Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter (knee) won't play on Friday versus the Brooklyn Nets. The 27-year-old is battling a knee contusion. Although he's moving in the right direction, he'll now miss his second contest of the 2025 campaign. Hunter was reportedly "moving around pretty well" at practice on Thursday. However, it's anyone's guess if he'll be able to get on the floor when the Cavs meet the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. With Darius Garland (toe) and Max Strus (foot) also sidelined, Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson are the favorites to move into the starting lineup. Merrill had 19 points versus the Knicks on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, Tyson wasn't nearly as productive, amassing only five points.

New York Knicks forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns (quadriceps) will play on Friday versus the Boston Celtics. KAT popped up on the injury report because of a nagging quad strain heading into this contest, just like he did leading up to the Knicks opener versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. Fortunately, he's good to go. New York will also have OG Anunoby (ankle) and Josh Hart (back), which is excellent news. Towns had a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double in 31 minutes of action against the Cavs, so it's apparent the ailment isn't impacting his play. Keep him starting in all formats.

Atlanta Hawks center Kristaps Porzingis (illness) won't play on Friday versus the Orlando Magic. The veteran had 20 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in the loss to the Raptors on Wednesday night. Unfortunately, he isn't feeling well, developing Flu-like symptoms. It's unknown if he'll be good to go when the Hawks meet OKC on Saturday night in the second of back-to-back contests for Atlanta. However, while Porzingis is sidelined, Onyeka Okongwu, coming off an 18-point, six-rebound effort on Wednesday, is the favorite to slide into the starting lineup.

Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Vince Williams Jr. (heel) will miss Friday's matchup with the Heat as he continues to recover. Williams also missed the team's opening day 128-122 win over the Pelicans. The former second-round pick averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in just 18.5 minutes per game last season. Williams will likely operate this season as a glue-guy off the bench who is capable of chipping in rebounds and assists despite shooting just 40.1% from the field last season. Williams can be left on waivers throughout the early portion of the season, until we see if his role grows throughout the season.

Houston Rockets forward Jae'Sean Tate (ankle) is questionable to return on Friday after missing opening night. Tate played a limited role last season, averaging just 11.3 minutes per game with 3.6 points, and 2.3 rebounds. While he won't likely see a heavy minute share, Tate could provide valuable depth in the absence of Dorian Finney-Smith on Friday. The Rockets dropped their double overtime opener to the Thunder, and will look to bounce back against the Pistons on Friday. Tate should be monitored closely, but will need to garner an increased minute load to be rostered in most fantasy formats.

Detroit Pistons guard/forward Caris LeVert (knee) is listed as probable for Friday's contest against the Houston Rockets. LeVert is carrying a sore right knee and was also considered probable for Wednesday's season opener against the Chicago Bulls. In the end, he was cleared for the game, and LeVert logged 21 minutes off the bench, scoring eight points. While it seems likely that LeVert will remain in the lineup for Friday's contest, he doesn't look like a strong fantasy option at this time. Ronald Holland II led Detroit's second unit on Wednesday, and Isaiah Stewart also received more playing time than LeVert.

Orlando Magic forward/center Moritz Wagner (knee) will remain on the shelf on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks. The German big man still isn't ready to return from an ACL injury he suffered last season. Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze will share the center minutes until Wagner returns. Both players offered similar production in a 125-121 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday. However, Carter Jr. has more fantasy appeal, as he's locked into a starting role. With that said, he was mediocre last season against the Hawks, averaging 8.5 points and 7.3 rebounds in 26.3 minutes.

Boston Celtics center Luka Garza (concussion) has been ruled out for Friday's tilt against the New York Knicks. He exited Wednesday's season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers with a head injury and has entered concussion protocol. Garza is simply a depth piece for the Celtics and likely won't offer much from a fantasy perspective this season. However, with him sidelined, the rest of the frontcourt will have a chance to see a few extra minutes on the floor. Neemias Queta has begun the campaign as Boston's starting center, while Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman will share the backup minutes on Friday night.

Toronto Raptors guard/forward Ja'Kobe Walter (illness) has been tagged as questionable for Friday's matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. The 21-year-old may have to skip a second consecutive game due to illness. Walter enjoyed a decent debut season with the Raptors, but his role this year is expected to change now that the team is fully healthy. In his absence, Ochai Agbaji and Gradey Dick will receive additional playing time. Both players logged 20-plus minutes in Wednesday's season opener against the Atlanta Hawks, with Dick delivering an impressive performance, scoring 21 points and grabbing five rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (ankle) is considered questionable for Friday's contest against the Washington Wizards. The 27-year-old was unavailable on opening night against the San Antonio Spurs due to a right ankle sprain and may now have to sit out a second consecutive game. Dereck Lively II has the potential to make a bigger impact without Gafford in the lineup. However, he had a quiet season debut on Wednesday night, finishing with just four points and two rebounds in 10 minutes of play. If Gafford remains sidelined on Friday, Dwight Powell will have an opportunity for increased playing time as well.

