rotational roles with minutes in the teens or possibly low 20s.

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Tyus Jones has been placed in the league's health and safety protocols, ruling him out indefinitely, beginning with Wednesday's game vs. Milwaukee. The absence will mark just the second of the season for Jones, who has been an invaluable member of the team's second unit (8.2 points, 4.2 assists per game), in addition to stepping into the starting five when Ja Morant went down. De'Anthony Melton -- who was already set to see a larger role with Desmond Bane and Kyle Anderson in the protocols -- is set to back up Morant and take on more offensive duties within the second unit. While Jones has shot a career-best 47.1 percent overall this season, he can remain on the waiver wire in all season-long formats at least until he returns to action.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Devonte' Graham (ankle) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the New York Knicks. He hasn't looked the same lately and continues struggling with his shot. Graham has been dealing with left ankle soreness, so possibly that's why he is struggling from the floor. His absence would likely be filled by a committee approach with Tomas Satoransky's status uncertain as well. Satoransky has cleared protocols, but it's unknown if he'll play on Thursday. Regardless, Brandon Ingram is likely to benefit the most from the loss of Graham. Fantasy managers will have to check back on Thursday for more information.

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (ankle) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Dallas Mavericks. He wasn't able to get through Wednesday's practice, so the team has ruled him out a full day in advance. JaVale McGee should be asked to make another start with Bismack Biyombo getting more playing time. Right now, Biyombo is looking like the better streaming option between the two. Fantasy managers might want to snag Biyombo for the short term. He has played well whenever Ayton is off the court this season.

Chicago Bulls shooting guard/small forward Zach LaVine (knee) and point guard Lonzo Ball (knee) have been ruled out for the team's upcoming four-contest stretch due to respective knee ailments. Both will stay back in Chicago to continue receiving treatment as the team embarks on its upcoming road trip. Without either in the mix, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic stand to remain the Bulls' offensive focal points, while Coby White and Troy Brown Jr. continue to stand out as short-term upside plays. The sharpshooting duo both rank within the top 15 in the league in three-point buckets made on a nightly basis (Ball, 3.1; LaVine, 2.9). Their next opportunity to return comes Jan. 26, although a green light is far from guaranteed.

Utah Jazz small/power forward Rudy Gay (heel) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Rockets due to right heel soreness. Gay's absence figures to open up more offensive usage among the second unit for Jordan Clarkson and Eric Paschall, although Utah's rotations stand to be in flux with Donovan Mitchell (concussion) also missing the contest. Gay has scuffled from the field across six January outings, shooting just 36.5 percent overall, averaging 9.5 points and 4.5 boards per game. The veteran's next chance to return to action comes Friday vs. Detroit.

Detroit Pistons forward Kelly Olynyk (knee) is expected to play during Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings. He has not suited up for a game since November 10, so there could be some rust. It'll be interesting to see how Olynyk fits back into the rotation after all this time. Trey Lyles has been playing well lately, but Olynyk should take away some of his playing time. Possibly, Isaiah Stewart loses some value and minutes with Olynyk back on the floor. Fantasy managers shouldn't rush to grab Olynyk off the waiver wire. He'll likely be stuck in a committee and won't contribute enough to warrant adding in any formats.

LA Clippers power forward Nicolas Batum was placed in the league's health and safety protocols, ruling him out indefinitely, beginning with Wednesday's game vs. Denver. Batum has been snakebitten by injuries this season, with his latest malady -- his second time entering the protocols -- popping up on the heels of a season-high 32-point performance. Justise Winslow and Serge Ibaka are the two leading candidates to take on a larger role in Batum's absence, while Marcus Morris Sr. and others stand to absorb Batum's shot attempts. Averaging just 9.1 points and 4.7 boards on the year, the veteran can likely hang out on the waiver wire in most season-long formats until he gets the green light to return to action.

