Golden State Warriors center Dario Saric (illness) is out for Friday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Saric is dealing with a general illness and will hope to feel better for the second night of Golden State's back-to-back set on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks. The 29-year-old Croatian big man's absence frees up 20.5 minutes per game and should solidify Jonathan Kuminga's role in the Warriors starting five. Reaching double scoring figures in 24 straight games, Kuminga is averaging 25.1 points on 61.9% field-goal shooting, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals through his last seven outings since Jan. 12 and belongs in all fantasy lineups while he's rolling.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (ankle) is officially listed as out for Friday's meeting with the Charlotte Hornets. No surprise here, as head coach Mark Daigneault said on Wednesday that he'd be surprised if Williams played in the next couple of games as the second-year swingman tends to a sprained right ankle that he suffered during Monday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Williams, averaging 18.0 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 triples, and 1.1 steals for the Thunder in Year 2, will look to avoid a third consecutive absence in Saturday's game versus the Toronto Raptors, but he sounds to be very questionable for that one. Kenrich Williams replaced Williams in OKC's starting five in Wednesday's win over the Denver Nuggets but was held scoreless in 16 minutes and isn't a recommended streaming option in fantasy hoops.

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.

Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward (calf) remains out for Friday's contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder. A strained left calf has kept Hayward off the court since late December, and while his next chance to suit up will come on Sunday versus the visiting Indiana Pacers, he remains without a timetable for a return and should be considered out indefinitely until further notice. 2023 No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller is helping fill Hayward's void by playing top-75 fantasy ball in nine-category leagues over his last eight games, averaging 20.5 points on 48.8% shooting from the field, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.6 threes since Jan. 19. Though Friday's tilt against the Thunder carries significant blowout risk, Miller should be rostered and started in most season-long leagues while Hayward remains on the shelf.

Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (illness) is available for Friday's tilt versus the Miami Heat. A non-COVID illness made Poole a very late scratch ahead of Wednesday's defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers, but the Wizards have cleared him to play on Friday. The 24-year-old combo guard has only been a borderline fantasy play in nine-category leagues all year long during his first season in D.C., putting up 16.5 points on 41.1% shooting from the field, 3.4 assists, 2.0 threes, and 1.0 steals per game, but it's not a bad matchup against a Heat squad that's struggled to defend opposing guards in 2023-24. Rookie Bilal Coulibaly filled up the box score on Wednesday but will almost certainly revert to Washington's bench on Friday with Poole back in the mix.