Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (abdomen) remains out for Friday's meeting with the Denver Nuggets. Portland announced on Wednesday that Sharpe was starting to ramp up and begin light on-court activities as he recovers from a lower abdominal strain, but the versatile swingman is not ready to suit up for game action. Sharpe has been sidelined since mid-January and sees his next opportunity to return against these same Nuggets on Sunday. Malcolm Brogdon has picked up the slack for the Blazers covering his latest eight appearances, averaging 20.0 points, 6.9 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.3 three-pointers since Jan. 17. Brogdon might be on the move by next Thursday's trade deadline, but he's getting plenty of run in Rip City and is a must-start in fantasy right now.

San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (elbow) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans. The 24-year-old will now miss his second consecutive contest because of a left elbow laceration, so his next chance to play will come on Saturday night versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, the second of back-to-back outings for San Antonio. Zach Collins (ankle) will return from a three-game hiatus, which will help lessen the blow caused by Johnson's absence. But it should also leave room for Malaki Branham to get more action. However, Branham had just four points in 15 minutes against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, meaning he's not worth considering for fantasy lineups.

Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (leg) is still listed as out for Friday's matchup versus the Toronto Raptors. As Houston continues to manage the left lower leg of Eason, the 2022 first-rounder has reportedly begun playing 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 in practice. Head coach Ime Udoka also said on Thursday, per Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610 Houston, that Eason could return to game action next week following over a month of missed action, so that likely means the forward is on the wrong side of questionable for Sunday's contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves. First-round rookie Cam Whitmore is coming into his own a bit over his last 10 games, averaging 15.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 triples on 39.7% shooting from beyond the arc since Jan. 13 and is worth streaming in deeper fantasy leagues for the time being.

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.