Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (ankle) was back in action against Houston on Wednesday. He suffered a mild ankle sprain in Monday's preseason opener against San Antonio but ended up not missing any preseason action. Wallace logged 21 minutes off the bench in Wednesday's 122-113 overtime loss, posting six points with two rebounds and two assists. The 20-year-old had a strong finish to his rookie campaign and will look to impress further in his sophomore year. However, Wallace doesn't have a lot of fantasy value in normal circumstances, and only injuries would boost his stock.

New York Knicks point guard Miles McBride missed Wednesday's preseason game against Washington because of an illness. McBride led the team to a 111-109 win over Charlotte in the preseason opener last weekend with 22 points, but he was feeling under the weather ahead of Wednesday's game and couldn't shake off the illness. McBride had some spectacular moments last season, but his fantasy value will be limited as long as the Knicks stay healthy. The 24-year-old needs to recover by Sunday to not miss any further preseason action.

Charlotte Hornets shooting guard DaQuan Jeffries (hand) has been diagnosed with a fractured right fifth metacarpal and looks set to miss an extended period. A more specific timeline for his return hasn't been announced. Jeffries suffered the injury in Tuesday's preseason game against Miami. The 27-year-old joined the Hornets as a result of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade at the start of the month. He rarely played with the Knicks last season, but Charlotte has given him a decent look in preseason. However, the hand injury has cut Jeffries' preseason short.

New York Knicks center Jericho Sims played only a couple of minutes on Wednesday against Washington because of an ankle injury. The 25-year-old exited the action without registering any stats. With Mitchell Robinson (ankle) sidelined, Sims has an opportunity to carve out a role in the rotation for the beginning of the season. But he will need to stay on the court to make an impression, and unfortunately, that wasn't the case on Wednesday. New York is now off until Sunday, giving Sims some rest time, but it might not be enough, depending on the severity of the injury.

Sacramento Kings shooting guard Malik Monk exited Wednesday's preseason game against Golden State early due to personal reasons. In typical fashion, Monk provided microwave scoring off the bench, notching 13 points in 10 minutes. But he went to the locker room in the second quarter and missed the rest of the contest. League sources have told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee that Monk isn't expected to be away from the team for an extended period. Monk looks set to spend another campaign as the Kings' sixth man. He found a lot of success in the role last season, averaging 15.4 points and 5.1 assists, and will be a good fantasy option for managers again.

Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter (shoulder) has been ruled out ahead of Wednesday's preseason matchup against the Golden State Warriors. Huerter continues to recover from a procedure in April to repair a torn labrum. He has been increasing his involvement in practice, but Huerter has yet to be cleared for 5-on-5 activities. The team hasn't said when Huerter will return, but the hope is that this isn't something that lingers into the regular season. The absence of Huerter should mean more minutes for Keon Ellis and Malik Monk.

Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski and center Kevon Looney will move into the starting five ahead of Wednesday's preseason matchup against the Sacramento Kings. Head coach Steve Kerr is experimenting with his lineups which is never a bad idea during the preseason. He'll replace De'Anthony Melton and Trayce Jackson-Davis with Podziemski and Looney on Wednesday. It doesn't seem that Kerr has decided on a starting unit yet. However, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are locks and Jonathan Kuminga seems to have earned his spot as well. Podziemski posted promising numbers last season and figures to have a significant role whether it's starting or off the bench. The 21-year-old averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists last season.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (personal) is expected to be on the court for Friday's preseason matchup against the Washington Wizards. Barnes missed the preseason opener due to personal reasons, but he has already returned to practice. This will be his first game action since suffering a season-ending hand injury in the beginning of March. The 23-year-old is hopeful to get back to the way he was playing last season. Barnes posted 19.9 points per game, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists which are all career highs for him. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect this hand injury to have lingering effects and Barnes should be ready to go for the season opener.

Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum (wrist) won't be ready for the season opener and is expected to miss a significant amount of time. Exum will require right wrist surgery that is going to sideline him for at least three months. The loss of Exum is certainly a hit to this Mavs bench heading into the regular season. Last year, Exum averaged 7.8 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game across 55 games with Dallas. The 29-year-old put up his best numbers in years and finally looked like he found his groove in Dallas. Now, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaden Hardy will likely be asked to pick up the slack with Exum sidelined to begin the season. Between the two, Dinwiddie figures to be the more attractive fantasy option.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (ankle) was forced to exit early during Monday's preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks. Morant twisted his ankle in the first half, but returned to the contest. However, he re-aggravated the issue in the second half and was forced to exit for the rest of the night. Further testing revealed that Morant has suffered a mild ankle sprain. Head coach Taylor Jenkins says the team plans to proceed with caution. However, Morant is expected to be fine for Opening Night. It's uncertain if Morant will play in Thursday's preseason game, but fantasy managers shouldn't have to worry about his availability heading into the regular season.

