Miami Heat forward/center Kevin Love (heel) will end a month-long absence on Friday against the Trail Blazers. The Heat big man injured his right heel in a game against Portland on Feb. 27 and has been out for 14 contests. Love's return is set to push Thomas Bryant out of the rotation, with Nikola Jovic and Haywood Highsmith also in danger of losing minutes. The former All-Star has averaged 9.0 points and 6.2 rebounds in 17.5 minutes during his 16th NBA campaign.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (illness) will be back in the lineup on Friday against Portland. The team has upgraded Butler from probable to available. Butler rejoins the action in a favorable spot against a struggling team, although he has been inconsistent with his performances lately. With that said, Butler always finds ways to make an impact on the court and should fill the stat sheet in a nice pace-up spot for the Heat squad.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (ankle) will be in the lineup on Friday versus Indiana. He has once again shaken off a questionable tag to face the Pacers for a second time in a short space of time. The two teams also clashed last Sunday, with James recording 26 points, five rebounds, and 10 assists in a high-scoring 150-145 win. Another shootout is expected between the two sides on Friday, putting James in a good position to fill up the box score again.

Boston Celtics forward/center Al Horford (toe) isn't listed on the injury report heading into Saturday's clash with New Orleans. The veteran has been bothered by a toe sprain of late. While he's mostly played through the pain, he didn't suit up for Thursday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The C's got Jrue Holiday (shoulder) back for that one, so Horford would have come off the bench, decreasing his fantasy effectiveness. With that in mind, Horford has averaged 8.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, although he always has the potential to get hot whenever he steps on the court.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Derrick Rose (groin) hasn't appeared in a game since February 28 and it looks as though he won't be returning for the rest of the season. According to Damichael Cole, since there are only two weeks remaining in the season and the Grizzlies are already eliminated from playoff contention, Rose is unlikely to take the court again this year. Since he's missed a lot of time, this won't affect that much of the rotation, and a lot of the younger players that have been seeing time will continue to do so. Desmond Bane, Scottie Pippen Jr., and Jake LaRavia should all continue to get more opportunities for the rest of this season.

Miami Heat forward Kevin Love (heel) has officially been listed as probable for Friday night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The veteran big man hasn't played since February 27 and has missed a total of 25 games so far this season. The good thing is that the team is getting healthier at the right time to make a playoff push and try to avoid the play-in tournament altogether. Love has played a reserve role all year and that shouldn't change with him returning to the lineup. He's averaging 17.5 minutes a night and has registered 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, so he's been a viable streaming option in deeper leagues.

New York Knicks guard Alec Burks (shoulder) is dealing with a sprained right shoulder and has received a questionable tag ahead of the Friday night game against the San Antonio Spurs. The veteran combo guard has been absent for the last two games and has also seen a very inconsistent role since re-joining the Knicks. His playing time seems to be both matchup-based and based on injuries. That hasn't been a bad thing for the team, but can make fantasy managers' lives difficult when trying to judge a streaming option decision. If he does play, he's not likely to receive as many minutes since most of the rotation is healthy minus OG Anunoby (elbow) and Julius Randle (shoulder).

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (ankle) is questionable heading toward Friday's matchup with the Pacers. He's been dealing with a left ankle injury for months and has missed time because of it. The 39-year-old recently sat out Tuesday's double-overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Yet, James returned on Wednesday versus Memphis and ended the night by amassing a 23-point, 14-rebound, 12-assist triple-double. The Lakers are currently the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference, so they must extend their five-game winning streak to at least remain in the Play-In conversation. With that in mind, James will likely be on the floor. But if he's not, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and D'Angelo Russell should all pick up the slack on the offensive end behind Anthony Davis (knee), assuming he's available.

Detroit Pistons forward Taj Gibson (hamstring) is unavailable for Friday's game against the Washington Wizards. Gibson has been suffering from right-hamstring soreness and will miss his sixth consecutive contest. Currently, there is no timetable for when he will return. The veteran forward last played on March 18 against Boston, where he posted just three points, two rebounds, and one steal in 11 minutes of playing time. If the 38-year-old returns this season, he won't be a fantasy factor.

Boston Celtics forward Al Horford (toe) won't play in Thursday's rematch against the Hawks. He continues to be bothered by a toe sprain. However, the 37-year-old logged 36 minutes in Monday's loss to Atlanta, so it's surprising he's unavailable. Fortunately, the C's will get back Jrue Holiday (shoulder) from a five-game absence. But without Horford on the floor, Sam Hauser, averaging 12.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 10 starts this season, remains a viable fantasy asset.

Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (shoulder) will play on Thursday against the Hawks. The 33-year-old has been sidelined for the last five games because of an AC joint sprain and was listed as questionable for the rematch versus Atlanta. However, he's good to go and won't have any restrictions, which is certainly good news for fantasy managers. Sam Hauser, who has averaged 12.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 10 starts this year, will head back to the bench. Yet, with Al Horford (toe) out, Hauser could remain involved enough to warrant DFS consideration.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (illness) is probable for Friday's tilt versus the Portland Trail Blazers. Butler was expected to play through his illness in Tuesday's win over the Cleveland Cavaliers before being surprisingly ruled out, but the Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang also reports the 34-year-old two-way superstar was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. Over 13 games since the All-Star Break, Butler is collecting a strong 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.9 three-pointers per contest. His return for the Heat would send first-round rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. to Miami's bench, and Butler would be a must-start season-long fantasy option in a soft matchup with the 19-54 Blazers on Friday.

Boston Celtics forward/center Al Horford (toe) is in danger of missing Wednesday's rematch against the Hawks. He is questionable because of a left big toe sprain, an injury he's been battling for the last week. But the 37-year-old has mostly played through the pain and logged 36 minutes when these clubs met on Monday night. With Jrue Holiday (shoulder) potentially in line to miss a sixth consecutive contest, Horford could stay with the starting unit. But if Holiday and Horford are out, Sam Hauser, averaging 12.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 10 starts this season, should continue to receive extra work.

Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (shoulder) is questionable for Thursday's game against Atlanta. He's missed the last five games with an AC joint sprain, so this could be his first appearance in nearly two weeks. But the C's are sitting comfortably atop the Eastern Conference, meaning Holiday won't be on the floor until he's fully healthy. Nonetheless, if he sits out another game, Sam Hauser, averaging 12.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 10 starts during the 2023-24 campaign, could remain with the first five.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (ankle) will play on Wednesday versus the Memphis Grizzlies. James didn't suit up for Tuesday's double-overtime win over the Bucks because of his nagging ankle injury. However, the Lakers need him healthy for the postseason, so he got a night off for the first half of back-to-back contests. The 39-year-old has averaged 24.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 3.0 steals in two meetings with Memphis this season. Yet, with Anthony Davis (knee) sidelined, James could be more productive.

New York Knicks guard/forward Alec Burks (shoulder) will miss a second consecutive game on Wednesday versus Toronto. There was initially hope of him returning when the team listed him as questionable for the game, but Burks has now been downgraded to out. Burks' absence leaves the Knicks without a good scoring option off the bench. He's averaged around 15 minutes a night in the Big Apple, and Bojan Bogdanovic will have a chance to get some extra action off the Knicks bench without Burks.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (ankle) is expected to be available for Wednesday's meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies. After missing Tuesday's overtime thriller against the Milwaukee Bucks because of left ankle soreness, James is set to return on the second night of LA's back-to-back. Expect the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer to handle his usual workload in a soft matchup with the 24-48 Grizzlies. Across 13 appearances since the All-Star break, James is averaging 27.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 7.2 dimes, 1.0 steals, and 2.3 three-pointers and could take on even more playmaking duties if Anthony Davis (knee) is ruled out after playing 52 minutes on Tuesday.

Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (shoulder) participated in practice on Wednesday. Holiday has missed Boston's last five games with a shoulder injury, but his activity at Wednesday's session is encouraging for his status for Thursday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. The first-place Celtics will submit their official injury report later on Wednesday, and the two-way veteran guard should be tentatively deemed questionable at worst ahead of time. The sharpshooting Payton Pritchard has enjoyed quite a hot run as a fantasy streamer, averaging 17.7 points, 7.7 dimes, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.2 threes on 45.2% shooting from downtown across his past six showings (two starts), but he would revert to the second unit if Holiday returns. Atlanta carries the third-worst defensive efficiency rating (116.8) in the Association during 2023-24.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (illness) missed shootaround on Tuesday morning, but he's probable to play versus the Golden State Warriors. Dealing with a non-COVID illness, Butler is still expected to play in a good spot against a Warriors defense giving up the ninth-most DraftKings points to opposing small forwards. Across 13 appearances since the All-Star Break, the 34-year-old two-way superstar is pouring in 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.7 swipes, and 0.9 three-pointers per contest. With Tyler Herro (foot) still on the shelf, Butler will continue absorbing additional usage and playmaking responsibilities and remains a set-and-forget fantasy option across all formats.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (ankle) has been downgraded from doubtful to out for Tuesday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Dealing with peroneal tendinopathy in his left ankle virtually all season long, James will sit on the front end of LA's back-to-back and hope to play in Wednesday's meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies for the second outing of a six-game road trip. Cam Reddish and Taurean Prince are candidates to join the Lakers' starting lineup at small forward on Tuesday, with Anthony Davis (Achilles), D'Angelo Russell, and Austin Reaves running the show offensively. Over nine games without James this season, Reaves is averaging 19.1 points, 5.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 2.5 three-pointers and gets a favorable matchup against a Bucks team allowing the eighth-most DraftKings points to opposing shooting guards.