Nicolas Claxton (knee tendinopathy) is expected to return to action at some point in February, according to Nets coach Steve Nash.
"I think Nic is probably closer to the mid season break than he is to now," Nash said on Saturday. "Sometime in February for sure. But no setbacks, just working through it." Claxton is best utilized as a stash option for next season, even with the Nets having recently traded Jarrett Allen.
James Harden is available to play for the Nets on Saturday against the Magic.
The Rockets' trade finally went through in time for them to have just enough players (eight) to play on Saturday, and now Harden will be able to start his new life, too. Brooklyn won't get to play its full lineup, with Kyrie Irving still out, but Harden and Kevin Durant will begin their second tenure together.
Trae Young is probable to play on Saturday against the Trail Blazers with back tightness.
Young's really struggled early in the season, shooting 1-of-11 in his last game for just four points on Friday. Hopefully he can figure himself out against a weaker defensive backcourt in Portland.
Luka Samanic won't play on Saturday against the Rockets due to a sore throat.
Samanic has played just eight minutes this season. His absence won't change anything in terms of fantasy sports.
Sterling Brown won't play on Saturday due to a lower leg injury.
Brown was listed as a game-time call until the Rockets' trade with the Nets was finalized, allowing Rodions Kurucs to be on the active roster, and for Houston to have the required eight players to play a game. Without Brown, Eric Gordon, John Wall or Victor Oladipo, expect Mason Jones, Ben McLemore, David Nwaba, Jae'Sean Tate, P.J. Tucker and Christian Wood to all get their shots up. Wood will have the opportunity to take control of the offense, while everyone else's roles in the offense are boosted to the max. This is the NBA in 2021.
Nerlens Noel (lower back soreness) is probable for Sunday's contest vs the Celtics.
Noel had a season-high six blocks in 17 minutes on Friday against the Cavs so the Knicks are surely hoping their backup center will be good to go on Sunday. We wouldn't recommend Noel as a reliable pickup, but if you're in need of blocks and a field goal percentage boost, take a chance on him.
Al Horford (personal reasons) is doubtful for Sunday when the Thunder host the Sixers.
Horford is set to miss his second straight game as he tends to issues off the court. Isaiah Roby has started in his place in the last two games, totaling 25 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists making him a decent waiver-wire add whenever Horford sits games.
Jalen Brunson (COVID-protocol) has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday's game against the Bulls.
Brunson has missed the last few games adhering to the NBA's health and safety protocols but could now return on Sunday. He might be a bit sluggish after not playing for over a week, but if Tim Hardaway Jr. (groin) can't go, Brunson could play some more minutes for a Dallas team that has multiple players already sidelined.
Mitchell Robinson (right heel contusion) is probable vs the Celtics on Sunday.
It's the first time this season Robinson has had any injury concerns and it comes the day after Andre Drummond dropped a 30/20 game on him. But the good news is he's listed as probable so he will likely give it a go barring a setback between now and Sunday night.
Alec Burks (left ankle) is considered doubtful to play vs the Celtics on Sunday.
The Knicks have a back-to-back set starting with the Celtics tomorrow and the Magic on Monday. Burks could return against Orlando on MLK Day, but Tom Thibodeau might end up playing it safe as his team will have two days off after another B2B set on Thursday and Friday which would allow Burks a couple more days to get back into game shape.
Tim Hardaway Jr. (left groin strain) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game vs the Bulls.
Hardaway played an effective 37 minutes on Friday and was on the court at the end of a tight game, scoring 22 points with six boards in the loss. He might just be dealing with some soreness and will likely go through a Sunday morning shoot around before determining his status for the game. Check back for more tomorrow.
Evan Fournier will miss his eighth straight game after being ruled out on Saturday vs Brooklyn.
Fournier continues to deal with lower back spasms that are very concerning considering he hasn't played yet this month. Rookie Cole Anthony is the best option here if you're looking for a streamer because James Ennis and Terrence haven't done much as of late.
Derrick Rose (left knee) is probable vs the Heat on Saturday, per James Edwards III of The Athletic.
