NBA Player News

He did have a monster alley-oop dunk, courtesy of Jeremy Lin from 40 feet with the game in hand, but never got it going tonight. The reality of the situation is that Smith is more likely to hurt the fantasy value of Landry Fields and Iman Shumpert than he is to offer a ton of it on his own account. The three will likely trade off big games, and while Smith has the potential to go crazy on any given night, all of them will be too inconsistent to be relied upon on a weekly basis.

As expected, Leonard will sit out the second leg of this back-to-back. Kris Dunn, who is questionable with a knee injury, started in his place during Kawhi’s last absence. If Dunn is out as well, Amir Coffey will likely get the start.

Zubac will sit out the second night of their back-to-back, which will be his first absence of the season. Mo Bamba and Kai Jones have been the other center options on the team, so one should start, but neither will be a great option, even with plenty of minutes.

Carter will be inactive for a third straight game, and he’s been out of the rotation recently when available to play. His continued absence does not impact fantasy basketball.

White recovered from his neck injury only to tweak his ankle against the Trail Blazers. Josh Giddey and Zach LaVine will need to pick up the slack with their backcourt partner out of commission.

Ball has missed two two of the Bulls’ previous three games while Dosunmu has played in three straight games after an extended layoff caused by injuries. Both guards could leave Chicago shorthanded, as Coby White has already been ruled out. Josh Giddey and Zach LaVine could be in for some heavy lifting in this matchup.

LaVine and Smith are a little banged up but both are on track to play on Monday. LaVine should help power the offense while Smith provides quality backup for Nikola Vucevic.

Curry’s status for Monday was up in the air but he’s trending in the right direction to play on Monday. The Warriors star carved Boston up with 27 points, nine assists, seven assists, and four steals earlier this season.

Richards is set to make his first start with the Suns after notching 21 points and 11 rebounds in his debut with the team. Mason Plumlee has been moved to the bench in the aftermath.

Irving has gotten back on track since shooting 4-of-18 from the field in his January 14 return from a back injury. He’s shot 20-of-43 from the field in his last two outings, scoring 58 points in games against Oklahoma City and Charlotte. Dallas plays three more games during Week 13, including a Wednesday/Thursday back-to-back. Fantasy managers certainly hope Irving is at the point where he will not need to miss a game for injury management reasons.

With Dereck Lively II (ankle) sidelined for a third straight game, Gafford put on a show in Charlotte. Not only did he shoot 80% from the field, but the Mavericks center was perfect from the foul line. Add in the overall stat line, and Gafford’s performance exceeded the expectations of many fantasy managers. He’s provided 5th-round value over the past two weeks, and the Mavericks having three more games during Week 13 is excellent news for Gafford managers.