The New York Knicks have signed center Moses Brown to an Exhibit 10 deal on Wednesday. The 24-year-old has bounced around quite a bit since his rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2019. In fact, Brown has played with six different organizations since joining the league. Most recently, Brown played 22 games with the Blazers, averaging 3.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in 9.1 minutes per game. The Knicks are fairly loaded in the front court with Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and Precious Achiuwa. It looks like Brown is going to compete for a bench spot, but is unlikely to have fantasy value.

Atlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu (toe) didn't feature in the team's preseason opener against Indiana on Tuesday. The energetic big man underwent a toe procedure in April and appears to be still recovering from it. The Hawks have their next preseason outing scheduled for Monday. Clint Capela will likely be set for a big workload at the start of the regular season if Okongwu isn't ready to play. The team has also added Larry Nance Jr. and Dominick Barlow to the frontcourt this offseason.

Milwaukee Bucks small forward Khris Middleton (ankle) might be available for a pair of games before preseason finishes. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers believes Middleton could be ready for the team's final two preseason games, although he's added that there is "no guarantee" regarding his availability. Milwaukee completes its preseason slate next week against Chicago and Dallas, with the games scheduled for Monday and Thursday. Middleton had surgeries on both ankles in the offseason and hasn't yet participated in full practices during training camp and preseason.

Phoenix Suns shooting guard Damion Lee is reportedly fine following his early exit from Tuesday's preseason game against Detroit. The 31-year-old veteran went to the locker room with three minutes played in the fourth quarter after he was hit in the groin/leg area. However, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports noted after the game that Lee is "all right." Lee missed the only shot he took in the game and grabbed one assist with one steal across five minutes of action before being forced to exit. After averaging over 20 minutes a night last season, Lee will likely find it tough to get meaningful minutes in 2024-25 following the backcourt additions of Tyus Jones and Monte Morris.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Bones Hyland missed Tuesday's preseason clash against Brooklyn with left hip soreness. Hyland could really use a good preseason to boost his stock in Los Angeles, and the hip problem is definitely a setback for him. The 24-year-old did well in the Clippers' preseason opener against Golden State at the weekend, tallying seven points and four rebounds in 13 minutes. Hyland's next chance to play comes on Friday against Portland.

Los Angeles Clippers small forward Derrick Jones Jr. (head) is reportedly okay after getting hurt in Tuesday's preseason clash versus Brooklyn. Jones Jr. was hit to the head in the second quarter, exiting the court while holding a towel to his face. Shortly after the incident, Jones Jr. was ruled out for the rest of the game with a head contusion. However, The Athletic's Law Murray has reported that Jones Jr. is "fine" and there shouldn't be anything to worry about going forward. The eight-year veteran is projected to be a starter for the Clippers this season after inking a three-year, $30 million contract as a free agent in the summer.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Max Strus (hip) was limited to nine minutes in Tuesday's preseason contest against Chicago. He had zero points with two rebounds and one assist before being forced to exit the game due to a right hip contusion. Dean Wade started the second half in Strus' place. Cleveland returns to action on Thursday versus Indiana and might elect to keep Strus out of the lineup as a precaution ahead of the regular season. The 28-year-old sniper missed 12 games last term.

Washington Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon (thumb) underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. He will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks. The 31-year-old was traded to Washington during the offseason after averaging 15.7 points, 5.5 assists, and 41.2% shooting from deep with the Blazers in 2023-24. Unfortunately, he was limited to only 39 games. Without question, Brogdon is a force whenever he's on the floor. However, his injury woes over the years make him a risky fantasy option. That won't change until he proves he can stay healthy.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. (elbow) didn't practice on Tuesday. However, head coach Doc Rivers said the former Raptor might play in Thursday's preseason matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. Even if he doesn't, Rivers added that Trent didn't need an MRI on the hyperextended left elbow he sustained in Sunday's loss to the Pistons and will "be fine." The 25-year-old is coming off a down season, averaging 13.7 points. With that in mind, Trent is capable of starting or coming off the bench, so he'll likely see more than enough minutes on a Milwaukee team that lacks depth, meaning he should have more than a handful of potent fantasy showings this season.

According to Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, guard Lonzo Ball (knee) will suit up at some point during the preseason. He wasn't active for Tuesday's exhibition against the Cavaliers. Yet, Ball's impending return is still much sooner than most anticipated. The 26-year-old hasn't played since January 2022 and has undergone multiple knee surgeries since, including a meniscus transplant. As a result, he'll likely be brought along slowly early in the 2024-25 campaign. However, with Josh Giddey, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu in the picture, there are more questions regarding Ball's role than answers. With that said, he'll likely make appearances with the starting lineup this season. Still, Ball isn't expected to be a consistent fantasy producer.