San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (ankle) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The usually reliable Barnes is set to miss his third straight game due to a lingering ankle issue. His next chance to play will come on Sunday, so fantasy managers should check back later this weekend. In the meantime, Carter Bryant and Julian Champagnie (knee) should see increased roles in the rotation. Champagnie is currently considered questionable with a knee injury, so Bryant could be looking at a bigger role, assuming he sits out as well.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (rest) has been removed from the injury report ahead of Friday's game against the Phoenix Suns. Murray is set to return after sitting out the front end of the back-to-back set for rest purposes. The Pelicans will continue to be cautious with Murray, who recently returned from an Achilles injury. When healthy, Murray has been solid, so fantasy managers should get him active in their lineups on Friday. He finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists across 28 minutes of action during Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He figures to have a similar workload during Friday's contest.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (oblique) isn't quite ready to return yet. According to Noah Levick, Embiid will be shut down and re-evaluated in one week. The Sixers were hopeful that Embiid could potentially return on Saturday, but that won't be the case. He has missed three straight games and eight of the last 10 games. During that span, the Sixers have only won two games, so they desperately need their superstar center back on the court. In the meantime, Andre Drummond and Adem Bona should continue to split up the playing time at center. Between the two big men, Bona has been the more consistent fantasy option while Embiid has been out.

Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe (back) was unable to practice on Friday, according to Noah Levick. Instead, Edgecombe went through an individual workout session following Friday's practice. The rookie guard is in danger of missing a second straight game after suffering a lumbar contusion during Tuesday's contest. The Sixers are likely going to wait and see how Edgecombe feels on Saturday before deciding if he'll suit up against the Atlanta Hawks. If he's unavailable, Quentin Grimes and Cameron Payne are expected to help fill the void. Between the two, Grimes is the better streaming choice after dropping 16 points with five rebounds during Wednesday's game.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (Achilles) is officially making his season debut against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. Tatum is off the injury report and will return to the court after missing 10 months of action. Tatum had surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon in May of last year. He has made incredible progress to get back on the court this quickly. Given the circumstances, the Celtics are likely going to be extremely cautious with Tatum. He probably won't handle a full workload until closer to the postseason. Despite the limitations, Tatum should still be worth rostering in basically all fantasy formats. The superstar forward should still be able to make a solid contribution even with a monitored workload.

Nuggets' C Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 28 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds in a 120-113 win over the Lakers on Thursday, Mar. 5.

Bulls' G Collin Sexton scored 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting in a 105-103 win over Phoenix on Thursday, Mar. 5. Sexton is owned in only 35.3% leagues.

Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac (ankle) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Before Wednesday's loss to the Clippers, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters that Zubac would definitely play this season. However, his Pacers debut won't happen on Friday night. The Croatian big man has been on the shelf since Feb. 2 due to a left ankle sprain. Jay Huff and Micah Potter will continue to do the heavy lifting at the No. 5 spot until Zubac is ready to play.

Charlotte Hornets forward/center Grant Williams (knee) will rejoin the lineup on Friday against the Miami Heat. He hasn't been listed on the injury report after sitting out the second leg of a back-to-back on Wednesday against Boston. Williams has contributed 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 19.9 minutes per game since recovering from a bad knee injury and making his season debut on Jan. 10. On Friday, Williams might be slightly more productive on the offensive end, as Miami allows the sixth-most bench points in the Association.

Indiana Pacers guard/forward Aaron Nesmith (ankle, back) is listed as probable for Friday's meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 26-year-old is a bit banged up, dealing with ankle and lower back injuries, but he is expected to make a second straight appearance. Nesmith ended a five-game absence on Wednesday against the Clippers but clearly wasn't himself, notching two points, three rebounds, and two assists with 1-for-8 shooting. Indiana limited Nesmith to 20 minutes on Wednesday night and may continue to monitor his minutes against the Lakers.

