AJ Dybantsa Is Out Again Friday, De'Aaron Fox Is Questionable and Kyrie Irving Is Cleared: The NBA Friday Injury Board

AJ Dybantsa's NBA debut will have to wait at least one more night. The Washington Wizards ruled the No. 1 overall pick out of Friday's home game against the Toronto Raptors with the left ankle sprain he suffered in the preseason finale, the second straight regular-season game he will miss. Elsewhere on Friday's slate, San Antonio lists De'Aaron Fox as questionable with a right wrist sprain for its game against Houston in Austin, and Kyrie Irving is absent from the Dallas Mavericks' injury report entirely ahead of a back-to-back that starts in Indiana.

Here is what each status means for fantasy lineups and DFS.

The Friday board

These are the fantasy-relevant designations heading into Friday's games, from team and league injury reports.

Dybantsa: day-to-day, and Saturday is in play

Dybantsa landed awkwardly on his left ankle after a shot in the preseason finale against New Orleans, and the Wizards have kept him out since. Coach Brian Keefe said Thursday that he remains day-to-day, and he has been seen taking part in shooting drills and at practice this week, both encouraging signs.

The schedule offers a natural return point. Friday's game is the front end of a back-to-back, and with a day-to-day designation, Saturday's game against Chicago is a realistic target. That is a reading of the calendar, not a team announcement. For fantasy managers who drafted Dybantsa, the patience is the price of a rookie with his upside: he should step into a large role the moment he is cleared.

In the meantime, Washington's offense runs through Anthony Davis, who tied a franchise debut record with 34 points in the opening win over Milwaukee. Davis remains the top Wizards play on Friday, and the frontcourt usage that would eventually go to Dybantsa stays concentrated on him for at least one more game.

Spurs: Fox's wrist and a thin forward group

Fox's wrist is the headline in Austin. He is officially questionable on the league's injury report, and the Spurs are coming off a disappointing opening loss to Oklahoma City in which Victor Wembanyama shot 1-of-13. If Fox sits, the backcourt playmaking load shifts, and San Antonio's guards behind him become short-term DFS value plays.

Tobias Harris will miss his second straight regular-season game with the calf strain that cost him all of preseason, and Keldon Johnson is questionable with a mouth laceration. That leaves the Spurs short at forward, which should push more minutes and touches toward Wembanyama and the remaining wings. A bounce-back game from Wembanyama is the most likely outcome; one cold shooting night does not change his status as a first-round fantasy asset.

San Antonio plays again Saturday in Dallas, so Fox's status could be managed across both nights.

Kyrie Irving: cleared for Friday, Saturday less certain

Irving returned on Wednesday for the first time in 597 days after tearing his left ACL in March 2025, scoring 15 points in 24 minutes in a 128-110 loss to Houston. He played on a minutes restriction, and his absence from Friday's injury report sets up the first back-to-back of his comeback: Friday in Indiana, then Saturday's home opener against the Spurs.

Some reporting expects him to play only one of the two games as he ramps up. Fantasy managers should start him Friday given his clean report, while accepting that the minutes cap limits his ceiling. Dallas has also ruled out Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberovic and Caleb Martin for Friday, which thins the rotation around Irving.

Elsewhere

Malik Monk (ankle) is probable for Sacramento against Portland and should be in lineups. Portland ruled out Branden Carlson (concussion). In Denver, Cam Johnson is questionable for Saturday against New Orleans after spraining his right ankle in Thursday's loss to Oklahoma City.

Back-to-backs shape the weekend

Friday's slate is the front end of several back-to-backs, and that context should guide every lineup decision. Washington, San Antonio and Dallas all play again Saturday, which means teams have reasons to hold out players with minor injuries on one night or the other. Dybantsa sitting Friday increases the chance he plays Saturday. Fox's questionable tag could resolve either way, and the Spurs could choose to rest him on one end of the set rather than risk aggravating the wrist.

For Irving, the back-to-back is the first real test of how Dallas manages his workload. A player returning from an ACL tear is unlikely to play heavy minutes on consecutive nights, and the Mavericks have every incentive to be conservative in October. Daily-fantasy players should treat Irving's Saturday status as uncertain until the team says otherwise.

The Verdexed angle

Early-season injury designations are where DFS value hides. Teams are cautious in October, and a questionable tag on a starter like Fox often resolves late. When a player of his usage sits, the replacements tend to be underpriced because salaries were set before the news. For the model's daily game view, see the NBA picks pieces and the NBA predictions page.

What to do tonight

Bench Dybantsa in daily lineups and keep him rostered in season-long leagues; Saturday is the next window. Start Anthony Davis with confidence. Check Fox's status at the final pregame report and pivot to a Spurs guard in DFS if he sits. Start Irving Friday and expect a possible rest day Saturday. Start Monk at probable.