According to Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse, guard Buddy Hield will start on Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks. The 31-year-old was traded ahead of the deadline on Thursday after spending time in Indiana over the last few seasons. He's been a sporadic fantasy producer this season, currently averaging 12.0 points, the second-lowest mark of his career. However, Hield should get routine playing time in Philly, and his start on Friday night is already a good sign regarding his fantasy potential. With Tyrese Maxey (illness) out of the lineup, Hield is a must-start in all fantasy leagues. He's also worth considering for DFS lineups.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (illness) won't play against the Hawks on Friday night. The All-Star isn't feeling well, so fantasy managers hope he gets better in time for Saturday's matchup with the Washington Wizards. Without Maxey, newly acquired Cameron Payne will enter the starting lineup and is worth streaming in deep fantasy setups. At the same time, Buddy Hield, Tobias Harris, and Kelly Oubre Jr. may see a significant uptick on the scoring end.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair his left meniscus. He's expected to miss up to eight weeks, at least. However, the team is optimistic the reigning MVP will return this season. "We're hopeful," said president of basketball operations Daryl Morey when asked about Embiid's potential comeback this year. "Feedback has been more good than bad, so we're hopeful." Philly remains in the playoff conversation. But if the team can't keep things together until Embiid is 100%, there's a chance he won't be back until the 2024-25 campaign. That said, Paul Reed, averaging 10.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.1 steals in 14 starts this season, should continue to benefit from a fantasy perspective until Embiid is back on the floor.

Boston Celtics forward/center Xavier Tillman Sr. (knee) won't play on Friday night versus the Wizards. The 25-year-old was traded to Boston on Thursday after playing in Memphis for his entire career. He wasn't a routine fantasy producer. However, Tillman had some potent showings over the years. But before the trade, he was sidelined by a knee injury, keeping him off the floor for Memphis' previous four games. Fantasy managers are used to this by now, so his current ailment isn't surprising. Nonetheless, Tillman will hopefully be back soon. Unfortunately, unless Kristaps Porzingis, Jayson Tatum, or Al Horford are not in the lineup, his fantasy impact will likely be minimal more times than not.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (illness) will play on Friday night versus the visiting Wizards. The 25-year-old amassed 20 points, nine boards, and seven assists in Wednesday's win over the Atlanta Hawks. However, he had trouble finding the bottom of the net from behind the arc, going 2-for-13. Perhaps his current illness was the culprit. With that in mind, Tatum shot 44.4% from deep against Washington in October, so there's reason for category managers to believe he'll turn things around in that area on Friday evening.