NBA Player News

Nelson had a sweet coast-to-coast dunk tonight, but isn’t likely to have much fantasy value this season. But Don Nelson wants him to play some point guard so keep your eye on him during the regular season if he is getting minutes.

Salaun was recalled from the Hornets’ G League affiliate but will not play on Thursday due to a sprained right ankle. His absence will only impact fantasy basketball if the Hornets are forced to play without Miles Bridges. Bridges is probable for Thursday’s game with an illness.

Burks has been cleared to play after missing two weeks with a back injury. Due to Andrew Wiggins’ continued absences, rotation minutes should be available to the veteran guard. However, Burks is not a must-add player in this spot. The Heat have two more games after Wednesday, so a quality performance against the Pistons could put Burks on the deep-league radar for those matchups.

Wiggins will miss a second consecutive game. Jaime Jaquez Jr. replaced him in the starting lineup for Monday’s loss to the Knicks and could keep the position. However, Alec Burks is another option since he has been cleared to play for the first time since March 5. Jaquez and Burks would have added value if allowed to start, but neither would be a must-add in standard leagues.

Due to the Mavericks’ lack of depth, Hardy and Jones should play rotation minutes on Wednesday. As for which player offers the higher ceiling, that would be Hardy. However, the gap is minimal due to the Mavericks’ lack of healthy frontcourt players. Both players are worth a roll of the dice in deep leagues.

Absent from the Mavericks’ initial injury report, Thompson will not play against the Pacers. Along with Williams, their absences leave Dallas down two starters. Spencer Dinwiddie and Max Christie have the most to gain regarding playing time and fantasy value, and both are worth streaming. Also of note is the return of Jaden Hardy, who is available to play for the first time since March 3.

Furphy is good to go after being unavailable for Monday’s win over the Timberwolves. With most of the Pacers’ regular rotation also available, the minutes Furphy needs to achieve fantasy relevance won’t be there.

Siakam is back with the team after missing Monday’s win over the Timberwolves for personal reasons. His return means Obi Toppin will return to the bench after having the best game of his Pacers career. Walker could remain in the starting lineup since Tyrese Haliburton (back) is out. Walker or Bennedict Mathurin may stay with the starters after filling in on Monday.

Haliburton will miss a second straight game, which means Andrew Nembhard will be the sole point guard in the starting lineup. While this does raise Nembhard’s fantasy ceiling, he was ejected from Monday’s win over the Timberwolves after a third-quarter altercation with Rudy Gobert. Jarace Walker or Bennedict Mathurin will remain in the starting lineup, with Mathurin offering a higher offensive ceiling.

With Anthony not participating in Tuesday’s practice of Wednesday’s pregame shootaround, the writing regarding his availability was on the wall. His absence means Cory Joseph will remain in the starting lineup, but he’s only worth a look in extremely deep leagues.

Garrett, who agreed to a 10-day contract on March 12, is dealing with a lower back issue. He was solid in 24 minutes against the Hawks on Tuesday, but that was with Miles Bridges unavailable. If Bridges can play against the Knicks, Garrett’s chances of getting the minutes needed to impact fantasy basketball are slim.