New Orleans Pelicans guard/forward Trey Murphy III (neck) will make a third consecutive appearance on Thursday against the Sacramento Kings. He was listed as questionable on the initial injury report due to neck spasms. The team upgraded Murphy III to probable earlier in the day, and he has now been officially cleared to play. Even with the Pelicans struggling, Murphy III has had a fantastic campaign. He is averaging career-high numbers in several categories, posting 22.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The Kings are horrible defensively, giving Murphy III a chance to do something special on Thursday night.

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (back, neck) is considered probable for Friday's contest against the Los Angeles Lakers. The 26-year-old is dealing with soreness in his lower back and neck area, but the probable designation indicates that Nembhard is expected to make a second consecutive appearance. However, Nembhard's ongoing health issues appeared to impact him during Wednesday's game against the Clippers, where he managed only five points on 1-for-5 shooting. It was a major disappointment for fantasy managers who had seen Nembhard produce at least 20 points in each of his previous three games.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (ankle) will suit up on Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings. Williamson played through an ankle injury on Tuesday against the Lakers and has been cleared for Thursday's game despite being listed as questionable on the initial injury report. While Williamson isn't at 100 percent, he managed 24 points, four rebounds, and one steal in 33 minutes against the Lakers. On Thursday, Williamson has an easier matchup and may also have more of the ball with Dejounte Murray (Achilles) out of the lineup.

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (wrist) is probable for Friday's matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. He looks to be on track to make a second consecutive appearance after shaking off a wrist injury. Siakam returned from a three-game absence on Wednesday with a 29-point effort in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. While health issues have limited Siakam's involvement in recent weeks, he has been brilliant when available, averaging 29.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists over his last three outings.

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (elbow) will remain sidelined for at least a couple more weeks. On Thursday, the team announced that Morant continues to experience discomfort in his left elbow due to a UCL sprain, and follow-up imaging showed incomplete healing. Morant has been out since Jan. 21, playing in only 20 games this season. In Morant's absence, Memphis will continue to rely on Ty Jerome (calf), Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), and Cam Spencer to handle playmaking duties, though Jerome and Pippen Jr. are both managing injuries of their own.

Chicago Bulls guard Collin Sexton and forward Leonard Miller will join the first unit for Thursday's tilt against the Phoenix Suns. The two will replace Josh Giddey (ankle) and Matas Buzelis (ankle), respectively. While Sexton has plenty of prior experience as a starter, Miller will make his first career start. He has earned the opportunity by averaging 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 steals off the bench across the last three games. Tre Jones, Isaac Okoro, and Guerschon Yabusele are also in the starting lineup against the Suns.

Phoenix Suns center Oso Ighodaro has been named a starter for Thursday's matchup with the Chicago Bulls. He will replace Mark Williams (foot) in the first unit. Williams has been ruled out for 2-3 weeks, meaning this should be the first of several consecutive starts for Ighodaro. In his previous seven starts this season, Ighodaro has averaged 6.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 23.8 minutes. However, earlier this week, Ighodaro demonstrated he is capable of much more by contributing to a 114-103 victory over Sacramento with a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double.

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (ankle) has been removed from the injury report ahead of Friday's game against the Denver Nuggets. The seven-footer has been rested regularly during back-to-back sets, and that was the case again when the Knicks hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. Robinson's return will bump Ariel Hukporti down in the depth chart. On Friday night, Robinson will play a crucial role in the Knicks' effort to contain Nikola Jokic. The 27-year-old has averaged 5.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks across his last six outings.

Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (ankle) won't play on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports. There was hope that Johnson's absence due to an ankle injury would be limited to one game after the team listed him as questionable on the initial injury report. Johnson's next opportunity to return will be Friday night against the New York Knicks. With Johnson out on Monday against Utah, Denver experimented with Jonas Valanciunas in the starting lineup next to Nikola Jokic. Meanwhile, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown both saw 30-plus minutes off the bench. The two will probably continue to have a heavier workload on Thursday night.

New York Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart (back) is listed as questionable for a meeting with the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. The versatile veteran suffered a back contusion in Wednesday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. This doesn't seem to be a significant enough issue to keep Hart off the court. However, if he misses time, New York will look for more production from Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet. Jordan Clarkson might also rejoin the rotation.