Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (hamstring) hasn't played in the team's last two games and is now in danger of missing a third consecutive contest. He's still suffering from a hamstring strain which can be one of the tougher injuries to fully heal from with all the stress on the muscle. The longer injury reports don't help Grant either since he'll play heavy minutes whenever he's feeling good enough to play. If he has to miss one more game, however, Toumani Camara and Kris Murray will remain in the starting lineup while Matisse Thybulle and Scoot Henderson will be the first two off of the bench. Camara seems to be the more consistent option out of the four but is a risky option this late in the fantasy season.

Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Bryce McGowens (knee) has been listed as out for Monday's matchup against Detroit. The 21-year-old will miss a second consecutive game due to right knee inflammation. Playing in his second year in the Association, McGowens has posted 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 15.8 minutes across 50 games. The former Nebraska Cornhusker has joined a lengthy list of injuries in Charlotte, with Seth Curry (ankle), Cody Martin (ankle), Mark Williams (back), and LaMelo Ball (ankle) all currently out of the lineup. The injuries have given Vasilije Micic and Grant Williams opportunities in the starting unit, while Davis Bertans has started to lead the second unit. He's averaging 12.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists for the month.

Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (hand) will suit up on Saturday night against the Raptors. He's been flirting with playing over the last few games. However, the former Sun will return after missing the previous five games because of a sprained hand. There's a chance Ayton will get fewer minutes in his first game back from a lengthy layoff. But his return will still be enough to drop the fantasy ceiling of Duop Reath, who's averaged 13.8 points and 6.0 rebounds in 16 starts during the 2023-24 campaign.

Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (hand) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Houston Rockets. This marks the fifth game in a row that Ayton has missed due to a hand sprain. When healthy, Ayton has been a solid asset to the Blazers. However, he's missed over 20 games and is likely to miss more with the Blazers falling out of contention. There is little incentive for the Blazers to push Ayton back to the floor right now. Duop Reath should continue to start and is a solid streaming option.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Jabari Walker (hip) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Houston Rockets. This is bad timing with Jerami Grant (hamstring) and Deandre Ayton (hand) sidelined as well. The Blazers are going to be forced to rely on Toumani Camara and Duop Reath to play big minutes in the rotation. Both players could be viable streaming options given the Blazers' lack of depth. Hopefully, Walker can return after this game, but fantasy managers will have to check back for another update.