NBA Player News

The Cavaliers declined Zizic’s $3.8M option for the 2020-21 season, but it doesn’t mean the Cavs have no interest in bringing him back. In fact, beat writer Chris Fedor reported several months ago that there’s a “strong possibility” they bring him back because of how much they like him, but it’s possible that it hinges on what happens with Andre Drummond’s player option for 2020-21.

Clarkson has scored 20 points or more in the two games he’s played since returning from a case of plantar fasciitis that sidelined him for seven. The issue for fantasy managers is that he doesn’t provide much value beyond points, so Clarkson remains ranked outside the top 200 in 9-cat formats. He’s better in turnover-punt builds but remains well outside the top 150. Clarkson is another player whose name may come up in trade rumors, as the Jazz need to embrace the rebuild.

Sexton shot the ball well, but he offered little else in the way of fantasy value on Monday. Over the past two weeks, he’s ranked outside the top 200 in 9-cat per-game value. Sexton’s season-long fantasy value hasn’t been much better, and he’s someone to keep an eye on between now and the February trade deadline. Utah may not have as many options at the guard spots as they do on the wings, but there may come a point when the more experienced players take a seat to get the younger talents additional game time.

Well, at least Markkanen produced a respectable field goal percentage on Monday. This was a night to forget for him and the Jazz, as they were blitzed early by James Harden and the Clippers. With the game being a blowout, Markkanen only played 25 minutes, limiting his production. Games against the Pistons (Thursday) and Nets (Saturday) should be more competitive, which would be good news for fantasy managers expecting more production from Markkanen.

McDermott entered the starting lineup with Keegan Murray out and ended up playing 27 minutes. Our expectations were that he could help out with points and threes as a streamer in deep leagues and that mostly came true as he had 16 points and four 3-pointers. The question is why was the rest of his stat line almost completely empty? Did McBuckets grab his lone rebound by accident? Either way, McDermott can be safely dropped after this performance.

Coffey replaced Nicolas Batum in the starting lineup on Monday for defensive reasons. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue preferred Coffey to defend one of Utah’s guards (Keyonte George or Collin Sexton), allowing James Harden to defend John Collins. The lineup change worked, as Harden came out scalding hot, with Coffey doing most of his offensive damage in the fourth quarter (3-of-3 FGs) after the outcome was no longer in doubt. We’ll see who Lue starts on Thursday when the Clippers visit Dallas. However, Coffey and Batum (four points, three rebounds, two steals, and one 3-pointer in 16 minutes) offer limited value in matchups against more formidable opposition.

Like teammates James Harden (41 points) and Norman Powell (29), Zubac did most of what he wanted against the overmatched Jazz. A double-digit rebounder in five straight games, the 7-footer has posted a double-double in three straight. Zubac’s fantasy value slipped after a hot start to the season, but he remains a top-100 player in 9-cat formats.

James Harden wasn’t the only starter to have it rolling offensively on Monday. Powell shot 75% from the field, scoring 29 points, and he’s put up 28 or more in three of the five games he’s played since returning from a hamstring injury. Powell has been one of the biggest surprises in fantasy basketball this season, providing top-50 value in 9-cat formats. While Kawhi Leonard’s absence has resulted in more opportunities, Powell still has to convert them, and he has.

Harden was outstanding on Monday. He only needed 17 field-goal attempts to score 41 points. He scored 34 in the first half, becoming the first player since at least the 1996-97 season to make at least seven 3-pointers and 11 free throws in a half. Harden didn’t play in the fourth quarter, so he got his numbers and additional rest. The Clippers play two games in Dallas to end Week 8, and they’ll face much tougher competition than they did on Monday.

Fox led the Kings in scoring and shot attempts, but he wasn’t efficient and ended up a -13 in 39 minutes in the one-point Sacramento loss. While he typically finds a way to get his numbers and is one of the best scorers in the game, he hasn’t played his best yet this year and is still a top-20 player in fantasy. It’s scary to think that his ceiling is even higher than this.

Westbrook filled in for the injured Christian Braun (back). He predictably handled the ball and allowed Jamal Murray to take on a larger scoring role. Westbrook excelled in his 35 minutes as he was merely one rebound shy of a triple-double. The 36-year-old point guard is still a productive streaming option when Denver is missing a starter.