Golden State Warriors

Philadelphia 76ers guard De'Anthony Melton (back) won't play in Friday's Atlantic Division showdown versus the New York Knicks. After logging no activity in practice on Thursday, Melton will miss his second night in a row due to lumbar spine soreness. Philadelphia takes on the visiting Utah Jazz on Saturday, marking the 23-year-old glue guy and lockdown defender's next possible return date. Kelly Oubre Jr. is the most likely candidate to draw the start for the Sixers on Friday, and he's averaging 13.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 three-pointers, and 1.3 steals in 12 games with the first unit during his first year in Philly.

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse says guard De'Anthony Melton (back) missed Thursday's practice. Teammates Furkan Korkmaz (illness) and Robert Covington (knee) were also unavailable, but Melton, who is nursing lumbar spine soreness, is certainly the most important name for fantasy purposes. It puts Melton on the wrong side of questionable for Friday versus the visiting New York Knicks, with a short turnaround looming on Saturday when the Sixers host the Utah Jazz. The 23-year-old three-and-D player is far more useful in category leagues, logging 12.1 points, 3.2 assists, 2.1 three-pointers, and 1.7 steals per game, and he is integral to Philly's perimeter defense. If Melton can't play on Friday, Kelly Oubre Jr. would figure to share the starting backcourt alongside Tyrese Maxey as he did on Tuesday.

Golden State Warriors forward/center Draymond Green, who has been on an indefinite league suspension since Dec. 13, is expected to return to the team's facility in the coming days to start ramping up to resume play again. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski last reported on Dec. 26 that Green's ban could cover a range of 11 and 13 games. The 33-year-old four-time All-Star could return at some point during Golden State's current seven-game homestand, which will last until Jan. 10, and his ability to stuff the stat sheet on any given night despite a high turnover rate means he should probably not be floating around fantasy waiver wires. Green's absence has allowed Trayce Jackson-Davis to enter head coach Steve Kerr's rotation and Jonathan Kuminga to be a solid points-league streamer, but it's worth noting that Chris Paul is averaging 29.7 minutes without Green as opposed to 24.5 with him.

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II is expected to miss several weeks with a left hamstring strain. He has just returned from missing a month with a calf injury, and Payton II, unfortunately, lands back on the shelf after playing only a total of 20 minutes in two games. The 31-year-old has been limited to 16 appearances overall this season. Payton II's injury problems have helped rookie Brandin Podziemski nail down a regular spot in the rotation. He's logged at least 28 minutes in six consecutive games and will look to post a seventh consecutive game with double-digit points on Thursday versus Denver.

Philadelphia 76ers guard De'Anthony Melton (back) has been ruled out ahead of Tuesday's game against the Chicago Bulls. The Sixers are going to take the cautious approach here with Melton dealing with back soreness. They don't want to push him and make the issue worse, so hopefully a day of rest will be enough for him. In the meantime, Patrick Beverley is expected to move into the starting five. Beverley has put together some big games with the Sixers, but is normally not consistent enough to trust.