NBA Player News

Depending on how he fares in training camp, Elleby may not even make the Opening Night roster for Minnesota. Factor in that they’re going to be a very competitive team this season, and Elleby may not see the floor often if the makes the team. Feel free to disregard him in fantasy until he proves it in training camp.

Herro was dealing with an illness entering this game, but that didn’t keep him from extending his streak of 20-point games to three. Herro has enjoyed the best season of his career thus far, but he wasn’t able to do enough on Monday to end Miami’s losing streak, which now sits at four games. Things won’t get easier as the week progresses, with matchups against the Clippers, Celtics and Grizzlies coming up. Still, for fantasy managers, Herro should continue to fill up the stat sheet. He only hit one three-pointer in this game, but that won’t happen often.

It has been a down season overall for Adebayo, but he has been playing incredibly well in recent weeks. This was his fourth-straight game with at least 20 points, and he has averaged 24.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 three-pointers per game over the past two weeks, which has him ranked inside the top ten in nine-cat value during that stretch. Adebayo is clicking at the right time for fantasy managers, and Miami still has three more games this week, with the Clippers up next on Wednesday.

After sitting out the second leg of Charlotte’s back-to-back on Saturday, Ball returned to the lineup against Miami. He fouled out of his last two appearances and had at least four fouls in five straight games, but that wasn’t an issue on Monday. What was an issue was his poor shooting, though that isn’t a new thing for him either. He was extra bad in that regard in this game, but he has shot worse than 40 percent from the floor in seven straight games. He’ll look to get back on track in Atlanta on Wednesday.

With Caris LeVert (finger) sidelined on Monday, Atlanta’s other trade deadline acquisitions stepped up as scoring options. Mann and Georges Niang (18/4/3) combined to score 37 of the Hawks’ 49 bench points, which helped them secure the win over Philadelphia despite being shorthanded. Mann isn’t a fantasy-friendly option often, but he was able to make an impact in the box score on Monday. However, he isn’t a player that managers should be looking to roster.

With Atlanta shorthanded, the rookie stepped up on offense early, scoring 11 points in the first quarter. This was his fourth time scoring at least 20 points this season, two two of those coming in his last five appearances. Risacher has gone under the radar as a rookie, but he is certainly in the conversation for Rookie of the Year. He hasn’t been able to produce value consistently, but when his shot is falling, he has been effective for Atlanta. He’ll look to keep it up against the Hornets on Wednesday.

After missing a month due to a lumbar fracture, Krejci was able to suit up against Philadelphia. It wasn’t a spectacular return to the rotation, but it was encouraging to see him back on the floor. He had been playing well prior to his injury, but with Atlanta’s trade deadline additions all shining, it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where Krejci contributes standard league value consistently, especially when Trae Young and Caris LeVert return to the rotation.

With Trae Young (quad) sidelined, Wallace slid into the starting lineup for the first time since January. Wallace was productive in his three previous starts this season, but he wasn’t able to replicate that on Monday. The assists were nice, but he struggled as a scorer. In four starts this season, he has averaged 13.5 points ,3.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.3 three-pointers per game. He should be considered as a deep-league streamer if Young misses more time this season.

Council IV’s role with Philadelphia hasn’t been consistent, but he has had some solid performances when he has been given the opportunity. This was another one of those games, and he set a new season-high for scoring in 29 minutes off the bench. Philly’s bench accounted for 53 of their 123 points, with Jeff Dowtin Jr. (17) and Adem Bona (12) also scoring in double figures. Council IV will certainly have a chance to impact fantasy basketball during “silly season”, and he certainly holds value in dynasty formats.

Philadelphia was more shorthanded than ever on Monday, and Grimes continued to lead the offense. Over their last six games, Grimes has averaged 25.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, two steals and 3.2 three-pointers per game while shooting 54.7 percent from the floor. Grimes has been an incredible addition for Philly, and he should get the chance to continue to prove his worth over the final month of the season. Rostered in just under half of Yahoo! leagues, he should be added everywhere he is available.

Butler started for the second time since being traded to Philadelphia, and he was able to chip in solid value in assists. He dished out nine assists in his previous start this season, and when he played a significant role in Washington, he was able to dish out plenty of dimes. It seems as though the 76ers have shifted their focus towards the lottery, which means that Butler could hold plenty of value over the final month of the year, especially for managers that are looking for assists.