According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George was issued a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy. The multi-time All-Star has accepted full responsibility, stating "he made the mistake of taking an improper medication" due to mental health issues. George has averaged 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals throughout the campaign. He's also missed 20 games, mostly to recover from offseason surgery on his left knee. The 35-year-old isn't as productive as he once was, although he is still a reliable fantasy performer. With that said, the time away may actually benefit him, considering he will now have more time to rest any lingering injuries. While George is off the floor, VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid should all get additional offensive opportunities. The same can be said for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Quentin Grimes, who will presumably receive even more minutes moving ahead.

Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (rest) is unlikely to play Saturday against Miami as Chicago manages the veteran big man on the front end of a back-to-back. His expected absence keeps the frontcourt offense flowing through Matas Buzelis, who has consistently handled a sizable workload. Buzelis has averaged 14.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, making him a steady fantasy option. Jalen Smith's (calf) questionable status could further stabilize Buzelis' role, while Patrick Williams is expected to see extra run but carries a low floor.

Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (hamstring) will not play Saturday against Miami as he continues to work through a multi-week absence, with a return still not imminent. His continued absence keeps backcourt minutes concentrated elsewhere, boosting Ayo Dosunmu's fantasy profile. Dosunmu has responded with an expanded run, averaging 20.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists across his last three games, including a 23-point outing Thursday. Kevin Huerter also remains in play as a deeper-league streamer after logging 33 minutes against Miami. Standard-league managers can wait on Jones until he's fully back in the mix.

Miami Heat guard/forward Norman Powell (personal) will not play Saturday against Chicago and remains uncertain for Sunday's rematch, leaving Miami short-handed again. Powell's absence opens short-term fantasy value elsewhere, especially for Jaime Jaquez Jr., who has logged at least 28 minutes in four of his last five games and posted 19 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in his most recent outing. Bam Adebayo should continue to shoulder a heavy offensive load, while Andrew Wiggins sees steadier usage. Jaquez Jr. profiles as a strong streamer if Powell remains sidelined.

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (ribs) will not play Saturday against Chicago, extending his absence to nine straight games. He has continued to be ruled out well ahead of tipoff, a pattern that points to a week-to-week situation and makes him doubtful for Sunday's rematch. Herro's continued absence, paired with Norman Powell (personal) being out and Davion Mitchell (shoulder) trending doubtful, keeps Miami's rotation thin. Jaime Jaquez Jr. has responded with expanded minutes and delivered 19 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists on Friday. Pelle Larsson and Dru Smith remain viable deep-league streamers handling secondary playmaking duties.

San Antonio Spurs forward/center Jeremy Sochan (quad) will miss Saturday's game in Charlotte, extending his absence to three straight contests with left quad soreness, with Sunday against Orlando up next. The development carries minimal fantasy relevance, as Sochan has struggled to secure a steady role in a deep rotation. He has often logged single-digit minutes or been a healthy scratch, limiting his category impact. Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie remain locked into forward minutes, while Keldon Johnson continues to anchor the second unit. Sochan can be left on waiver wires outside of very deep formats.

Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (ankle) exited Friday's loss to Brooklyn late in the fourth quarter after turning his left ankle and did not return, though postgame imaging was clean. He still led Utah with 26 points, seven assists, three rebounds, one block, and 32 minutes, underscoring how much offense runs through him. George's strong play this season means any absence would leave a significant usage gap. Isaiah Collier would be the primary beneficiary after averaging 11.3 points and 7.3 assists over his last three games, with rookie Walter Clayton Jr. potentially picking up a few extra minutes.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (knee) did not return Friday against Detroit after dealing with right knee soreness, wrapping up the night with 23 points, two assists, one rebound, one block, and 25 minutes before heading to the locker room in the third quarter. Curry was noticeably limited before his exit and should be viewed as questionable for Tuesday against Philadelphia. De'Anthony Melton has already been operating with an expanded role following Jimmy Butler's (knee) season-ending absence and continued to deliver with 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists. If Curry misses additional time, Melton's usage and minutes could climb further, while Pat Spencer, Brandin Podziemski, and Will Richard would see modest bumps in deeper fantasy formats.

Lakers' G Luka Doncic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 37 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in a 142-111 win over Washington on Friday, Jan. 30.

Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham (hip) will play on Friday night against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, ESPN's Anthony Slater reports. Detroit's leading man was a slight doubt for the game due to a sore right hip, but he has been cleared for action and will start the contest. After some disappointing outings earlier this month, Cunningham has been back to his best in recent games. He has averaged 25.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, and 2.0 steals over the last three contests.

Detroit Pistons guard/forward Caris LeVert (illness) will miss a sixth consecutive game on Friday against the Golden State Warriors. The veteran is having trouble shaking off an illness and was listed as doubtful on the initial injury report. In LeVert's absence, Daniss Jenkin has held a regular role in the rotation. However, his performances as a reserve have been up and down. LeVert's next chance to return will come on Sunday against his first NBA team, the Brooklyn Nets.

Golden State Warriors forward Gui Santos (calf) has been cleared for action and will play on Friday against the Detroit Pistons. The team has upgraded Santos from probable to available ahead of tip-off. Santos is coming off a season-best 16-point performance against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. On Friday, he will go up against a much better team and a tighter defense, making it difficult for Santos to replicate his performance.

Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (calf) will be active against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. Valanciunas put in a 25-minute shift in Thursday's win over Brooklyn and is ready to play for a second consecutive night after initially being listed as probable. Nikola Jokic's (knee) return will push Valanciunas to the bench, and he will have a tough time making fantasy contributions going forward. As a reserve, Valanciunas has been limited to 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (knee) has been officially listed as available for Friday's contest against the Los Angeles Clippers. The three-time MVP is ready to make his first appearance of 2026 after recovering from a left knee bone bruise. Jokic had a monster game with 55 points and 14 rebounds in his previous meeting with the Clippers. Nuggets head coach Rick Adelman has confirmed that Jokic will have a minutes limit on Friday. Even so, the Serbian superstar doesn't need to see a lot of action to fill the box score.

Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray (hamstring, hip) will play in Friday's tilt against the Los Angeles Clippers. The team has upgraded his status from probable to available. Murray has been hot recently and tallied 27 points with six assists in Thursday's win over Brooklyn. With Nikola Jokic (knee) back in the lineup, Murray's offensive usage will drop, but he will remain a key cog in the Nuggets' offense.

Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (illness) will return from a one-game absence on Friday against the Sacramento Kings. The Portuguese big man couldn't play on Wednesday against Atlanta due to illness. Amari Williams and Luka Garza shared the center minutes in Queta's absence. With Williams back in the G League, Queta looks set to resume his regular duties as Boston's starting center. The 26-year-old has averaged 10.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 24.9 minutes this season. Queta has a good opportunity to shine on Friday, as Sacramento won't have Domantas Sabonis (knee) in the lineup. Additionally, the Kings give up the second-most fantasy points to centers.

New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (ankle) will be absent for a second consecutive game on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers, Steve Popper of Newsday reports. This was expected after McBride was downgraded to doubtful on the injury report earlier in the day. McBride's absence will secure expanded roles for Landry Shamet and Tyler Kolek, but neither player has provided consistent fantasy value. Still, Kolek impressed with his playmaking on Wednesday against Toronto, delivering 10 assists.

Washington Wizards guard/forward Tre Johnson (ankle) won't play on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers. He sprained his left ankle during Thursday's win over Milwaukee and will sit out at least one game due to the injury. On Thursday, Bub Carrington started the second half in Johnson's absence and figures to have a larger role again in Friday's game. Malaki Branham could also be more involved in the rotation, especially with Khris Middleton (knee) also absent against the Lakers.

New York Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart (ankle) will play against his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, on Friday night, Steve Popper of Newsday reports. He was initially uncertain for the contest due to ankle soreness, but the team has officially listed him as available. Hart's offensive production tends to be inconsistent, but he's done a solid job overall for the Knicks. Across eight January appearances, Hart has averaged 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.0 steals. Among these games is an 18-point outing against Portland that occurred three weeks ago.

Washington Wizards forward Khris Middleton (knee) won't play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Washington will be in action for a second consecutive night, and it's not surprising that Middleton will be held out of Friday's contest due to his right knee injury. With Middleton out, Will Riley could see an expanded role against the Lakers, though the 19-year-old hasn't been a very productive player during his rookie campaign. Justin Champagnie and Bub Carrington may get a chance to step up offensively without Middleton.