Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (ankle) won't play in Thursday's contest versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. Middleton sprained his left ankle after landing on Kevin Durant's foot on a three-point attempt early in Tuesday's loss to the Phoenix Suns, limiting him to eight minutes of play, and The Athletic's Eric Nehm reported that Middleton left the arena in a walking boot and crutches. The Bucks host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday for the second outing of a four-game homestand, so the 32-year-old three-time All-Star is facing a short turnaround if he wants to suit up by then. Three-and-D wing Jae Crowder (ankle) is expected to play and is a likely candidate to fill Middleton's role in Milwaukee's starting five, putting him in play in DFS, but the matchup against a Minnesota squad allowing the fewest points per game (107.1) couldn't be any worse.

Toronto Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. (back) is considered probable for Wednesday's matchup against Charlotte. Trent Jr. couldn't complete Monday's contest against New Orleans due to a back issue, settling for only 15 minutes of action, but it looks like he will be good to go for Wednesday. It's a great matchup for the Raptors players against a team ranked 30th in defensive efficiency. Gradey Dick started the second half on Monday and finally found some rhythm with a 22-point effort. However, RJ Barrett was rested versus the Pelicans, and his return on Wednesday will have a negative impact on everybody's usage.

Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (personal) won't play on Tuesday against Phoenix. The veteran has been dealing with a personal matter, keeping him off the floor for the last two games. His next chance to suit up will be Thursday versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, until Lopez is back in the lineup, Bobby Portis, coming off a 27-point, seven-rebound, three-steal performance on Sunday against Utah, will be a popular DFS option.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (ankle) won't play on Tuesday evening in Phoenix. Lillard is dealing with a left ankle sprain. He was listed on the injury report ahead of Sunday's meeting with Utah but ended up playing. However, the 33-year-old struggled, scoring 12 points and shooting 5-for-18 from the field and 1-for-8 from deep. Hopefully, a night off will do the former Trail Blazer some good and enable him to get back on the floor for Thursday's showdown with the Minnesota Timberwolves. But in the meantime, Cameron Payne, averaging 10.5 points in two starts this year, will likely take over for Lillard in the lineup. Of course, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton active, both men should handle most of the work on the scoring end.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) is available for Tuesday's game in Phoenix. The multi-time MVP made another appearance on the injury report heading into this one. However, that's not uncommon. He was also listed as probable, so he wasn't in real danger of missing the showdown versus Kevin Durant and the Suns. Antetokounmpo has played as well as expected throughout the 2023-24 campaign, averaging a career-high 31.3 points with 11.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks. Of course, he continues to struggle from behind the arc, draining just 25.6% of his tries. Still, he's a must-start in any fantasy format, although that's not news to anyone.