Miami Heat guard/forward Norman Powell (back) will play in Thursday's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. Although the team downgraded Powell from probable to questionable earlier in the day, he is now listed as available. Powell is dealing with lower back tightness, which may affect his performance against Portland. Recently, the 32-year-old has been in excellent form, shooting 42.1 percent from beyond the arc and averaging 23.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists across the last five games.

Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (knee) will be in the lineup on Thursday against the Miami Heat. He was unavailable for the last game on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings when Portland concluded a back-to-back set. Thursday's game kicks off another back-to-back for the team, making it likely that Williams III will sit out Friday's matchup against the Toronto Raptors. With Williams III returning, Duop Reath and Yang Hansen will slide down the depth chart on Thursday.

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (knee) will return from a three-game absence on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, NBA insider Chris Haynes reports. The Clippers initially listed Leonard as questionable on the injury report. With Leonard back, Kobe Sanders is likely to return to the second unit. Leonard has been a man on a mission since the turn of the year, averaging 29.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 steals, while shooting 42.5 percent from three-point range.

Portland Trail Blazers forwards Jerami Grant (Achilles) and Sidy Cissoko (illness) will be active against the Miami Heat on Thursday night. Both were listed as questionable on the injury report. A couple of hours before tip-off, Portland upgraded Grant and Cissoko to probable, and they have now been listed as available. Grant will rejoin the action after missing the second leg of a back-to-back on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings. Cissoko has started seven consecutive games, but with Grant and Jrue Holiday back from lengthy injury absences, he may soon lose his spot in the first unit.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday (calf) will play on Thursday against the Miami Heat, Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan Portland reports. The veteran will be back in action after skipping the second leg of a back-to-back on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings. Holiday recently returned from a right calf injury, averaging 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.0 steals in 19.3 minutes. He has been productive since returning, but the team has understandably limited Holiday's workload following his two-month injury layoff.

Miami Heat point guard Davion Mitchell (shoulder) won't play Thursday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. He has been trending in the wrong direction throughout the day, and the team has downgraded Mitchell from doubtful to out before tip-off. Last week, Mitchell injured his left shoulder. He returned to the lineup on Monday and played in both games of a back-to-back set, but it appears his shoulder still hasn't fully healed. Kasparas Jakucionis saw an increased workload with Mitchell out of the rotation last week and is likely to see significant minutes again, especially with Tyler Herro (ribs) also sidelined.

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (elbow) won't play on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans. After returning from a calf problem, Morant managed to make two appearances before suffering a new injury. He is on the injury report with a UCL sprain in his left elbow. Morant's absence on Friday will likely give Cam Spencer a chance to rejoin the starting lineup. Spencer has frequently filled in for Morant this season, averaging 11.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 9.3 assists as a starter. It's a good matchup for Spencer, as he faces a team that allows the fourth-most assists to point guards.

Memphis Grizzlies forward/center Santi Aldama (knee) will miss Friday's contest against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Spanish veteran is experiencing right knee soreness, forcing him to skip a second consecutive game. Following Aldama's exit from the lineup, John Konchar started in Wednesday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Unfortunately, he had a quiet evening with two points in 21 minutes. GG Jackson II also logged 21 minutes as a member of the second unit, contributing nine points, two rebounds, one assist, and two blocks. Both players could have expanded roles again on Friday night, though neither looks like a reliable fantasy option.

San Antonio Spurs forward/center Jeremy Sochan (illness) has been upgraded to available for Thursday's meeting with the Utah Jazz. He was initially listed as questionable by the team. Unfortunately, Sochan hasn't been relevant in fantasy basketball this season, averaging 4.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.5 minutes across 26 appearances. On Thursday night, Sochan could play a role in the rotation because Luke Kornet (adductor) is absent from San Antonio's lineup.

Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham (hip, illness) is listed as questionable for Friday night's action against the Houston Rockets. He's dealing with a hip contusion and an illness, and these issues might keep Cunningham on the shelf for a second consecutive game. If that's the case, Daniss Jenkins will continue in a starting role. He totaled 17 points, one rebound, four assists, two blocks, and two steals in Wednesday's win over the Indiana Pacers. Friday's matchup will be much tougher, but Jenkins could still make some noise in a larger role.

