San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (hamstring) will make his season debut on Saturday versus the New Orleans Pelicans, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The All-Star point guard has yet to suit up due to an offseason hamstring issue. Fox should slide right into the starting lineup, likely pushing Julian Champagnie into a bench role. Stephon Castle will play more off the ball, and his 30% usage rate is bound to take a hit. Fox's return comes at a great time for the Spurs, who recently lost rookie point guard Dylan Harper (calf) for a couple of weeks. It is not clear if Fox will be on a minutes restriction for his first game.

Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton (neck) went from more likely to play to more likely to watch from the sidelines on Friday. Earlier Friday morning, Sexton was considered probable to play their NBA Cup game against the Miami Heat, but the team's PR department has since announced that he's been downgraded to doubtful. Unfortunately, LaMelo Ball (ankle) was also downgraded from questionable to doubtful. That means Tre Mann is likely moving into the starting five while Kon Knueppel and Sion James will have an even bigger role in the offense. For fantasy managers in deeper leagues, KJ Simpson might even be worth a look for relief minutes in the backcourt. As of right now, Knueppel is the most consistent with averages of 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 3.1 threes per game.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) has been downgraded from questionable to doubtful ahead of their Friday night matchup with the Miami Heat. The star point guard has had a history of ankle issues and will now likely miss a third consecutive game due to another ankle injury. His backcourt mate, Collin Sexton (neck), was also downgraded to doubtful, so that means more opportunities for Tre Mann, Sion James, and Kon Knueppel. So far this season, the rookie Knueppel has been the most consistent, especially from three. If available, he'd be the highest priority streamer since he averages 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 3.1 threes per game.

New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (illness) will miss a third consecutive game after the team ruled him out for Saturday's matchup with the San Antonio Spurs. The 21-year-old has appeared in five games so far (four starts), but hasn't really seen any increase in production yet. While he's been out, Kevon Looney has taken over the starting center spot while Derik Queen has seen increasing minutes off the bench. While Looney can provide managers with solid rebounding numbers, Queen provides a higher all-around ceiling after posting 23 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, and seven steals across 44 minutes in his last two games.