Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (back/hip) is listed as probable heading into Friday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The two-time MVP is dealing with hip and back inflammation, but he has played the last two games after sitting out one. Jokic is favored to win another MVP this season, and the Nuggets are fighting for home-court advantage in the Western Conference to make his playing status more important. Stats come easy to Jokic to make his health a significant variable for fantasy teams if he plays his usual minutes. Jokic missing games sees Aaron Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, and Peyton Watson increase their value, but he should suit up Friday in an important game for postseason seeding.

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.

Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis (knee) is questionable for Friday's showdown with the Indiana Pacers. Despite being frequently mentioned on the league's official injury report, A.D. has only missed five games this season. He logged 52 minutes in Tuesday's double-overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks, ending the night with a game-high 34 points and 23 rebounds with four blocks. However, Davis sat out the following night against Memphis because of a knee issue. With that said, he likely sat out for rest purposes, so fantasy managers could see him back in the lineup versus Indy. On the other hand, if Davis misses another contest, Jaxson Hayes and Rui Hachimura, combining for 48 points on Wednesday, will remain attractive DFS options.

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.

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (foot) will play on Thursday against Phoenix. He's been battling a right plantar fascia strain for at least a few games. However, the 28-year-old finally sat out, missing Monday's win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Christian Braun got the start and played exceptionally well, finishing with 17 points off 8-for-10 shooting from the field. But with Gordon back in the lineup, Braun's fantasy ceiling will come crashing down.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (back, hip) will play on Wednesday versus the Suns. He didn't suit up for Saturday's win over the Portland Trail Blazers because of back and hip soreness. However, the multi-time MVP returned for Monday's meeting with Memphis, finishing two assists shy of a triple-double. Jokic has averaged 23.0 points, 10.5 boards, and 10.5 assists versus Phoenix this season, making him an ideal option for any fantasy lineup.

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.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (ankle) is expected to play on Thursday against the Pelicans. The veteran was sidelined for over a month because of a sprained ankle. However, he's been back in the lineup in four of Milwaukee's previous five games. Middleton has had a few solid showings since his return. But he scored only 12 points in Tuesday's double-overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. At any rate, his fantasy ceiling is still higher than most. Yet, the 32-year-old is not as consistent as he used to be.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) might return before the end of the regular season. Wojnarowski stated that it's not a matter of "if" but "when," while adding the team hopes to get him back with at least a few games left before the postseason begins. The 30-year-old averaged a career-high 35.3 points with 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.8 blocks before going down with a knee injury at the end of January. Of course, it could take him a few games to get back up to speed. However, Embiid's presence will immediately mean less work for Mo Bamba and Paul Reed, who have seen an uptick in production while the reigning MVP has been sidelined.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (ribs) has shaken off a questionable tag and will be in the lineup on Wednesday against Detroit. Health issues have limited Gobert to only three outings across the last seven games, but he will make his third consecutive appearance on Wednesday. The French giant should have a good game against a mediocre rebounding team that allows centers to shoot 59.2 percent from the field. Gobert bagged 19 points and 16 rebounds against the Pistons in this season's first head-to-head matchup in January.

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.

Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis (knee) will sit out Wednesday's game against Memphis. This should come as a surprise to no one after Davis put in a mammoth of an effort across a career-high 52 minutes in a double-overtime win against Milwaukee on Tuesday. Jaxson Hayes will pick up his fourth start of the year in Davis' stead. He's averaged 10.0 points and 7.7 rebounds in the role and should do well against a weak Memphis squad that has the league's third-lowest rebounding rate.

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.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (hamstring) is expected to play on Thursday in New Orleans. The multi-time MVP has been plagued by left hamstring tendinopathy over the last few weeks. However, the injury appears to be getting better, considering he logged 46 minutes in Tuesday's double-overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. But Milwaukee has a few relatively easy matchups on the horizon, meaning he may get a night off heading toward the postseason. With that in mind, Antetokounmpo amassed 30 points, 12 boards, and two blocks against the Pelicans the first time these clubs met earlier in the season, keeping him on the radar for DFS managers on Thursday night.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (hamstring) will sit out a ninth consecutive game on Wednesday against the Hawks. He continues to recover from a hamstring strain, and it doesn't look like Grant is close to returning. Jabari Walker, Kris Murray, and Toumani Camara all have opportunities to fill bigger roles with Grant out. The three have played well, but all have issues with inconsistency, which makes it hard to trust them on a nightly basis in fantasy basketball.

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.