Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) will miss a seventh consecutive game on Wednesday against the Raptors. Health issues have limited Ball to just seven games since Nov. 26, and he currently doesn't have a timeline for a return. Ish Smith is looking at a third straight start without Ball on Wednesday. The veteran hasn't been very productive with the extended minutes. Ball's injury and Terry Rozier's trade to Miami have had the biggest impact on Brandon Miller's performances, as the second pick from last year's draft has scored 20-plus points in nine of his last 11 appearances. Miller has even boosted his scoring average to 32.0 points in three games this month.

Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (back) will not play in Monday's game versus the Los Angeles Lakers. There just doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel here, with Williams now being absent for a 29th consecutive game. Until the Hornets provide an update on the 22-year-old interior presence's recovery from a lower back contusion, he should be deemed doubtful ahead of each tilt. Charlotte next hosts the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. In the meantime, Nick Richards will continue to man the middle for head coach Steve Clifford. A strong source of boards, swats, and field-goal percentage, Richards is providing 13.7 points on 72.5% field-goal shooting, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 30.8 minutes per game since Jan. 24.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) will once again miss Monday's tilt versus the Los Angeles Lakers. The 10-38 Hornets are clearly in no rush to bring back their franchise centerpiece, considering they continue to rule him out well in advance of tip-offs. Ball's next shot to return comes on Wednesday when Charlotte hosts the Toronto Raptors, but since it's unclear if the All-Star point guard is even practicing at this point, we wouldn't hold our breath on that happening. With Melo on the shelf and Terry Rozier recently shipped to the Heat, Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges have operated as the engines on offense. The Lakers have struggled to defend opposing forwards this year, so both Miller and Bridges feature plenty of DFS appeal if this contest stays close.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) won't play on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers. He'll now miss his fifth consecutive contest and 26th game of the year. Like the 2022-23 campaign, Ball remains plagued by routine injuries this season. Although he's a capable producer, his inability to stay healthy is a significant issue for fantasy managers, and it doesn't appear it will improve anytime soon. That said, with Gordon Hayward (calf) still sidelined, the door is open for Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges to lead the way offensively. However, Bryce McGowens, coming off a 15-point, four-steal performance versus OKC, is worth considering for streaming purposes.

Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (back) is still out for Friday's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Williams continues to sit out as part of his lengthy recovery from a lower back injury, having not been spotted on the floor since Dec. 8. It's been a frustratingly long layoff for fantasy managers, and even though Williams should be deemed doubtful at best to return on Sunday when the 10-36 Hornets host the Indiana Pacers, we would recommend continuing to hang onto the second-year big man in all fantasy leagues for his upside to rack up blocks and rebounds when healthy. Nick Richards will remain Charlotte's starting center and a solid fantasy option in the meantime, and across his latest five games, he's averaging a strong 15.2 points on 75.0% shooting from the floor, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks.