NBA Player News

Kornet was a late scratch for Saturday’s win over the Knicks, and he did not make the trip to Memphis either. His absence means a few more minutes for Sam Hauser and Noah Vonleh, but neither is in a position to be streamed in most leagues.

After a lingering knee injury and three-game suspension, Embiid will make his season debut on Tuesday. As expected, his minutes will be limited, with the 2023 MVP dealing with a restriction of 25-30 minutes. Depending on the game’s flow, Embiid may play either a few minutes less or a few more.

Holmes isn’t usually in the Wizards’ rotation, so his status will not impact fantasy basketball.

Toppin missed Sunday’s win over the Knicks, resulting in more minutes for fellow reserve Jarace Walker. Walker still hasn’t reached the point where he needs to be rostered in most leagues, but keep an eye on him.

Merrill injured his ankle during a win over the Pelicans on November 6 but did not miss any time. Look for him to be part of the Cavaliers’ bench rotation, where he can provide points and 3-pointers.

In recent games, Allen hasn’t looked like himself, and the leg injury may have something to do with it. In Cleveland’s last two games, he’s played 47 minutes but did not deal with foul trouble. If Allen cannot play, Evan Mobley will shift to the five, with Dean Wade and Georges Niang in line for additional minutes.

All we know right now is that Quickley will miss this week before being reevaluated. At that time, it’s possible the Raptors will provide a clear timeline for his return. The injury he sustained is common among baseball pitchers who would have the options of either rest or to undergo surgery. For Quickley, we just have to wait and see what the Raptors say next week.

Tatum sprained his ankle against the Bucks on Sunday, but is good to go against the Hawks Tuesday. With Al Horford (toe) also available, the Celtics will have their normal starting lineup available for the first game of the Emirates NBA Cup.

Springer will miss a second straight game, but his continued absence does not impact fantasy basketball. He’s averaged 4.0 minutes per game in four appearances this season.

Initially questionable for Tuesday’s Emirates NBA Cup opener, Horford is officially available to play. Fantasy managers should expect him to sit out Wednesday’s game against the Nets, as the Celtics big man did not play both ends of any back-to-backs last season. Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta will have added streaming value on Wednesday.

Ayton is averaging career-lows in points (13.3) and minutes (29.3) so far this season, though he’s been a double-double machine with eight double-doubles in the first nine Trail Blazers games. If he can’t suit up Tuesday, rookie Donovan Clingan would seem to be the main beneficiary and have streaming value.