Injury Report

To stay up-to-date on all of the injury news with up-to-the-minute updates, make sure to check out our LIVE Injury Report!

Philadelphia 76ers @ Chicago Bulls

Game Time: : 1:10 pm ET

DraftKings Lines

PHI +1 (-110), CHI -1 (-110)
Game Total 230.5

Key Storylines

Embiid Watch: Head Coach Nick Nurse mentioned pregame on Friday regarding Embiid’s status that the big man could be back playing again sooner than later, and that he has been making progress. While this is positive news, knowing Embiid’s and the Sixers’ history with managing Embiid’s playing status in the past, nothing can be taken with 100% certainty until Embiid is actually on the court and in a uniform. Fantasy managers should continue to stream in Guerschon Yabusele and Andre Drummond until we get official confirmation that Embiid will actually play. To add to this, Embiid has officially been listed as questionable for Sunday. 

Keep An Eye on Buzelis: Rookie Matas Buzelis is surely but slowly starting to make some noise after being mostly out of the rotation to start the season. All this could disappear in a heartbeat once Patrick Williams returns to action, but Buzelis should be rostered in very deep formats at the moment and watchlisted in shallower formats to see whether he sticks in the rotation moving forward.

Stream of the Game

Ayo Dosunmu is one of the better streaming options in standard formats on most nights but has likely been scooped up in most leagues after his strong performances this past week.
The previously mentioned Guerschon Yabusele and Andre Drummond are solid streaming options while Joel Embiid remains unavailable.

Alternatives: Kelly Oubre Jr. , Jared McCain, Caleb Martin, Matas Buzelis and Talen Horton-Tucker (deeper formats).

The FantasyPass isn’t just for drafts anymore! This year, take your team to the next level with in-season TOOLS like Head-to-Head Matchups and Dynamic Daily/Weekly Projections, SCHEDULE ANALYSIS, PICKUP ADVICE and more… starting at just $7/month!

Milwaukee Bucks @ Brooklyn Nets

Game Time: 3:40 pm ET

DraftKings Lines

MIL -7 (-290), BKN +7 (+235)
Game Total 219.5

Key Storylines

Top 10: Most of the headlines surrounding the Bucks have been focused on Giannis Antetokounmpo as of late, but it seems that the play of Damian Lillard is going a bit under the radar at the moment. Lillard is ranked 10th in per-game value in 9-cat formats on the season so far, and is showing improved chemistry with Giannis on the floor. I see no reason as to why Lillard should not be able to maintain this level of play moving forward, especially with the Bucks having to lock in and win as many games as possible in order to put themselves in the best position possible heading into the postseason.

Cooking: Talking about falling under the radar, Cam Johnson is the 37th (!) ranked player in per-game value in 9-cat formats so far this season. His rank has been carried by elite shooting, averaging 3.3 triples per contest. Johnson’s second-strongest category is turnovers, which can be misleading when looking at his rank, and obviously knocks him back significantly in 8-cat formats. With the Nets already starting to fall down the standings, this is a sell-high opportunity with Johnson, as he could be one of the candidates for “rest days” later in the season due to his strong play. A trade would of course change Johnson’s rest of season outlook completely.

Stream of the Game

Jalen Wilson can be considered as a streaming option for points and 3-pointers while Cam Thomas remains sidelined.

Dorian Finney-Smith (general stats) can also enter the chat after finally coming off the injury report for this game.

Alternatives: Gary Trent Jr., Keon Johnson, Trendon Watford, Taurean Prince (left Friday’s game with an illness but is probable for Sunday), A.J Green (deeper formats).

Charlotte Hornets @ Indiana Pacers

Game Time: : 5:10 pm ET

DraftKings Lines

CHA +11.5 (+490), IND -11.5 (-675)
Game Total 225

Key Storylines

Assists Streamer: Vasilije Micic has the capacity to be an elite assists streamer while LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann remain sidelined. In the four games he has started, his production has been inconsistent. Inconsistency has plagued Micic during his NBA career so far, so this should be expected when streaming in Micic. But, with assists being difficult to find the waiver, most fantasy managers in standard formats should roll the dice with Micic until the Hornets start getting players back in uniform.

Moving Up: Tyrese Haliburton is now ranked inside the top-30 in per-game value in 9-cat formats and continues to move up the rankings after a disappointing start to his season.
Over the past two weeks, Haliburton is ranked 8th. While the Pacers continue to struggle, Haliburton has started to produce at the level that fantasy managers were expecting of him when selecting him in the first round of drafts.

Stream of the Game

The previously mentioned Vasilije Micic is a strong option for assists in standard formats.
Obi Toppin has played better as of late and can be streamed in for fantasy managers in need of points and rebounds. T.J. McConnell is probably mostly rostered, but is worth mentioning if available.

Alternatives: Cody Martin, Andrew Nembhard (listed as questionable).

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Miami Heat

Game Time: : 06:10 pm ET

DraftKings Lines

CLE -3.5 (-110), MIA +3.5 (-110)
Game Total 230.5

DraftKings Lines

CLE -2.5 (-162), MIA +2.5 (+136)
Game Total 225

Key Storylines

Amazing Performance: Evan Mobley is coming off the best game of his career on Saturday vs. a depleted Hornets team, dropping 41 points on them. Mobley had it going from beyond the arc on Saturday, going 6-of-8 from downtown. Mobley’s offensive game has come a long way compared to his rookie season and the Cavs have shown the willingness to feed Mobley the basketball when he has it going offensively as he did on Saturday.

Want to get access to the rest of this game preview Layup Line article? You’ll need to have an NBA FantasyPass membership. Click here to learn more and sign up!
Premium Access Required