NBA Player News

The new players to enter protocols weren’t named, but Cavs and Hawks players may not get the chance to help out your fantasy team if the Cavs don’t meet the league requirement of eight active players.

Moody has missed the Warriors’ last three games, most recently sitting out Thursday’s loss to the Grizzlies. His participation in Friday’s practice means he should be considered questionable for Saturday’s game against the Timberwolves. Moody hasn’t provided reliable fantasy value this season, and that’s unlikely to change if he plays.

Suggs was injured during Thursday’s loss to the Thunder. While he returned to action, it didn’t take long for Magic coach Jamahl Mosley to remove his starting point guard from the game as he was uncomfortable playing on the injured leg. The good news is that Suggs is probable on the initial injury report, meaning he’s on track to remain the team’s starting point guard on Saturday. Anthony Black and Cole Anthony will absorb the available minutes if he cannot play.

Harris has been out of the lineup since November 25, missing ten games. While his return would not significantly impact fantasy basketball, it would improve the depth of a team playing without Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

Williams has been out since November 19, when he suffered a severe ankle sprain during a game against the Nuggets. While he is progressing in his recovery, the third-year wing is still at least three weeks away from being cleared to play. Williams’s and GG Jackson’s absences have opened up opportunities for rookie Jaylen Wells, who has locked down a place in the starting lineup.

Irving sat out Thursday’s matchup with Los Angeles, but the practice participation is encouraging for his outlook in Saturday’s rematch. If Irving is sidelined for a second straight game, expect Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes to see increased playing time.

Williams has started each of Charlotte’s last three games, but he’ll be out for the second leg of the Hornets’ back-to-back set. “Naughty Nicky” Richards should be in line for a spot start with Moussa Diabate logging extra minutes off the bench.

Charlotte played Thursday, so it’s not surprising that Ball is getting a day off on the second leg of a back-to-back set. Miller sat out Thursday, so he’ll miss a second straight contest. Vasilije Micic and Seth Curry are the most likely candidates to replace Ball and Miller in the starting five, though Cody Martin should see a bump in playing time as well.

Since returning from a two-game absence with a hamstring issue, Murray has been on a tear. He has been playing some of his best basketball of the season and has averaged 24.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.3 steals and 3.0 triples per game while shooting 45.9% from the line during the last three games. That is a 3% improvement on his season-long field goal percentage while taking four extra shots per game, which has resulted in some excellent nights. He’ll look to carry this production into New Orleans to wrap up the week on Sunday.

With Christian Braun back after a one-game absence, Westbrook returned to playing a role off the bench. However, he was still able to make an impact on this game, especially late in the fourth. He had a big block on Anfernee Simons that set up a dunk for Michael Porter Jr. that gave Denver a late lead. It wasn’t enough to help them win, and he wasn’t able to put up the same numbers that he did during his recent starts. However, Westbrook is playing far better than he did for either Los Angeles team and will continue to be an important reserve piece for the Nuggets.

This wasn’t a typical Jokic masterclass. Sure, he was still unstoppable as a scorer, and he scored 10 of his 34 in the fourth, which included a late layup to tie the game. However, he set a new season-low for rebounds and failed to record a double-double for just the fourth time this season. Managers shouldn’t be worried, since he is still arguably the best player in fantasy basketball. They’ll close out the week in New Orleans on Sunday before a four-game week after that. Jokic will have plenty of dominant nights during that stretch.