Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (back) will be active for Friday's game against the Charlotte Hornets. He has been upgraded from probable to available despite dealing with back soreness. Simons is aiming for his third consecutive game with 20-plus points. He has broken out of a slump in impressive fashion, making nine three-pointers over the past two games. Charlotte allows the seventh-most three-point attempts in the league, giving Simons a good opportunity to keep building momentum.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (back) is considered probable for Friday's game against the Charlotte Hornets despite being listed with back soreness. The seventh-year combo guard is in the middle of a down year compared to the last couple of seasons, but he's been healthier so far. In 40 appearances, he averaged 18.3 points, 4.9 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.0 threes per game which makes him a solid late-draft type of value across all fantasy formats. Most of the backcourt is healthy for this game, so Simons might not see as many opportunities which explains the small dip in usage rate compared to the last two seasons.

Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (hand) has been ruled out of Friday's game against the Charlotte Hornets with a sore hand. He seemingly has some sort of quota where he plays a few games every couple of weeks, and then reverts back to the bench. The Blazers are likely playing it on the safe side to use him as a trade piece at some point, but that frees up some more playing time for Donovan Clingan (ankle), Toumani Camara (illness), Jabari Walker, and Duop Reath. Clingan would fit the best for streaming big man stats while Camara seems to be a solid asset with or without Williams in the lineup. Clingan has posted at least 10 boards and one block in each of his last three games.

Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (knee) will miss the second half of the team's back-to-back on Friday while he continues to deal with a left knee sprain. The 26-year-old has missed 12 games (will be 13) due to various injuries this season, so Robert Williams III, Donovan Clingan (ankle), and even Duop Reath have all seen some opportunities. Clingan is considered probable in the matchup against the Hornets, while Williams has been ruled out, which moves him into streaming territory. In his last start against the Heat, Clingan dropped eight points, 10 rebounds, one assist, two blocks, and one steal.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (back) will play on Thursday versus Orlando. The 25-year-old missed a recent meeting with the Chicago Bulls because of an elbow issue before returning on Tuesday in Miami. He was in danger of missing this contest because of back soreness, although that won't keep him off the floor. Simons is averaging 18.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists this season, all down from the 2023-24 campaign. However, he may be more productive on Thursday, considering Deandre Ayton (knee) won't suit up.