Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (ankle) will play during Wednesday's game against the Chicago Bulls. He suffered a left ankle sprain during Monday's contest, which made his status for this contest uncertain. However, the Nets play two straight home games after this game, so Irving won't be available for those contests. It sounds like he'll tough it out here and take a few days off after Wednesday's contest. Fantasy managers should make sure Irving is back in their lineups on Wednesday.

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (ankle) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the San Antonio Spurs. The rookie center will miss his seventh straight game due to a right ankle sprain. Although, Sengun is expected to return to the floor on Friday versus the Sacramento Kings. The Rockets could certainly use Sengun on the court with how poorly the team has been playing lately. At this point, Sengun should be rostered in most fantasy formats. The upside is there and the Rockets are highly likely to consider moving Christian Wood before the trade deadline. Regardless, the rebuilding Rockets are expected to give their rookie center more looks during the second half of the season.

Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (back) will play during Wednesday's game against the Miami Heat. He has been active over the last two games, but missed time before that due to COVID-19 protocols. It doesn't appear that the back issue is going to be something that causes him to miss time. Instead, Collins should be asked to pick up the slack with the Hawks shorthanded on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should make sure he's in their lineups for season long formats. Collins is also worth looking at as a DFS option for Wednesday's slate with some of the Hawks playmakers sidelined.

Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson is not listed on the team's injury report ahead of Thursday's contest vs. Milwaukee, an indication that the sharpshooter will play during the nationally televised portion of the team's back-to-back. The Warriors have not yet given Thompson the thumbs up to play on two consecutive nights, which means he will be held out Friday against the Bulls. Thompson has played 20 minutes in each of his first two games back, firing up a combined 31 field-goal attempts. His offensive aggressiveness has made him a reasonable DFS commodity in spite of the capped minutes total. Season-long managers will have to navigate the back-to-back element, with Golden State having three additional such instances before the All-Star break.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Anfernee Simons (personal) has been ruled out for Thursday's contest against Denver. Portland is set to be significantly shorthanded in the backcourt with Damian Lillard (abdominal) and C.J. McCollum (lung) also unavailable. Dennis Smith Jr. stands to have enormous DFS appeal, while Jusuf Nurkic and Nassir Little can also be seen as upside scoring options due to the Blazers' widespread absences. Even with his absence Thursday, Simons has emerged as a season-long asset in any-sized format due to the announcement of abdominal surgery for Lillard, which will keep him sidelined for at least 6-8 weeks. Simons' next chance to take the floor comes Saturday vs. the Wizards.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Rajon Rondo (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Utah Jazz. This injury seemingly popped out of nowhere and could leave the Cavs shorthanded. The newly acquired veteran guard is expected to play meaningful minutes for the banged up Cavs. There might not always be consistent fantasy value from Rondo, but he normally gets playing time. That being said, Darius Garland could be asked to take on a heavy workload, assuming Rondo is unable to play. He'd be a strong DFS option with extended minutes, but fantasy managers will have to check back for confirmation.

Boston Celtics point guard Dennis Schroder has been elevated to the starting five for Wednesday's game against the Pacers with point/shooting guard Marcus Smart (thigh) out of the mix. Schroder has held a constantly fluctuating role during his first season in Boston, but he will have significant DFS upside among the starting group Wednesday. Entering the night averaging 15.9 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.4 boards per game, Schroder maintains sizable season-long appeal in all formats as the usual top scoring option on the team's second unit. Smart's next chance to get back into action comes Friday vs. Philadelphia.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (shoulder) is available for Wednesday's game against the Charlotte Hornets. He underwent on MRI on Tuesday, but it doesn't appear to be anything serious. Harris is dealing with tendinitis, but plans to play through the issue. Fantasy managers should expect Harris to have his normal workload on Wednesday. Seth Curry (ankle) is questionable, so Harris could be asked to take more shots if Curry is out. Fantasy managers should check back closer to tip-off for more information.

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (ankle) and shooting guard/small forward Cam Reddish (ankle) have been ruled out for Wednesday's game vs. Miami. The absence of Capela marks his second straight game missed, while Reddish is dealing with lingering effects of having sprained his ankle Sunday. Onyeka Okongwu figures to step into a larger role at the center spot, making him an appealing upside DFS play on the nine-game slate. The flummoxing fantasy production of Reddish remains, as he recently delivered these scoring totals in a five-game stretch: 33, 14, 2, 18, 0. The next chance that either player will have to suit up comes Friday in a rematch against the Heat.

Miami Heat center Dewayne Dedmon (knee) is available for Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. Dedmon has missed each of the last seven games while dealing with a left MCL sprain. He was offering low-end value before going down, but Omer Yurtseven has stepped up in his absence. That being said, it's uncertain how big of a role Dedmon will have anymore. Yurtseven has shown to be a capable option for Miami. Both players are likely to get meaningful minutes until Bam Adebayo (thumb) returns to the court. Dedmon could be a possible low-end streaming option, but is a bit risky during his first game back.

Sacramento Kings center Tristan Thompson (quad) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Fellow big man Richaun Holmes will join him on the sideline as he continues to sit out due to COVID-19 protocols. Alex Len is expected to play extended minutes with Thompson and Holmes sidelined. He has two double-doubles in his last three outings. Len sounds like someone worth considering as a streaming option or possibly a low cost DFS option for Wednesday's slate.

