NBA Player News

The Lakers are making another change to their starting lineup, with Ariza replacing Stanley Johnson. Ariza has a better chance of offering up a few 3-pointers, but there isn’t much need to roster either in any fantasy league.

Pritchard has been solid all season, but his best performances have come during blowouts. That was the case during this game, and he nearly recorded a double-double in just 22 minutes. Pritchard ranks just outside the top-75 over the course of the season, but his production has been taking a hit in recent weeks. He played well in this game, but his numbers have been inconsistent from game to game. They have a back-to-back coming up on Wednesday and Thursday, and if they rest some of their starters, Pritchard may be able to have two more solid performances.

Drummond did not play in Sunday’s loss to the Bucks, and with Joel Embiid and Guerschon Yabusele also out, rookie Adem Bona was the starting center. If Drummond can play against the Nuggets, he’ll likely be in the starting lineup opposite Nikola Jokic. He hasn’t been a great fantasy option when healthy, but Embiid’s continued absence would make Drummond worth the risk.

After sitting out the second leg of their back-to-back on Saturday, Porzingis was back in the lineup for this game. He only logged 22 minutes after playing 23 minutes in the last game that he played, both of which were blowouts. Porzingis played well, but, like everyone else in this game, he was limited by the lopsided score. They have a back-to-back coming up on Wednesday and Thursday against the Los Angeles teams, so managers should expect Porzingis and Al Horford to miss one leg. Typically, they stagger Porzingis and Horford’s availability, though that wasn’t the case in their most recent back-to-back, which allowed Luke Kornet to start and split the center minutes with Neemias Queta.

Boston controlled this game from the opening tip, which limited Tatum to just 28 minutes. Had the game been closer, Tatum would have had a chance to record a triple-double, though he still had an effective night. This was the first game of a four-game road trip this week, and it couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. The upcoming games will hopefully be closer, which will allow Tatum to put up numbers closer to his top ten averages this season. They have a back-to-back coming up against the LA teams on Wednesday and Thursday.

Watson exited early from Sunday’s game against the Magic after hitting his head on the court during the first half. However, that isn’t expected to keep him out of the lineup against Philadelphia. Watson should continue to play a role off the bench, though it will be limited with Aaron Gordon back.

Harris has only played in three games since initially straining his left hamstring on November 25, none since January 1. He wasn’t a factor in fantasy basketball when healthy, and that’s unlikely to change if he’s cleared to play against the Raptors.

Murray is managing a calf issue, but it isn’t expected to keep him out of the lineup. They don’t have a back-to-back until January 31st, so this shouldn’t be a concern, as long as it doesn’t get worse. If something changes, Russell Westbrook would likely shift over to point guard, with Aaron Gordon making a return to the starting lineup.

Howard, who has missed Orlando’s last four games, was initially questionable for Sunday’s loss to the Nuggets before being ruled out. His availability does not impact fantasy basketball.

Tuesday’s game will be the fourth straight on the sideline for Bitadze. Wendell Carter Jr. will remain in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future and should be streamed until Goga returns.