Charlotte Hornets shooting guard/small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. has been cleared to suit up for Wednesday's contest vs. Boston, stemming his absence under the league's health and safety protocols at four games. Oubre has morphed into a long-range dynamo during his first season with the Hornets, with his 2.9 made triples on a nightly basis tied for 15th in the league entering play Wednesday. While his rebounding totals have dipped, he is on pace to shoot a career-best 45.8 percent overall, and his role as the team's No. 1 scoring option on the second unit boosts his upside.

Chicago Bulls point/shooting guard Alex Caruso has been cleared to suit up for Wednesday's game vs. Cleveland, marking his first game action since Dec. 20. Caruso missed almost a month of action due to the combination of a foot injury and the league's health and safety protocols, with his return coming at a key time for the Bulls with Zach LaVine (knee) and Lonzo Ball (knee) down. When the team is at full strength, Coby White stands to lose a bit of his fantasy shine with Caruso back in the mix, but both are sound DFS and season-long options for the time being. Entering the night, Caruso's two steals per game would tie for tops in the league if he had reached the minimum minutes threshold.

Portland Trail Blazers small forward Norman Powell (personal) has been ruled out for Wednesday's contest against Miami due to personal reasons, marking his sixth consecutive absence. Nassir Little has been the primary beneficiary of Powell being sidelined, as the third-year wing has scored in double figures in each of his last five games, including adding a double-double Monday. Powell had been on a scoring deluge of his own over his last 14 contests, averaging 21.9 points across a whopping 38.5 minutes on a nightly basis. With Damian Lillard (abdomen) still out as well, C.J. McCollum and Anfernee Simons stand to be Portland's primary offensive focal points.

Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III (personal) and point guard Marcus Smarthave been ruled out for Wednesday's contest vs. Charlotte. Williams' absence will mark his second in a row, paving the way for Grant Williams to stick with the starting five and serve as an upside DFS option. Smart's absence has now climbed to five outings, but he has cleared the league's health and safety protocols and appears to be trending toward a return. For the time being, Dennis Schroder carries significantly elevated upside as the team's primary point guard. The next chance for Williams or Smart to take the floor comes Friday against the Trail Blazers.

Orlando Magic power forward/center Wendell Carter Jr. (hamstring) has been ruled out for Wednesday's contest against Philadelphia, marking his seventh straight absence due to a sore left hamstring. It sounds as if Carter is progressing toward a return, but without him in the frontcourt, DFS managers can eye Moritz Wagner as a GPP option. Carter -- who is averaging a double-double for the year -- was on a rebounding tear prior to hitting the sidelines, having accrued double-digit rebounds in each of his last seven outings. His next chance to suit up comes Friday vs. the Lakers.

Miami Heat point/shooting guard Tyler Herro has been placed in the league's health and safety protocols, ruling him out indefinitely, beginning with Wednesday's game vs. Portland. Herro has thrived in his third professional season, emerging as one of the frontrunners for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award while averaging 20.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on a nightly basis. Herro's absence, when combined with that of Kyle Lowry's (personal), stands to funnel much of the ball-handling duties toward the trio of Jimmy Butler, Gabe Vincent, and Max Strus. All of the aforementioned triumvirate stands to see elevated offensive duties for as long as Herro is out of the mix.

Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smartand small forward Aaron Nesmith (ankle) have been deemed questionable to suit up for Wednesday's contest against the Hornets. Smart has missed the past four outings under the league's health and safety protocols, but he could be ready for a return to game action, which would strengthen Boston's backcourt. Getting Smart in the mix would bump Dennis Schroder, who has led the team in assists the past two games, back to the second unit. Nesmith has played a minimal role on the wing for the Celtics, having scored in double figures just four times across his first 31 outings this season.

Miami Heat point guard Kyle Lowry (personal) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game vs. Portland due to personal reasons. Lowry's absence is his second in a row, paving the way for Gabe Vincent to see increased run and Jimmy Butler to enjoy elevated assists upside. Lowry has been an assist dynamo in his own right to begin January, averaging 9.3 dimes across seven outings, on pace for his highest average in any month this year. Tyler Herro and Max Strus also stand to see increased workloads for as long as Lowry remains out of the mix, with his next chance to return coming Friday against the Hawks.