Utah Jazz point guard Keyonte George (forearm) has shed a questionable tag and will play in Thursday's contest against the San Antonio Spurs. This is great news for the Jazz, who remain without Lauri Markkanen (conditioning). George had a career-high 43 points in Tuesday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves and has been his team's offensive leader recently. Over the last six games, George has averaged 29.3 points and 5.7 assists. This stretch includes a 30-point, six-assist effort against the Spurs on Monday night.

Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh (illness) has been cleared to return from a two-game absence on Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs. He was initially listed as questionable for the matchup. Sensabaugh missed a back-to-back set at the start of the week due to illness. Before landing on the shelf, he had an eye-popping three-game stretch, during which he averaged 31.7 points and 5.3 rebounds with 61.4 percent shooting. Sensabaugh's hot streak could continue on Thursday night, as Lauri Markkanen's (conditioning) absence should provide him with additional scoring opportunities.

Dallas Mavericks center Moussa Cisse (illness) will play on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. The 23-year-old big man has been battling an illness this week. But Dallas has upgraded Cisse on the injury report a couple of times during the day, and he is now officially listed as available. The Mavericks are currently short of bodies in the paint, giving Cisse a larger role. He has averaged 11.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 21.6 minutes across the last three games. Cisse's momentum could continue on Thursday night against a Warriors team that has allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to centers this season.

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II (foot) will be in action on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks. It was initially unclear whether Payton II would play, as the team listed him as questionable on the injury report. Payton II mainly contributes on the defensive end for the Warriors and doesn't have significant fantasy value. Across 10 January appearances, Payton II has averaged 7.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 15.4 minutes.

Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (eye) will play on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. The former first-overall pick left Tuesday's win over the Denver Nuggets early after being poked in the eye, but the Lakers didn't include him on the injury report for Thursday's game. Before Tuesday night, Ayton had produced three double-doubles in four games. He has a mediocre fantasy matchup on Thursday.

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (personal) will be held under 30 minutes during Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors, according to Noah Weber. Washington is making his return on Thursday after missing each of the last three games due to personal reasons. The Mavs are going to take the cautious approach and limit Washington during his first game back in the rotation. They want to give him a game or two to build up his conditioning again. That could mean a few extra minutes for Caleb Martin or Dwight Powell during Thursday's game. Fantasy managers should still be safe to plug Washington into their lineups ahead of Thursday's tip-off.

Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (hamstring) has been upgraded to available ahead of Thursday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Giddey is officially back after missing each of the last 11 games due to a hamstring injury. Given the lengthy absence, Giddey will be under a minutes restriction during Thursday's game. According to K.C. Johnson, Giddey is expected to play around 24 minutes during his first game back. Fantasy managers in season-long formats can feel safe getting Giddey back in their lineups. Tre Jones and Ayo Dosunmu should take a step back in the rotation with Giddey back in the mix.

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (ankle) is available ahead of Thursday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Williams is back in the rotation after missing each of the last two games due to a right ankle sprain. Given it was only a two-game absence, Williams shouldn't be under a minutes limit. His return to the rotation should mean less playing time for Kevin Huerter, Isaac Okoro, and Jalen Smith. When healthy, Williams has been an inconsistent fantasy option and isn't someone who is viewed as a must-start right now.

Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Brandon Miller (ankle) will suit up on Thursday against the Orlando Magic. He has received the green light to play after the team initially listed him as probable on the injury report due to left ankle soreness. Miller has scored 20-plus points in four consecutive games, though he struggled against the Magic earlier this season. In a 120-105 win on Dec. 26, Miller notched only 15 points on 3-for-16 shooting.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (ankle) will play on Thursday against the Houston Rockets. He will return to the lineup after a one-game absence, having been initially listed as probable for Thursday's matchup. The former MVP has scored 30 points in each of his last two appearances and is averaging 26.7 points and 7.3 rebounds for the month. Houston is ranked sixth in defensive efficiency and allows the fewest rebounds in the league to opposing centers, so Embiid must bring his A-game on Thursday to be effective.