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.

Dallas Mavericks guard Cooper Flagg will remain on a minutes limit ahead of Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors. Flagg made his return to the court during Monday's game versus the New York Knicks. He finished with 18 points, three assists, and seven rebounds across 28 minutes during that contest. The Mavs plan to be more cautious with Flagg during Thursday's game and keep him in the 20-to-25-minute range. His fantasy value is going to be limited, given he won't have a full workload yet. Ryan Nembhard and Brandon Williams could see a few extra minutes during Thursday's game.

Philadelphia 76ers guard/forward Paul George (knee) has been cleared to return to the lineup on Thursday against the Houston Rockets. He has missed two games due to knee injury management. While Kelly Oubre Jr. was initially George's replacement in the first unit, Dominick Barlow will make way for him on Thursday. Joel Embiid (ankle) will also return for Philadelphia on Thursday, giving the team a lot of scoring potential. George has contributed 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in January.

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (ankle) is ruled out ahead of Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors. This marks the fourth game in a row that Gafford has missed due to a right ankle sprain. His absence should continue to mean extended playing time for Dwight Powell and Moussa Cisse in the rotation. Fantasy managers will need to check back on Saturday to see if Gafford gets cleared for that one. Cisse has been the better fantasy option between the two big men lately. The rookie center has averaged nearly a double-double during each of his last three games. Fantasy managers in need of help ahead of Thursday's slate should consider streaming Cisse until Gafford returns.

Denver Nuggets guard/forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (knee) will be in the lineup on Thursday against the Washington Wizards. The team has upgraded Hardaway Jr.'s status on the injury report from probable to available. The veteran sniper has struggled in recent games, scoring a combined 16 points on 1-for-13 three-point shooting in back-to-back losses to the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers. Prior to the slump, Hardaway Jr. posted a season-high 30 points in a 121-115 win over Washington on Saturday. The Wizards are giving up the most points in the Eastern Conference, giving Hardaway Jr. a good opportunity to get back on track.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (thumb) has been upgraded to available for the second game of his team's back-to-back on Thursday night against the Orlando Magic. Charlotte played their star guard off the bench on Wednesday against the Cavaliers, and he collected just two points across 22 minutes while also sustaining a thumb contusion on his shooting hand. Despite thumb pain, the 24-year-old will likely rejoin the Hornets first unit during tonight's action. If he has a setback, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel will have to produce more on the offensive end, while Collin Sexton could see extended minutes.

Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (shoulder) has been downgraded to doubtful ahead of Thursday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Mitchell was tagged as questionable earlier in the day due to a left shoulder bruise. He has now been downgraded to doubtful, so fantasy managers should prepare to be without Mitchell. The Heat are already without Tyler Herro (rib), so losing Mitchell is going to put them in a bad spot. It would likely mean significant minutes for Pelle Larsson, Kasparas Jakucionis, and Dru Smith in the rotation. Among the trio, Larsson is the best streaming choice ahead of Thursday's slate.

Denver Nuggets forward/center Aaron Gordon (hamstring) was upgraded from probable to available on the injury report and will play on Thursday against the Washington Wizards. Gordon is a mainstay on Denver's injury report, but he has missed only one of the last eight games. He has logged 30-plus minutes in each of his last five appearances, which is another pleasing fact for fantasy managers. On Saturday, Gordon nearly had his third career triple-double in a home game against the Wizards, finishing with eight points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists.

Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valaniunas (calf) has been officially listed as available for Thursday's matchup against the Washington Wizards. He will make his first appearance of 2026 after missing three weeks with a calf strain. With Nikola Jokic (knee) out, Valanciunas' return is a major boost for Denver. However, Nuggets head coach David Adelman said Valanciunas' minutes will be "pretty limited" on Thursday night. The return of Valanciunas is set to impact the playing time of DaRon Holmes and Zeke Nnaji.

Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (back) has been downgraded from probable to questionable ahead of Thursday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Powell was a late addition to the injury report due to lower back tightness. It seems like the team is going to wait and see how he feels during warmups before making a final decision. If he sits, Pelle Larsson and Nikola Jovic would likely see larger roles in the rotation. Between the two, Larsson is the better streaming option ahead of Thursday's game. The second-year guard finished with 16 points, nine assists, and six rebounds during Tuesday's game. He's bringing enough to the table to warrant streaming while the Heat are banged up right now.

Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray (hip) will be active on Thursday against the Washington Wizards. He will make his sixth consecutive appearance after the team listed him as probable on the initial injury report. Murray has been on fire lately, averaging 29.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 9.1 assists in January. The two teams met last weekend, and Murray stole the show with a 42-point performance, shooting 5-for-8 from downtown. He also had six assists, three rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (foot) has been upgraded to active for Thursday's clash with the Chicago Bulls. Randle is dealing with foot soreness and was added to the team's injury report late, but he has since been cleared to play. Fantasy managers should expect the 31-year-old to still be a big part of the team's offensive attack despite the foot pain. He's played in all 44 Wolves games this campaign, averaging 22.4 points, 5.4 assists, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 33.7 minutes per outing.

According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (calf) is expected to play against the Washington Wizards on Thursday. The veteran center sustained a right calf strain against Toronto on New Year's Eve and was initially due to miss at least four weeks. With Nikola Jokic (knee) still out, the Nuggets could use Valanciunas to bolster their frontcourt during tonight's tilt. If he does indeed return, the 33-year-old would provide much-needed support to Aaron Gordon (hamstring), who has recently filled in at center.