Orlando Magic power forward/center Wendell Carter Jr. (hamstring) and center Mo Bamba (toe) have been ruled out for Wednesday's contest vs. Washington. Carter's absence has now stretched to three contests, while Bamba's absence opens the door for Robin Lopez to play a substantial role in the DFS market Wednesday. Prior to the hamstring issue cropping up, Carter was on a double-double tear, notching five in a row to end December/begin January. Bamba remains an exciting season-long commodity in his own right due to his shot-blocking prowess -- 2.1 per game, the fourth-highest mark in the league. The next chance for either player to suit up comes Friday against the Hornets.

New York Knicks center Nerlens Noel will take the floor Wednesday against Dallas, marking his first game action since Dec. 21. Noel was sidelined for 10 games under a combination of the league's health and safety protocols and return to competition conditioning, with Mitchell Robinson in line to lose his stranglehold on center duties. Noel was on a shot-blocking tear prior to entering the protocols, having reeled off four straight multi-block performances. While Noel can be targeted in season-long category formats by those fantasy managers in need of blocks, his limited scoring upside (zero double-digit scoring outings in 2021-22) likely keeps him on the wire in the vast majority of leagues.

New York Knicks point guard Kemba Walker (knee) will miss his seventh consecutive contest Wednesday vs. Dallas due to left knee soreness. The fact that Walker earned a questionable designation could be a hint into how close he is to returning, but Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride figure to cover for him in the meantime. Walker's furious close to December highlighted his immense fantasy upside when healthy, with his recent knee issues flaring up at an inopportune time. His next chance to get back into action comes Saturday against the Hawks.

Indiana Pacers shooting guard Chris Duarte (personal) has been ruled out for Wednesday's contest against the Celtics, marking his second consecutive absence. Duarte has been away from the team while attending to the birth of his daughter, which opens the door for Jeremy Lamb to play a larger offensive role within the second unit. When available, Duarte has shown a propensity for filling up the scoring column, reaching double figures in 25 of his first 34 professional appearances. His next chance to return to action comes Friday vs. Phoenix.

Utah Jazz center Hassan Whiteside has been placed in the league's health and safety protocols, ruling him out indefinitely, beginning with Wednesday's game vs. Cleveland. Whiteside had stepped into the starting five for the past three contests with Rudy Gobertalso sidelined, with the duo's absence leaving the team tremendously thin in the frontcourt. Eric Paschall is likely to serve as a small-ball center, ramping up his DFS appeal, while wings such as Royce O'Neale can be seen as having increased rebounding upside. While Whiteside has been a terrific producer per minute this year, he holds little season-long intrigue once Gobert returns.

Indiana Pacers point guard Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles) and point/shooting guard Caris LeVert have been given the green light to suit up for Wednesday's game vs. the Celtics. Brogdon is returning from a nine-game absence, while LeVert is back after five contests spent on the sidelines, with both likely facing capped minutes totals out of the gate. Prior to entering the league's health and safety protocols, LeVert was clicking on all cylinders offensively, averaging 26.3 points and 8.0 assists over his last four games. Brogdon has been slowed by injuries in 2021-22, but his contributions across the board (19 points, 6.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game) still make him an excellent fantasy asset whenever healthy.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (abdominal) will soon undergo surgery in an attempt to rectify his persistent abdominal injury, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Lillard has missed each of his team's five previous outings due to the ailment, with 11 absences to his credit in 2021-22. While the surgery is not expected to be of the season-ending variety, the Blazers may not want to rush their franchise cornerstone back if they're unable to make up ground in the Western Conference playoff chase. Anfernee Simons now becomes a must-roster season-long commodity in all-sized formats, while C.J. McCollum (lung) will see his value rise upon his return to action.

Washington Wizards center Thomas Bryant (knee) is expected to be available for Wednesday's game against Orlando, which will mark his season debut. Bryant last appeared Jan. 9, 2021, having since rehabbed a torn left ACL. The 24-year-old will likely be on a sizable minutes restriction to begin his playing stint, with his addition giving Washington a formidable triumvirate at the center spot of himself, Daniel Gafford, and Montrezl Harrell. In just 10 games last year, Bryant averaged 14.3 points and 6.1 boards, all while shooting 64.8 percent from the field. Fantasy managers shouldn't clamor to the waiver wire to snag him just yet, but once his minutes cap is lifted, Bryant stands to have some season-long appeal in medium-sized or larger formats.

Boston Celtics point/shooting guard Marcus Smart (thigh) has been tagged as doubtful to play in Wednesday's game vs. Indiana due to a right thigh contusion. With Payton Pritchard (health and safety protocols) questionable to return, Jaylen Brown could once again be looking at a game with massive assists upside; Dennis Schroder would also be in line for a significant increase in usage, elevating his DFS appeal. Smart has once again been a flummoxing fantasy option in 2021-22, but he has scored in double figures in each of his last seven games, averaging 15.6 PPG in that span. His next best chance to play comes Friday against the 76ers, although a back-to-back looms, which may limit his availability.