NBA Player News

Gooden is a semi-surprise here because he was expected to play, but given the opponent we shouldn’t be all that surprised, really. Owners will want to key in on Gooden’s ability to play during the upcoming four-game week as a real indicator of his value, noting that the Bucks have a three-game week after that. Ekpe Upoh will start and becomes a guy to watch very close and is a speculative stash. Mike Dunleavy is a lock to play big minutes, and one of Beno Udrih, Shaun Livingston, and Larry Sanders will likely surprise us tonight.

With Finney-Smith back after a two-game absence and Nic Claxton (back) out for at least one week, the Nets have made two changes to their starting lineup. Simmons will fill the void left by Claxton, while Finney-Smith’s return bumps Ziaire Williams to the bench.

Brunson is available to play in Friday’s game, but Karl-Anthony Towns (wrist) is not. As a result, Sims will start, but he is a risky streaming play. The opportunity to produce will undoubtedly be there, but Sims hasn’t offered much value when given the chance to start. Look for Ariel Hukporti to play rotation minutes off the bench.

Both point guards were listed as probable and have officially been given the all-clear. With Miles McBride out, Payne should see a larger role off the bench, while Brunson will have to do some extra scoring with Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined.

While McBride has been dealing with inflammation in his left knee, an illness is why he’ll sit out Friday’s game. Tyler Kolek will move into the rotation but is unlikely to get the run needed to impact fantasy basketball. Look for backup point guard Cameron Payne to play more as well.

Towns collided with Zach LaVine in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game against the Bulls. He stayed in the game, but was clearly less than 100%. Now he’ll get the night off with Jericho Sims set to start for the Knicks in his place, though Sims isn’t on the streaming radar Friday.

Rui Hachimura is out wtih an ankle sprain, which will reportedly allow Knecht to return to the starting unit. Max Christie should also make a return to the rotation and play a significant role off the bench. Knecht struggled in the only other start of his career, but he scored a career-high 19 points in their last game.

Ivey is back after a one-game absence, bumping Ron Holland II from the starting lineup. With Tim Hardaway Jr. (head) sidelined, Holland will still play rotation minutes in Toronto. However, that isn’t enough to make him a worthwhile streamer in most leagues.

Evan Mobley is out with an illness while Jarrett Allen, who’s been dealing with a leg injury, will start again. The Cavaliers remain undefeated, but Mobley being out is a key loss. Allen, on the other hand, saw his minutes tick back up in his last game and might be close to being over his leg injury. At the very least, he was feeling better as he posted his eighth double-double of the year.

Davis is officially available after initially being considered probable for Friday’s game. He’ll take on his usual workload, with Christian Koloko as the backup center.

Allen will miss a second straight game with this hamstring issue, which means more minutes for Josh Okogie and Damion Lee off the bench. Okogie went off for 25 points, eight rebounds, one assist, two steals and three 3-pointers in 28 minutes on Wednesday. Managers shouldn’t expect a repeat performance, but he could offer some value in deeper leagues.