NBA News
De'Anthony Melton Unavailable Saturday
Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton (back) won't play on Saturday against Houston due to inflammation in his lower back. It will be the third consecutive game he will miss. Melton has played in three games this season after he was limited to 38 contests with the 76ers last season because of a back injury. With Stephen Curry (ankle) also out Saturday, Lindy Waters and Moses Moody will likely see more action.
Nov 1
Jordan Hawkins Expected To Play Friday
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins (back) is expected to be available for Friday's matchup against the Indiana Pacers, according to head coach Willie Green. The young guard has been managing back spasms but is expected to play through the issue in a depleted backcourt. With CJ McCollum (thigh) and Dejounte Murray (hand) both sidelined, Hawkins is set for an expanded role. Over five regular-season games, he has averaged 16.2 points per game and could take on even more responsibility Friday.
Nov 1
Al Horford Resting Against Charlotte
Boston Celtics center Al Horford (rest) won't play on Friday against Charlotte. Horford has averaged 9.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.0 steals this season. He's also shot 60.0% from behind the arc. But the veteran will take the night off before presumably suiting up for the rematch with the Hornets on Saturday. With that said, Luke Kornet will likely take over at the five and is worth starting in all fantasy formats. Xavier Tillman Sr. and Neemias Queta will also draw value attention from DFS participants.
Nov 1
Andrew Wiggins Probable For Saturday's Matchup With Houston
Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (back) is listed as probable for Saturday's game against the Houston Rockets. Wiggins has missed two consecutive contests with a lower back strain. If the 29-year-old can go, he will provide a spark to the Warriors' rotation, as Stephen Curry (ankle) and De'Anthony Melton (back) will be sidelined on Saturday once again. Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, and Jonathan Kuminga will take on extra minutes if Wiggins cannot suit up.
Nov 1
D'Angelo Russell Will Suit Up Versus Toronto
Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (back) will play against the Raptors on Friday night. He continues to battle back soreness. However, it hasn't cost him any games yet this season. Unfortunately, Russell has struggled in the Lakers' five games, averaging 10.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 25.0% shooting from behind the arc. He should break out of his funk at some point. But until then, fantasy managers may want to consider keeping Russell on the bench.
Nov 1
Anthony Davis Available Against Toronto
Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis (hip) will play on Friday versus Toronto. Davis' appearance on the injury report is nothing new for fantasy managers. However, he was listed as probable, so the latest update confirms what most had anticipated. The 31-year-old is having an MVP-caliber season, averaging 30.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 1.6 steals. Of course, fantasy managers should keep him starting. Yet, Davis may exceed production in a favorable matchup with the Raptors.
Nov 1
Zach LaVine Will Play Against Brooklyn
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (shoulder) will play on Friday versus the Brooklyn Nets. The veteran was questionable because of an AC joint sprain. However, he'll be out there for the Bulls. LaVine has played well this season, averaging 23.0 points, 6.4 boards, and 2.8 assists. He's also shot a career-high 43.6% from deep. With that said, LaVine should be featured in all fantasy starting lineups.
Nov 1
Immanuel Quickley Out Again On Friday Night
Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (pelvis) won't suit up on Friday versus the Los Angeles Lakers. The 25-year-old last played in the opener versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, he exited that one after a fall and has been on the shelf since because of a pelvic contusion. Fortunately, Quickley is making progress. Yet, he'll also probably miss Saturday's meeting with the Kings. With Quickley out of the equation, Davion Mitchell, averaging 8.8 points, 7.0 assists, and 2.3 rebounds in four starts, is worth rostering in most fantasy setups, although category participants won't appreciate his 31.3% shooting from deep.
Nov 1
CJ McCollum Out At Least Two Weeks
The New Orleans Pelicans announced Friday that guard CJ McCollum (adductor) has a right adductor strain and will miss at least 2-3 weeks. McCollum had already been listed as unavailable for Friday's contest with the Indiana Pacers. With the 33-year-old likely out until mid-November, Jose Alvarado will likely take his place in the starting five. DFS managers should remember that Alvarado will be a great value pick moving forward while McCollum is sidelined.
Nov 1
Anthony Black Starting Versus Cleveland
Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black will start on Friday versus the undefeated Cavaliers. With Paolo Banchero (oblique) sidelined, Black will get his chance to roll with the first five. The 20-year-old has shown signs of promise in his second year in the National Basketball Association, averaging 8.4 points, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 44.4% shooting from behind the arc. Naturally, Franz Wagner (illness), Jalen Suggs, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are expected to do most of the heavy lifting on the offensive end. However, Black warrants fantasy consideration in deeper formats. He'll also draw value interest from DFS managers.
Nov 1
Franz Wagner Cleared For Friday Night
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (illness) will play on Friday versus the undefeated Cavaliers. The 23-year-old has been under the weather, forcing his premature exit in the Magic's previous two contests. Hopefully, he'll see his usual workload against Cleveland. If that's the case, Wagner could finish the game as Orlando's highest scorer, considering Paolo Banchero (oblique) is on the shelf.
