NBA Player News

Both of them deserve consideration as spot-starters, though in a game like this it will be a crapshoot as to who will gobble up all the remaining minutes.

Barrett can typically be counted on for assists without Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes in the lineup. His nine assists weren’t a surprise, but he exploded for 32 points against the Bulls Monday. He’s now had four games in December with at least 29 points. Fantasy managers will certainly take that from Barrett, who is a must-start option as Quickley and Barnes are still set to be out for weeks.

White’s shooting slump continued Monday. He made 3-of-7 attempts from behind the 3-point line, but only 5-of-15 field goals overall. White saved his night by getting to the free throw line and making 6-of-7 attempts there. He had five assists, but also turned the ball over four times. White might have more opportunity in the future if injuries to Zach LaVine and Josh Giddey linger.

Vucevic was back in the lineup after missing Friday’s game against the Hornets. He led the Bulls in points and shot attempts against the Raptors. Zach LaVine was out and Josh Giddey exited in the third quarter, which only increased Vucevic’s usage and importance for the Bulls. Vooch continues to have a great season for his fantasy managers.

Dennis Schroder’s trade to Golden State impacts the entire Nets rotation, including Johnson. He will have to do more scoring, and there will also be more opportunities to make plays for others. Johnson led the Nets in scoring and was second on the team in assists on Monday, with only Ben Simmons (seven) having more. Unless Johnson were to be traded, he’ll be a valuable fantasy option for the foreseeable future.

Butler’s 35 points were a game-high as he played 44 minutes in the overtime loss. If Butler is auditioning for other teams as he’s said to be open to a trade before this year’s deadline, this was about as good as it gets for the 35-year-old small forward. He showed he can still be a top player and will only have more motivation if he’s dealt to a real contender.

Simmons took over the primary playmaker responsibilities on Monday, as the Nets traded Dennis Schroder to the Warriors on Sunday. Simmons’s rebounds, assists, and steals were solid, but he also committed six turnovers. A difficult player to trust in fantasy basketball due to past availability issues, Simmons remains available in 78% of Yahoo leagues. Monday’s performance wasn’t excellent, but he deserves consideration in deep leagues.

Allen had a solid night at the office, making all five field goal attempts and providing solid value in rebounds, assists, and steals. While he remains a top 50 player in 9-cat formats for the season, Allen’s recent decrease in scoring has negatively impacted his value. Averaging 11.5 points per game, he’s ranked just outside the top 100 over the past two weeks.

Cleveland blowing out Brooklyn increased opportunities for some of the team’s reserves, notably LeVert and Georges Niang. LeVert’s 19 points were three shy of his season-high, and he recorded his first complete stat line (including 3-pointers) since November 13. The six triples were a season-high for LeVert, who entered Monday averaging 1.7 per game. As for Niang, he added 17 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two 3-pointers in 25 minutes. While the stat lines may prompt some to consider adding Niang or LeVert, the nature of Monday’s game had much to do with their production.