Rose has missed the Pistons' last two games and it might've been three if not for the postponement of Friday's game against the Wizards. But should he suit up tonight, Rose will likely assume his role as the backup behind Delon Wright who has been inconsistent this season. He's still available in 37% of Yahoo leagues and should be picked up if he plays Saturday.
Dennis Schroder finished the Lakers' home win on Friday with 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and one 3-pointer in 30 minutes.
Schroder's starting role for L.A. hasn't been the fantasy boon his managers anticipated on draft day, with modest averages of 14.2 points, 1.2 threes, 4.1 boards and 4.8 assists. The dimes are nice, but they're attached to 42.9% shooting, 2.5 turnovers and only 0.8 steals per game. There's still time for Schroder to improve his accuracy and add supporting stats, but the clock is ticking. He sounds more focused on the defensive side of the equation, saying, "I've been doing this my whole career, trying to pick up [defensively] 94 feet and trying to make them tired ... I think that's when I've done my job."
Marc Gasol chipped in five points, two rebounds, one assist, one block and one 3-pointer in 20 minutes during L.A.'s win vs. New Orleans on Friday.
Gasol has one double-digit scoring game on the season, and scoring simply isn't his role on this Lakers team. He's a savvy facilitator who puts pressure on the paint, and defensively he's protecting the rim admirably well with 1.9 blocks per game in January. Points-league managers may not have use for Gasol, but in 8-cat and 9-cat his blocks alone are incentive to roster him.
Montrezl Harrell got hit in the head during Friday's game, but he returned to finish with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting, five boards, one assist and one steal.
Zion Williamson elbowed Harrell and he went to the locker room, but L.A.'s trainers apparently ruled out a concussion or any serious injury. The Lakers have opened the season with a 7-0 record on the road, the first time they've accomplished that feat in franchise history. The came into this game 3-3 at home, and trailed by one at halftime, but pulled away with a dominant second half to earn a 112-95 win. Harrell isn't blowing anyone away with his production off L.A.'s bench, but he's still providing a nice boost in FG% (60.7% on 9.0 attempts) and rebounds (7.5).
LeBron James (left ankle sprain) finished Friday's win vs. the Pelicans with 21 points (6-of-11 FGs, 7-of-7 FTs), eight rebounds, 11 assists, two 3-pointers and one steal in 31 minutes.
One of these days, LBJ might actually miss a game with a legitimate injury. For now, though, the Lakers are content to keep him on the injury report with a phantom ankle injury that's yet to cost him any games. He's 36 years old and coming off a championship, followed by the shortest offseason in NBA history, so fantasy GMs have to be thrilled that he's playing in every game and racking up huge stats along the way. More defensive stats would be nice (0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks), but let's not get greedy.
Wesley Matthews (Achilles soreness) returned to action vs. the Pelicans on Friday, going scoreless with one assist in 14 minutes.
The veteran has missed three straight games with soreness in his right Achilles, which is not the same Achilles tendon that was surgically repaired back in 2015. He's healthy but at this stage of his career Matthews offers no fantasy value beyond a handful of triples.
Eric Bledsoe (right eye irritation) played 21 minutes off the bench vs. the Lakers on Friday, scoring seven points on 3-of-7 shooting with two assists, one rebound and one 3-pointer.
Bledsoe missed Wednesday's game and Nickeil Alexander-Walker went off for 37 points in his absence, so coach Stan Van Gundy stuck with what had been working. It's conceivable that Bledsoe will fill a sixth-man role, which wouldn't be the worst thing since his 18.0% usage would likely increase as the lead playmaker for the bench. As long as he's healthy, he'll hover around top-100 value in 30 minutes per game no matter where he begins games. Don't overreact to the low playing time tonight -- it's just one game.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker started on Friday and scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, but he also committed five turnovers and five personal fouls in 20 minutes.
NAW was coming off a monster 37-point game for the short-handed Pelicans on Wednesday, which he attributed to letting the game come to him and "riding its wave." Head coach Stan Van Gundy took the same approach by starting him ahead of Eric Bledsoe (right eye), but Alexander-Walker undermined himself with the rampant errors. He's earned a spot in SVG's tight rotation, at least, and opportunistic fantasy managers should hang onto him while Lonzo Ball (knee tendonitis) remains on the shelf.