The Pacers are targeting December 20 for Danny Granger's (calf) season debut.

"We're going to target next Friday for a hopeful return to see how this week of practices goes," coach Frank Vogel said. Granger was hoping to return this past Friday, but the Pacers are concerned about his knee injury which kept him to five games last season. Lance Stephenson owners shouldn't be too worried about his value taking much of a hit while Danny Granger is not worth much of a pickup unless it's to drop dead weight.

The Pacers hope that Danny Granger (calf) will make his season debut on Friday.

Granger's calf feels better but the Pacers are more concerned about the continued health of his surgically-repaired knee. His conditioning will also be an issue and he's unlikely to play more than a handful of minutes in his debut, as the Pacers will slowly work him back into the rotation.

Danny Granger (calf) will not make his season debut on Friday.

Granger somewhat rashly suggested that he'd be ready to go Friday, but he backed away from that idea after Thursday's practice. "I don't like where I'm at with my timing and my rhythm and obviously my conditioning," he said. Paul George is playing like an MVP and Lance Stephenson has found a comfort zone at SG, leaving Granger to scrap for reserve minutes whenever he's healthy enough to play.

Danny Granger (calf) has been declared out for Wednesday's game against the Heat, but is hoping to play Friday against the Bobcats.

If Granger is able to return Friday, he'll enter as the odd-man out with Paul George and Lance Stephenson playing so well. While only two years removed from being an elite fantasy option, Granger can only be viewed as a deep league flier due to the current logjam in the Pacers' rotation.

Danny Granger (calf) "looked good" in portions of Friday's practice, according to coach Frank Vogel.

He's not going to play Saturday against the Spurs and is still out indefinitely. The Pacers have very little incentive to bring Granger back with how well the team has come together this year. Lance Stephenson and Paul George are unlikely to see their roles change much, so fantasy owners shouldn't be concerned. Granger can be left on the wire in most formats.

Danny Granger (calf) didn't practice on Tuesday and he has no return date.

He's been upbeat about the injury since it doesn't affect his surgically-repaired knee, but he's yet to play in a game this season and has a long hill to climb before regaining fantasy relevance.

Danny Granger (calf) was getting up some shots before Friday's game against the Celtics.

This isn't a major development, but Granger is trying to get back on the court. He hasn't been practicing yet and doesn't have a specific target date. The Pacers will likely take it easy on him, so it might be a while before gets in the conversation as a standard-league pickup.

Danny Granger sat out Monday's practice with lingering soreness in his left calf.

Granger remains confident in his recovery because his surgically-repaired knee isn't causing him any discomfort, but 11 DNPs to start the season isn't exactly encouraging for fantasy owners.

Danny Granger is still dealing with an upper respiratory infection and has been ruled out for Friday and Saturday.

It sounds like we could see him back in the lineup early next week, but are guessing he's lost his starting job to Lance Stephenson. Granger has been a injury mess for the last couple season and is already dealing with the illness, a calf injury and recovery from knee surgery. Pick him up and see what happens if you want to, but the risk is starting to outweigh the potential reward in owning Granger.

Danny Granger sat out Thursday's practice due to a respiratory infection.

He also missed Wednesday's practice with lingering soreness in his left calf. The good news is that he hasn't felt soreness in his surgically-repaired knee, contract to recent reports, and shouldn't be out of the lineup much longer. What role he'll play upon his return is uncertain, but it's very difficult to see him overtaking Lance Stephenson at SG.

Danny Granger (calf) did not practice on Wednesday.

He went through an intense three-on-three workout on Tuesday and felt soreness in his left calf, which isn't altogether surprising since he hasn't played for weeks. He won't play in a game until he makes it through a few practices pain-free, so his return isn't imminent.

Danny Granger said he is not experiencing knee soreness.

He had surgery last season and played in just five games, but he's failed to appear in a regular-season game this year due to a calf strain. Granger confirmed he will practice this week and is on the comeback trail. We still wouldn't consider him a must-stash player considering how well Lance Stephenson is playing and the propensity in which Granger has been hurt.

Danny Granger (calf) could begin practicing again next week.

He hasn't been in a game since aggravating his calf injury on Oct. 18. The Pacers are likely going to ease him back, so it might be a while before he's making an impact. There's no reason to bring Granger back in a hurry with Lance Stephenson making an early case for Most Improved Player. What's more, Stephenson's minutes shouldn't take a big hit with guys like Orlando Johnson getting some minutes on the wing.

Danny Granger (calf) is able to do light shooting and no-contact offensive sets, but his timetable remains unchanged.

A mid-November return would mesh with the original three-week prognosis, but we're not ruling out the possibility that he'll be sidelined even longer. He's coming back from a lengthy rehab following knee surgery and needs to regain strength and conditioning before earning a big role in the rotation -- given Lance Stephenson's strong play thus far, it's hard to be optimistic about Granger's outlook for the near future.

Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star spoke to a medical expert on calf strains who believes that Danny Granger's timeframe for a return should be four to six weeks, instead of the three weeks the Pacers have announced.

Either way, given Granger's knee issues, lack of play over the last year, and his new calf injury, he could be in and out of the lineup all season. Granger has also said he could be back even sooner than the three-week timeframe, but we'd be surprised. Lance Stephenson, who will start at shooting guard in the meantime, is worth picking up in almost all leagues.

Danny Granger (strained left calf) has been ruled out for three weeks.

According to the Pacers' press release, "The length of time is a precautionary measure as the team wants to ensure Granger is physically ready to play in light of missing all but five games last season due to his knee injury. The rehabilitation time is strictly related to the calf injury." Conditioning will be an issue once Granger's calf heals, and a season-opening string of DNPs will snuff out any optimism that might have been kindled this offseason. His absence cements Lance Stephenson as the team's starting SG.

Danny Granger (strained left calf) has been ruled out for the Pacers' first two games.

The earliest Granger might return is Saturday, Nov. 2 at home against the Cavaliers, but there are no guarantees. He'll need to regain his conditioning and rebuild his strength while competing for minutes with Lance Stephenson, which paints an ugly picture for his early-season value.

Danny Granger's strained left calf is worse than originally thought and he's unlikely for the opener on Wednesday, according to coach Frank Vogel.

Lance Stephenson is expected to draw the start against the Hornets. Granger strained his calf in back-to-back games last week and it sounds like the Pacers are going to be extremely cautious. What's more, the team was also expected to ease him into his role after knee issues kept him to only five games last year. He's looking like he's more trouble than he's worth in most fantasy formats.

Danny Granger (calf) has been ruled out for the rest of the preseason.

He aggravated his left calf on Friday, so the team is just going to let him heal for the rest of the preseason. The Pacers make their season debut on Oct. 29 against the Magic and Granger should be considered questionable. The 30-year-old swingman played in just five games last year due to knee issues, so there seems to be too much risk here. If Granger needs to miss time, Lance Stephenson, who is having a nice preseason, would gain value.

Danny Granger (strained left calf) will not play on Saturday.

He injured himself during the second half of Friday's game but the Pacers haven't yet shut him down for the preseason, so he could still return for preseason action vs. the Hawks (Tuesday) or Mavericks (Friday). Lance Stephenson will start at SG at least until Granger returns from his injury.