NBA Player News

Ariza was in the starting lineup Tuesday night, likely for defensive reasons. The two steals were nice, but outside of that statistic, the veteran wing did not offer much in the way of value. The man he replaced in the starting lineup, Stanley Johnson, ended up having his best offensive showing of the season to date. Johnson shot 7-of-13 from the field and 1-of-3 from the foul line, scoring a season-high 16 points to go along with six rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer in 26 minutes. With the Lakers in need of scoring, it was Johnson who was on the court during the team’s fourth-quarter rally. Who starts Wednesday’s game in Portland remains to be seen, but neither Ariza nor Johnson has been consistent enough to merit being rostered in most leagues.

Harden recorded his second points/assists double-double in three games on Saturday, with the 14 helpers being the most he’s recorded in a game since March 4. Over the past month, The Beard has provided top-10 value in eight- and nine-cat formats. While the turnovers have decreased slightly, Harden’s scoring output has increased. He’s averaged 23.9 points per game over the past month, just over one point higher than his season average of 22.5. The Clippers end the regular season with a four-game Week 23, starting with the Spurs on Tuesday.

Zubac may not be a popular name in most mainstream conversations regarding the Most Improved Player award, but he deserves to be mentioned. The Clippers’ center is having a career year, and he was elite on Saturday. Zubac did not miss a shot from the field or the foul line, and the double-double was his 55th of the season. By comparison, he had 50 double-doubles in the prior two seasons combined. From a fantasy standpoint, Zubac has offered fourth-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats over the past month.

Saturday’s game went as well as the Clippers could have hoped regarding Leonard. For the first time this season, he played both games of a back-to-back. Also, Leonard was effective while on the court and only needed to play for 25 minutes. Kawhi has been on fire over the past month, providing top-10 value in eight- and nine-cat formats. The Clippers’ four-game Week 23 begins with a Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back, and one of those games is against a team headed to the lottery in San Antonio. Although Saturday’s experience was positive, it isn’t guaranteed Leonard will be available for both ends of the Clippers’ final back-to-back of the season.

Thompson shot 4-of-8 from three and did not provide much else of value to fantasy managers on Saturday. Over the past two weeks, the veteran sharpshooter is ranked outside the top 200 in eight- and nine-cat formats. Thompson has primarily been a points and three-pointers player this season, and his field goal percentage of 41.3 percent is the lowest of his career. Thompson managers whose leagues are active during Week 23 will have three games to work with, starting with Wednesday’s matchup against the Lakers.

Saturday’s game was Lively’s second since returning from a stress fracture in his ankle. As expected, there’s still some rust, and the Mavericks are taking a conservative approach to his workload. Lively only played 15 minutes, offering limited value during his time on the court. With Daniel Gafford (knee) sitting out, Kai Jones assumed the backup center responsibilities and had an excellent night. Shooting 9-of-9 from the field, he finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, one steal and three blocks. However, as good as this line was, fantasy managers whose leagues will be active next week don’t need to pick up Jones. Dallas plays on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, which should ensure that Lively and Gafford are available.

After sitting out Friday’s loss to the Clippers, Davis was back in the lineup for Saturday’s rematch. While the points and rebounds were solid, his efficiency left something to be desired. Not only did Davis shoot below 50 percent from the field, but he was also responsible for six turnovers. Over the past two weeks, he has been a ninth-round player in eight-cat formats, ranking just outside the top-100 according to Basketball Monster. For Davis managers whose leagues run through Week 23, the Mavericks play three games, all on the busiest days of the week (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday).

Wiggins has missed Miami’s last four games with a hamstring injury, and he said it has been a lingering issue. He did not have a specific date for a return, so Wiggins may not be of much service to fantasy managers whose leagues are active through Week 23. Miami plays four games, starting with the 76ers on Monday, and Pelle Larsson should remain in the starting lineup until Wiggins is cleared. Larsson finished Saturday’s loss with three points (1-of-8 FGs), four rebounds, three assists and one three-pointer in 39 minutes.

Anderson has reached double figures in scoring in three of his last four outings, and Saturday’s double-double was his first since February 13. Since the All-Star break, Slo Mo has been ranked outside the top 250 in eight- and nine-cat formats. While Saturday’s stat line was solid, it should not be considered a good enough reason to add him ahead of Week 23 if your league will be active.

Mitchell was one of two Heat players to notch a season-high point total on Saturday, with Alec Burks being the other. “Off Night” has provided sixth-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats over the past two weeks, a welcome turn of events for a player who has not been much of a fantasy asset during his NBA career. With the Heat playing in one of the two games on Monday’s schedule, Mitchell is worth a dice roll in leagues that will be active.

Despite starting Miami’s last seven games, Burks has not been on the radar of most fantasy leagues, and with good reason. He’s been far too inconsistent, so he remains rostered in just one percent of Yahoo! leagues. Saturday’s performance was Burks’s best this season, as he recorded a season-high point total and hit six three-pointers. For managers whose leagues run through Week 23, Miami’s four-game week may offer some intrigue, especially since they’re active on Monday. However, Burks boasts an extremely low floor, especially if Tyler Herro can play.