Nov 1
Herbert Jones To Miss A Significant Amount Of Time With Shoulder Injury
The New Orleans Pelicans announced Friday that forward Herbert Jones (shoulder) sustained a right shoulder strain and a small low-grade partial-thickness tear in his rotator cuff. His recovery timeframe is approximately 2-4 weeks. Jones's return to play will be based on how he responds to treatment and rehabilitation. The absence of Jones should mean that Jordan Hawkins will continue to see more minutes. On Wednesday, Hawkins posted 23 points with four rebounds in 38 minutes. He will likely see an uptick in playing time against the Pacers on Friday with Jones sidelined.
Nov 1
Desmond Bane Won't Face The 76ers
Memphis Grizzlies forward Desmond Bane (oblique) won't play on Saturday against the 76ers. Bane suffered an oblique strain in Wednesday's loss to the Brooklyn Nets and didn't play on Thursday versus the visiting Bucks. Marcus Smart (ankle) was also sidelined for that one, opening the door for Jaylen Wells and Santi Aldama to enter the starting lineup and finish the night by combining for 35 points. Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jake LaRavia also received more work from off the bench, with the duo combining for 27 points. As long as Smart and Bane remain on the shelf, Aldama, LaRavia, Pippen, and Wells are all worth considering for fantasy lineups. Of course, Ja Morant, who had a triple-double on Thursday, will likely continue to lead the way offensively.
Nov 1
Marcus Smart Missing Another One On Saturday
Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart (ankle) won't play on Saturday in Philadelphia. The 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year tweaked his ankle in Wednesday's game against the Brooklyn Nets and wasn't available on Thursday versus Milwaukee. Jaylen Wells got the start, finishing with 16 points and seven rebounds while shooting 50% from behind the arc. With Smart and Desmond Bane (oblique) both without a return date, Wells will have a place in most fantasy lineups as long as both remain on the shelf. The same can be said for Santi Aldama, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Jake LaRavia.
Nov 1
Paul George Ruled Out Again For Saturday
Philadelphia 76ers guard/forward Paul George (knee) will have to sit out at least one more game on Saturday as the team has officially ruled him out against the Memphis Grizzlies. George spoke to the media on Friday and said that the last thing to do is get his cardio back up to speed, and then he should be able to return to the floor. He and Joel Embiid (knee) both participated in scrimmages on Friday as well, so they're trending in the right direction. For now, Kelly Oubre Jr., Caleb Martin, and Andre Drummond will see increased usage and are the best streaming options until they return.
Nov 1
Vlatko Cancar Considered Questionable On Friday
Denver Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar (ankle) has been tagged as questionable for Friday's matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 27-year-old has only appeared in one game so far this season and has been on the court for two minutes. The Nuggets are currently 2-2 and their depth has looked worse than usual. Cancar hasn't exactly cracked the usual rotation just yet, so he's not on the fantasy radar. If he doesn't play, however, there should be some more minutes for Peyton Watson, Dario Saric, and maybe even Zeke Nnaji.
Nov 1
Ja'Kobe Walter Tagged As Questionable On Friday
Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter (shoulder) is dealing with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder and is listed as questionable for the team's Friday night contest against the Los Angeles Lakers. Walter was the 19th overall pick in this year's NBA Draft but hasn't appeared in a game yet for the Raptors. While he has the chance to play, there are better options right now until Walter has the chance to get his first game under his belt. If he's unable to suit up, Ochai Agbaji, Davion Mitchell, and Jamal Shead will all see minutes off of the bench.
Nov 1
Kelly Olynyk Ruled Out Against Lakers
Toronto Raptors forward/center Kelly Olynyk (back) has been ruled out Friday for their contest against the Los Angeles Lakers. The 33-year-old has yet to suit up for the team this season and will miss at least one more. There hasn't been a firm timetable for his return to action either. Jakob Poeltl will continue to get a bulk of the minutes at center while Jonathan Mogbo and Chris Boucher see a lot of added opportunities in the front court as well. Mogbo and Boucher serve as quality streaming options in deeper leagues.
Nov 1
Trendon Watford Available For Friday Night's Game Against Chicago
Brooklyn Nets forward Trendon Watford (hamstring) is available for Friday night's matchup against the Chicago Bulls. This will be Watford's season debut as he's been ruled out of action since early October. It should be expected that Watford will come off the bench in his return as he did almost all of last season for Brooklyn when he averaged 6.9 PPG in 13.6 minutes. Fantasy managers should temper their expectations and DFS managers can likely find better options if looking for a plug-and-play on Friday night. Jalen Wilson has been receiving the most minutes off Brooklyn's bench and his averaging 8.2 PPG and likely will be a better fantasy option on Friday, though Watford will likely eat into his minutes as the season progresses.
Nov 1
Jalen Smith Listed As Questionable For Friday Night Against Brooklyn
Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith (knee) is listed as questionable for Friday night's matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. Smith is dealing with left knee soreness that kept him out of Chicago's most recent game against Memphis on Wednesday night. Smith has been decently effective when active, averaging 11.5 PPG in 13.7 minutes while shooting 57.1% from three. If he's unable to suit up on Friday the beneficiary of more playing time is likely to be Patrick Williams. Though already in the starting lineup, Williams should see a boost in minutes and potentially more opportunities from deep, especially if teammate Zach LaVine is also unable to suit up.
Nov 1
De'Anthony Melton
• SG
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Warriors
