Chicago Bulls DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (illness) is questionable for Friday's matchup versus the Hornets. The veteran hasn't missed a game all year. He's also played extremely well, averaging 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 47.4% shooting from behind the arc. But if the illness keeps Vucevic off the floor, Jalen Smith could find himself in the starting lineup. But even if Smith doesn't start, he should see enough minutes to justify his presence in fantasy lineups.

Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball is set to play a larger part in the rotation going forward. Per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has said that Ball's minutes restriction has been elevated to 20 minutes. After missing 33 months because of a knee injury, Ball has been on a 16-18-minute limit this season. He has already reached the 20-minute mark a couple of times in recent games. The versatile guard has averaged 16.8 minutes during his comeback campaign, recording 4.9 points, 2.4. rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals. Ball's numbers will likely get a slight boost with the increased playing time, but his fantasy value will still be limited.

San Antonio Spurs forward/center Zach Collins will re-enter the starting lineup on Friday against Sacramento. He will replace Jeremy Sochan, who filled in for Victor Wembanyama (back) on Thursday. Sochan has just returned from injury, and it looks like the team wants to manage his load after he had a 36-minute outing Thursday night against Chicago. He should still play a significant role in Friday's game. Collins has averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in three previous starts this season. He faces a tough matchup against Domantas Sabonis on Friday, which might limit Collins' offensive contributions.

Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (foot) is active ahead of Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers. Giddey appears ready to play after being a late addition to the injury report due to right foot soreness. Giddey was quiet on Wednesday, but finished with a triple-double during Monday's contest. The 22-year-old is averaging 11.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.7 assists across 27 minutes this season. Fantasy managers can go ahead and get Giddey active in their lineups on Friday.

Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (ankle) is available ahead of Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers. White is back in the mix after missing each of the last two games due to a sprained ankle. The expectation is that he'll have his normal workload given the team said nothing about him being limited. The return of White will probably mean less playing time for Ayo Dosunmu and Dalen Terry in the rotation. Fantasy managers can safely get White back in their lineups ahead of tip-off on Friday.