NBA Player News

The last time Kyle Lowry missed a game (Apr. 5, 2014), Greivis Vasquez had 26 points, four boards, four dimes, one steal and six treys in 37 minutes. He should get a huge increase in playing time in a favorable matchup. If you’re looking to stream a point guard tonight, look no further.

Initially questionable for Thursday’s win over Detroit, Green played 32 minutes and finished with seven points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal, and three blocked shots. With Stephen Curry (knees) also questionable and Andrew Wiggins (personal) away from the team, the Warriors could be down numerous contributors on Friday. Kyle Anderson and Kevon Looney will have greater importance if Green does not play.

Mike Budenholzer said that it wasn’t about matchups, but that he just opted to go with Mason Plumlee and rookie Oso Ighodaro. Plumlee had 10 rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes, while Ighodaro provided a 4/5/2/1/1 line in 25 minutes. Plumlee can be a solid source of rebounds, but there isn’t a center in Phoenix that should be considered a must-roster player at this point.

Allen joined Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal as 20-point scorers in this game to help the Suns get their second win in their last three games. This was a new season-high for scoring for Allen, and he tied his season-high for 3-pointers made. Allen hasn’t been able to replicate his breakout season as a reserve, but he is still more than capable of getting hot in a hurry. He got hot in this game, but he still only took eight shots, which is discouraging for his value moving forward.

Bogi has missed quite a few games recently and hasn’t played well when he’s been available. However, he looked like his normal self in this game. He had his highest-scoring game since December 6th, and this ended up tying his third-highest scoring output this season. Bogi has missed more games than he has played in this season, but if he is able to be available moving forward, his bench scoring should help the Hawks stay competitive after a tough stretch. He’ll look to build off this performance with the Rockets coming to town on Saturday.

Capela has been a double-double machine throughout his career, but that hasn’t been the case this season. In their last 12 games, Capela has just two double-doubles. Since coming to Atlanta, he has had at least 35 double-doubles in each season, but he has just eight in 38 appearances this year. It’s unlikely that he keeps that pace this season, though a drop in minutes can help explain that. They’ll close out the week against the Rockets on Saturday, with a three-game week after that.

Filipowski didn’t do much as a scorer on Thursday but hit double figures in rebounds for the first time as a professional. Add in the defensive stats, and the rookie forward did provide some positives against the Heat. Filipowski, who has grabbed at least seven rebounds in three straight games, may not have much fantasy value right now. However, he will have added value after the trade deadline, especially if Utah moves a veteran or two.

Markkanen finished Thursday’s loss tied for the team lead in scoring (Collin Sexton also scored 23), but the way he got there was inefficient. Markkanen shot 33.3% from the field, making just two of his nine 2-point attempts. On the season, he’s shooting 51.9% from two. That isn’t a terrible number, but it is four percentage points lower than his mark from last season. Markkanen’s overall percentage (43.0%) is five points lower than his 2023-24 number, so his fantasy value has taken a hit.

Sexton has scored 20 points or more in three straight and six of his last seven games, providing solid value regardless of the fantasy league format. Over the past two weeks, he has offered 7th-round value in 9-cat formats, averaging 21.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.1 3-pointers per game. While currently a solid fantasy option, Sexton is a player who may be a shutdown risk later in the season. For now, he should continue to be rostered in most fantasy leagues.

Adebayo’s scoring hasn’t increased since the Heat suspended Jimmy Butler, and neither has his fantasy value. Over the past week, the Miami center has been a top-75 player in 9-cat formats. Adebayo’s season-long value hasn’t been what many fantasy managers expected, as he’s only a top-60 player (Yahoo ADP of 32). While his assist and steals averages are higher than a season ago, Bam’s averaging three fewer points per game. That will need to change if he’s to approach his ADP before the season’s end.

Jaquez came up big for the Heat on Thursday, as he hit a 3-pointer to extend Miami’s lead to five with 1:03 remaining and made two free throws in the final seconds to seal the outcome. Figuring out which Heat wings can provide consistent fantasy value has been difficult, but Jaquez has raised his production since the Jimmy Butler suspension. Over the past week, he has provided top-75 value in 9-cat formats. Rostered in 37% of Yahoo leagues, Jaquez is worth picking up, especially with Miami playing another game before the end of Week 11 (Saturday at Portland).