NBA Player News

Christmas was offered a partially-guaranteed deal on the strength of his play at Summer League, where he averaged 14.2 points and made 45 percent of his 3-pointers. Even if the 6'5" SG manages to make Boston’s regular season roster, he won’t be worth owning in fantasyland.

Eason has missed Houston’s last six games with an issue that limited him to 24 games last season. That’s concerning for the Rockets and fantasy managers who have relied on him. If he can play against the Mavericks, Eason’s value may increase slightly due to Amen Thompson serving a two-game suspension for his fight with Tyler Herro. However, fantasy managers should anticipate Eason’s minutes being restricted. Cam Whitmore will have added value regardless of Eason’s availability.

Tate will be back after a one-game absence, but he isn’t a player that impacts fantasy basketball. He may see a few extra minutes with Amen Thompson suspended, but he should be left on the waiver wire.

Lively has missed Dallas’ last three games, with his absence freeing up a place in the starting lineup and more minutes for Daniel Gafford. Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell have played rotation minutes recently, but neither has done enough to move the needle regarding fantasy value. Lively and Gafford have provided late-round value in their timeshare at the center position.

Thompson was sidelined for Monday’s game against the Kings, but he will be back in the lineup for Wednesday’s matchup between two Texas teams. Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy started in place of Thompson and Kyrie Irving in their last game, but both guards should be pushed back to the bench.

Turner had some rough outings during their two-game stretch in Boston to close out last week, but he was able to get back on track in this game. He recorded his sixth double-double of the season, three of which have come over their last five games. Turner isn’t a great rebounder for a center, but he has been effective in that regard recently. He didn’t provide his usual dose of multiple blocks in this game, but if he can get back to that and continue grab boards like this, his 9-cat value could rise into the top-50.

Irving is back after sitting out Monday’s loss to the Kings. His return means Jaden Hardy heads to the bench, where he’ll offer minimal fantasy value at best. Even with Dallas being shorthanded, there’s no need to consider holding onto Hardy if you streamed him on Monday.

Siakam remains a consistent option in fantasy basketball, and this performance was on par with his averages this season. His free throw percentage remains one of the weaker aspects of his game, and while it usually isn’t a massive deal, he tied his season-high for attempts in this game. He should continue to be a top-50 player in 9-cat leagues moving forward, though they only have two games left this week. They’ll head to Miami on Thursday before closing out the week against the Suns at home on Saturday.

Mathurin started the year off strong, but his month of December certainly wasn’t his best. However, he was able to end it on a strong note and score over 20 points for the first time since November. Mathurin is in the midst of the best season of his career and is averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, 3-pointers and field goal percentage, but he still hasn’t been great. Managers shouldn’t expect him to start averaging 25 points per game, but hopefully this is a performance that he can build off of, starting in Miami on Thursday.

Portis was part of the starting unit for four straight games with Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined, but he was pushed back to the bench for this game. His best performances have come as a starter this season, but he was still able to make a big impact in this game as a reserve. Portis’ recent stretch has pushed his value inside the top-100 over the course of the season, and while his numbers will be capped as long as he is coming off the bench, he should continue to be a serviceable option.

Trent Jr.'s season has been filled with ups and downs. He has had some solid performances off the bench, and he has also had some major duds. However, he has been playing well as of late and has scored at least 14 points in four of their last five games. He has also been averaging 1.8 steals and 2.8 threes per game during that stretch. Trent Jr. doesn’t contribute in many categories, but if managers are looking for a source of steals and 3-pointers, Trent Jr. isn’t a bad option, especially in deeper leagues.