New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin will move into the starting five for Friday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Julius Randle will be forced to sit this one out due to COVID-19 protocols. This will be Toppin's first career start, so we'll see if he does with the starting unit. There is plenty of streaming appeal here since Toppin should heavy run on Friday. He could be a short term option in fantasy formats with Randle out due to protocols.

New York Knicks power forward Obi Toppin has exited the league's health and safety protocols, paving the way for a return to action. Toppin has missed each of New York's last five games, so a return as soon as Thursday against Washington may be optimistic. In his final outing before landing in the protocols, Toppin logged his first career double-double. While he has struggled mightily from deep (19.6%), the 23-year-old has managed to average 8.7 points across 15.9 minutes per contest in his second professional season. Barring widespread absences among the Knicks' starting five, Toppin's season-long fantasy ceiling remains capped, although he stands out as a strong DFS punt play on most slates when healthy.

New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin has entered the league's health and safety protocols. It's bad timing since Toppin had been playing better recently and was beginning to earn a bigger role on the team. Hopefully, Toppin won't have to miss too much time and can get back on the court soon. In the meantime, Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson should absorb additional playing time. Both should have more streaming appeal until Toppin gets back on the floor. Fantasy managers should hold Toppin through this since he was beginning to pick it up.