NBA Player News

Wagner (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Nuggets.

Wagner has yet to make his season debut after undergoing surgery this past January to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. According to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel, head coach Jamahl Mosley said Friday that Wagner has "no real timeframe" for when he might be ready to play again, adding that the veteran center will first need to advance to 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 work and then take begin taking contact in practice before a clearer target date for his debut emerges. With that in mind, Wagner would still appear to be multiple weeks away from being a factor for the Magic.

Bitadze (knee) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Nuggets.

Bitadze has missed Orlando's last two games due to a strained left knee and could miss a third Saturday. If the big man remains sidelined, Jonathan Isaac will likely continue to see increased playing time. Over his last five appearances, Bitadze has averaged 4.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals across 15.8 minutes per game off the bench.

Duren totaled 11 points (5-7 FG, 1-1 FT) and four rebounds across 22 minutes during Friday's 131-129 loss to the Jazz.

Jusuf Nurkic and Lauri Markkanen had Duren's number during the upset, as the youngster cooled off after a solid run of production. He was in the midst of a four-game double-double streak coming into Friday's game and was essentially Detroit's second-highest producer during that stretch. Despite the loss, Detroit remains a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference, and Duren's improvement this season is key to the team's success.

Nurkic totaled 16 points (6-9 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 11 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal across 32 minutes during Friday's 131-129 win over the Pistons.

The veteran center faced a tough challenge opposite Jalen Duren, but Nurkic effectively neutralized him in the upset win. Although Nurkic has missed three games this month, he's come up big in some key moments. Still, consistency remains a big problem for the big man. He's alternated between double-doubles and dreadful totals quite often, and although his rebound totals usually come close to or exceed double digits frequently, his scoring totals haven't experienced the same success.

Williams finished Friday's 115-108 victory over New Orleans with 24 points (9-13 FG, 6-8 FT), 13 rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals across 27 minutes.

Williams' dominant presence inside was a primary difference-maker in the victory, and he found himself on the receiving end of assists from Devin Booker and Collin Gillespie quite often. The most memorable was an alley-oop from Booker that was part of an 18-8 run to end the game. Williams' numbers have jumped around of late, but he has recorded six double-doubles so far this month. He'll try to replicate the feat in a rematch against the Pelicans Saturday evening.

Collins closed Friday's 109-102 win over Philadelphia with 15 points (5-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one block across 19 minutes.

The veteran big man made the most of his 19-minute cameo off the bench in this win, missing just three shots from the field en route to posting his second-best scoring output of the season. Collins has scored in double digits in each of his last five outings off the bench, and while his role limits his upside, he might be a solid streaming option in deep formats for managers needing to add frontcourt depth. He's posted at least 10 points and five boards while logging less than 20 minutes in each of his last three appearances.

Embiid registered 31 points (10-19 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 9-9 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one block across 32 minutes during Friday's 109-102 loss to the Bulls.

Embiid has scored at least 27 points in three of his last four games, but he posted subpar numbers in other categories. The five-rebound haul was his third-worst output of the season in that regard, and he didn't stand out in what should've been a favorable matchup. Embiid has reached the 30-point mark just twice all season long, and between the injuries and the lack of production, he's no longer an automatic source of elite fantasy production.

Huff chipped in nine points (3-8 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 21 minutes during Friday's 140-122 loss to the Celtics.

Huff blocked another two shots, although he failed to provide anything else of note. Despite continuing to start, Huff has now played fewer than 22 minutes in four of the past five games. Other than his block numbers, the big man simply isn't doing enough in other areas to be considered a must-roster player. He has been outside the top 150 in his past four games, averaging 7.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 22.2 minutes per contest during that span.

Robinson posted one rebound and one assist in three minutes during Friday's 120-105 loss to the Hornets.

Robinson appeared for just the fourth time this season, logging three minutes during garbage time. Even with Goga Bitadze (knee) sidelined, Robinson was barely used, indicating how low he is on the depth chart. There is no reason to pay attention to him outside of the deepest fantasy leagues.

Carter amassed 16 points (5-10 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal over 28 minutes during Friday's 120-105 loss to Charlotte.

Carter continues to put up serviceable numbers on both ends of the floor, having now scored in double figures in six of the past seven games. In 30 regular-season appearances thus far, Carter is averaging 12.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 three-pointers and 1.5 combined steals-plus-blocks, which is good enough for top-100 value in standard leagues. His upside is basically non-existent, but his floor warrants a roster spot in most leagues.