Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (Achilles) is not only expected to return this season, but he could be back in action as soon as Friday, according to the latest reports from ESPN's Shams Charania. Tatum was officially listed as questionable for Friday, after working his way back from an Achilles injury suffered in last year's playoffs. According to Charania, Tatuam is "ready to go" and is expected to make a final decision about Friday in the next day. With Tatum out, the Celtics have been led by Jaylen Brown to a 41-21 record, which has them second in the Eastern Conference. They play at home on Friday before a big three-game road trip to Cleveland, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City. Tatum will likely be worked back into the rotation slowly and be on a minutes limit early on, but if he's available in any season-long fantasy format, he's a must-add for his high ceiling.

New Orleans Pelicans guard/forward Trey Murphy III (neck) has been tagged as questionable for Thursday's contest against the Sacramento Kings. Murphy III has played in two games since returning from a shoulder contusion. Now, he's dealing with neck spasms, and the team might want to ease his workload since another game is scheduled for Friday night. If Murphy III is unavailable, Bryce McGowens and Jeremiah Fears could get more minutes, and Jordan Poole might also rejoin the rotation.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (ankle) is listed as questionable on the injury report ahead of Thursday's meeting with the Sacramento Kings. After missing one game due to an ankle sprain, the former No. 1 pick was back in action on Tuesday against the Lakers, but Williamson could land back on the shelf for Thursday night. New Orleans will play two games in as many nights, so the team has some decisions to make. If Williamson sits out Thursday's game, DeAndre Jordan may return to the starting lineup; however, his minutes are not expected to increase significantly. Instead, Derik Queen benefited the most from Williamson's absence on Sunday against the Clippers, delivering an impressive 19 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block in 29 minutes off the bench.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (Achilles) won't play in the first leg of a back-to-back on Thursday against the Sacramento Kings. Only a week has passed since Murray made his season debut, and the team is being cautious with his workload. We should see him back on the court against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. Across his first four outings of the season, Murray has averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.8 steals in 25.0 minutes per game. Bryce McGowens slotted into the starting lineup when Murray sat out the first game of a back-to-back last weekend. Overall, McGowens has made 13 starts this season, posting 10.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.