NBA Player News

Jackson has played well for Utah’s G-League affiliate, so he’ll get a shot with the parent club. If the team embraces a full-scale tank, F-Jax might have some deep-league value down the stretch, but we’re not holding our breath for too much production.

About 24 hours after he grabbed 16 rebounds against the other Florida team, Kessler eclipsed that and tied his season-high for boards in this game. Utah won on Saturday through an excellent offensive effort, but they got it done on the defensive end in this game as they allowed a season-low 92 points in the win. Kessler’s block numbers have been down recently, but he has been dominant on the glass over the last two weeks. They have four games next week, starting against Atlanta on Tuesday, which will give Kessler plenty of chances to swat some shots.

Mitchell had a quiet first half in this game and entered the break with just two points on 1-of-4 shooting. This was his second straight game with less than 20 points, which hasn’t been a common theme for him this season. However, it hasn’t negatively impacted the team, as they’ve won 10 straight games, with Mitchell scoring less than 20 in four of those. They host the Thunder on Wednesday, which will be a matchup of the two hottest teams in the league. If they want to maintain their winning streak, Mitchell will have to be better.

For the third time in their last five games, Garland finished with exactly 25 points. He only scored 30 total over their previous two games, but he had 23 assists during that stretch, which made up for the lack of scoring. Garland’s bounce back season has been a big reason for Cleveland’s success this season, and he’ll look to keep it going against an elite defensive team on Wednesday, which is also a matchup between the two best teams in the league when they take on the Thunder. Unfortunately, they only play two more games after that next week, which will limit Garland’s impact.

Smith Jr. didn’t play a large role as a rookie, and he has played even less in year two. However, in the game where LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller returned to the lineup, Smith Jr. decided it was the perfect time to set new season-highs for points, rebounds and 3-pointers. It is encouraging for dynasty managers to see him play well, but he isn’t a player to consider adding in redraft formats.

Miller had missed six of their previous seven games due to a sprain in his left ankle, but he picked up right where he left off in this one. This was his sixth game with at least six 3-pointers this season and was able to start up a new 20-point streak. He went 12 straight games with at least 20 points prior to his ankle injury, and he’ll look to keep this new one going against the Suns on Tuesday, where they’ll also be trying to snap their 10-game losing streak, which is currently the longest in the league.

Sarr was able to record the fourth double-double of his career in this game, with two of those coming in his last three games. He went consecutive games without a block for the first time in his career, which isn’t something that managers should have to deal with often. He has had a strong first season in Washington, and his shooting percentage is starting to rise due to some strong performances recently. Sarr will continue to be a solid option in fantasy as a rookie, but he’ll need to bring the blocks back in order to approach a top-100 finish.

For the fifth time in his last six games, Reaves was able to record a point-assist double-double. During that stretch, he has averaged 23.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 10.5 assists and 2.7 triples per game. His field goal percentage hasn’t been great recently, but he has taken a step forward in counting stats, which has allowed him to be a top-40 player in 9-cat leagues over the past two weeks. Reaves has been an excellent playmaker lately, and he’ll look to keep it going in Dallas on Tuesday.

Green got off to a hot start in this game and scored 18 points in just the first quarter. He only scored 15 more over the final three quarter, but he was able to score at least 20 points for the third straight game, which is his longest streak since October. Consistency has always been an issue for Green, so it is encouraging to see him string a few strong performances together. He’ll look to keep it going in Washington on Tuesday, which will kick off a three-game week for them.

Malcolm Brogdon exited this game early with a foot injury, which opened the door for Kyshawn George (1/3/1/1 in 27 minutes) to start the second half in his place. However, it was Butler that ended up stepping up his production. He set a new season-high for points and had one of his best passing nights of the year. Butler’s role has been inconsistent this season, and his production in this game was entirely dependent on the absence of Brogdon, Jordan Poole and Bilal Coulibaly. He played well, but Butler can be left on the waiver wire.

This was only the fifth game that LaMelo has played in since the end of November, and it was his first back after a three-game absence. He struggled with his shot and had one of his worst assist outputs of the season. Ball has been an elite player in fantasy basketball once again this season, and he is averaging career-highs in both points and 3-pointers. They have four games next week, starting with a home game against the Suns on Tuesday.