San Antonio Spurs point guard De'Aaron Fox (hamstring) will remain out for Friday's matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. The star guard continues to deal with a right hamstring strain. Fox's next opportunity to return will come on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets. With Fox sidelined, Julian Champagnie got an opportunity to start on opening night against Dallas. He didn't do much in a blowout win, finishing with five points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper receive more usage in the backcourt without Fox, and both players look like good fantasy options.

San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (wrist) will remain out on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans. The 22-year-old sustained a wrist injury leading up to the season and must wait until Sunday's matchup against the Brooklyn Nets to make his debut this campaign. Harrison Barnes, Julian Champagnie, and Keldon Johnson look more attractive fantasy options without Sochan. During San Antonio's season-opening win on Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks, Johnson performed the best out of the three players, notching 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 25 minutes off the bench.

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (ankle) is considered questionable to play on Friday versus the Miami Heat. The oft-injured guard is currently on the injury report with left ankle soreness. Morant kicked off the new campaign in style, producing 35 points in just 29 minutes against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. Ty Jerome (calf) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe) remain out against Miami, meaning the Memphis backcourt must rely on the untested duo of Javon Small and Cam Spencer if Morant can't play. Of the two players, Spencer had the better opening-night performance, finishing with seven points and two assists in 12 minutes.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (ankle) has been listed as questionable for their Friday night matchup with the Miami Heat. In their opening night win, Caldwell-Pope received the most minutes in the starting five and registered 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three turnovers while shooting 2-for-8 from the floor, 2-for-7 from deep, and 9-for-9 from the free throw line. If the 13-year vet can't suit up for this one, his minutes will likely be distributed over a wide variety of bench players. Nine players received 15 or more minutes in the first game, but fantasy managers could look to Santi Aldama to likely receive the biggest bump in opportunities.

Miami Heat center/forward Kel'el Ware (ankle) is listed as available for Friday's matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies despite dealing with an ankle sprain. The second-year big man didn't see too many minutes in their season opener as he fell behind Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Simone Fontecchio in the rotation. Ware showed some decent flashes during his rookie season, but head coach Erik Spoelstra has been vocal about the improvements he wants to see out of him. The former 15th-overall pick isn't much of a fantasy option outside of deeper leagues until he can receive more minutes on a nightly basis.

New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (ankle) is likely to play again on Friday against the Boston Celtics. He's still listed on the injury report with a left ankle sprain, but has picked up a probable tag. The 28-year-old had the same injury status heading into their season opener and played 38 minutes in the win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Anunoby went on to post 24 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, three steals, and one block. He's a great start in any fantasy format if he's on the floor, especially if Josh Hart (back) or Karl-Anthony Towns (quad) are downgraded from questionable. If something happens and he doesn't suit up, look for Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to get some added minutes off of the bench.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (toe) has been ruled out for Friday's contest against the Brooklyn Nets. The dynamic combo guard is still recovering from toe surgery during the offseason, but his return is on the horizon. While he remains sidelined, Lonzo Ball will see some more minutes off of the bench while Jaylon Tyson stays in the starting five. The lineup could be a bit different, however, if De'Andre Hunter (knee) is upgraded from questionable. Ball and Hunter would be the top two options for fantasy managers looking for early streamers.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (toe) is back on the injury report, but he should still be in the lineup on Friday. He's listed as probable while dealing with a toe sprain on his left foot. Over the last few seasons, Antetokounmpo's appearance on the injury report has been a common theme. Most of the time, he's listed as probable and goes to play as normal. If there's some sort of setback, however, Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis would likely see a boost in minutes. Kuzma would be the best option for managers looking for some scoring and rebounding as he'd probably move into the starting five in this scenario.

Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (ankle) has drawn a questionable tag ahead of Friday's matchup with the Orlando Magic. The former number-one pick was able to play in the team's season opener and registered 16 points, two rebounds, and one block across 21 minutes. Since then, he appeared on the injury report with a right ankle sprain. If he's forced to miss this contest, Nickeil Alexander-Walker or Luke Kennard could move up into the starting five, but both of them should see enough minutes to be streaming options in deeper leagues. Alexander-Walker would be the better option for managers looking for some added defensive numbers.

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (shoulder) was forced to exit Thursday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second quarter due to left shoulder soreness. While defending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nembhard got his arm tied up and bent a bit further than it should have. Before leaving, Nembhard posted four points, four assists, one rebound, and two turnovers while shooting 0-for-5 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. After leaving, Bennedict Mathurin and Ben Sheppard received the most opportunities. If Nembhard has to miss any more time, these two would be the top adds in the meantime.