Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (personal) is cleared to return to action for Sunday's preseason matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. Monk is back in the mix after missing one game due to personal reasons. It's unclear whether or not Monk is going to be in the starting five to begin the season. Right now, it seems likely that Keon Ellis is the starting shooting guard with Kevin Huerter and Monk being the primary backup guards. Monk averaged 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists across 26.0 minutes per game in 72 games last season. Monk has enough shooting upside to give him late-round fantasy value.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (shoulder) won't suit up for Sunday's preseason matchup against the New York Knicks. It would be nice to see Randle get into action against his former team, but it won't happen here. Randle is still recovering from surgery on his shoulder from January. His timetable remains unclear, but the hope is that Randle is ready to go by the beginning of the regular season. In the meantime, Naz Reid will see a boost in fantasy value. Reid is expected to come off the bench this season, but proven himself to be a viable option in that role.

Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter (shoulder) has been ruled out for the upcoming preseason contest against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. Huerter continues to work his way back from a season-ending shoulder injury. The good news is that he was cleared for full-contact activity on Friday. However, the Kings are going to continue easing him back into action. It's unclear if Huerter is going to play at all during the preseason. The organization is hopeful he'll be ready for Opening Night. Otherwise, Keon Ellis figures to start at shooting guard, which would give him increased fantasy value. When healthy, Huerter appears to be a better fantasy option than Ellis due to his ability to shoot from distance.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) won't play in any of the remaining preseason contests. The superstar big man was evaluated by doctors on Thursday. It sounds like Embiid is making good progress, but the team is going to play it safe and hold him out of all preseason action. Embiid has been an elite fantasy option throughout the years, but the biggest problem has been keeping him on the court. It sounds like the team is prioritizing keeping Embiid healthy for the playoffs, which could mean plenty of maintenance days during the season. Despite that, the 2023 MVP is an elite fantasy option even if he only plays around 60 games. While he's out, Andre Drummond will likely see more run in the rotation.

New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (illness) is available ahead of Sunday's preseason matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This is good news after McBride sat out of Wednesday's exhibition contest due to a minor illness. His return should mean less playing time for Tyler Kolek on Sunday. McBride averaged 8.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists across 19.5 minutes per game in 68 games last season for the Knicks. He figures to have a similar role in the rotation this season which should provide deep league value.

Charlotte Hornets forward Mark Williams (foot) is no longer in a walking boot. The 2022 No. 15 overall pick suffered a strained tendon in his left foot during a workout and missed training camp. He will continue to rehab and will be re-evaluated before the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign. Williams was nearly a double-double producer last season. However, he appeared in only 19 games before a season-ending back injury put him on the shelf. While Williams has talent, his inability to stay healthy will continue to compromise his fantasy stock moving ahead. With that in mind, Nick Richards, averaging 10.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 51 starts last season, will hold things down in the middle until Williams can get back on the floor.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler intends "to play as many games as possible" this season. "I don't need to put a number on the amount of games that I play," said Butler after Saturday's practice. "I know the more games that I play, the more opportunities that my squad has of winning. I do know that." There's no question Butler is one of the most talented players in the National Basketball Association. However, he's struggled to stay healthy, logging 65 games or fewer each season since 2016-17, his last with the Bulls. It's important to note the veteran is looking for a new contract, which may give him plenty of incentive to stay on the floor this season. But if he can remain healthy, Butler is at least a top-25 fantasy option.

Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter (shoulder) was cleared for full-contact work. The 26-year-old had the best season of his career in 2022-23, his first in Sacramento, averaging 15.2 points and shooting 40.2% from deep. However, he averaged only 10.2 points in 2023-24 and sustained a season-ending shoulder injury, resulting in a procedure in April. Huerter still has a chance of overtaking Keon Ellis for the starting job at the two spot. Still, it will be tough for him to be a consistent fantasy producer, regardless of his role, considering the Kings have De'Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis as the primary scoring options. At any rate, Huerter has a few more hurdles to clear, although he should be ready to play soon.

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.