NBA Player News

Vukcevic struggled with his shot early in this game, but he was able to hit some shots down the stretch to redeem his line. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for him to help Washington get a win. He was the 42nd pick in the draft, but with the Wizards going all in on a tank, he could end up playing a real role this season.

Despite Jalen Duren being healthy enough to play on Sunday, Stewart will be the starting center. While this boosts Beef Stew’s fantasy value, Duren’s minutes should not decrease much. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on this situation, as Stewart will be in play for more leagues if this holds.

Thompson is good to go after the Rockets classified him as questionable on the initial injury report. He’ll take on his usual role within the rotation, providing quality fantasy value despite coming off the bench.

Jerome moves into the starting lineup with Donovan Mitchell getting the day off for rest. He’s only an option in deeper leagues when Garland and Mitchell are healthy, but is certainly a streaming option with Mitchell out Sunday.

Embiid is back on the injury report due to an illness. If he cannot play, Andre Drummond will move into the starting lineup and would be worth streaming. Guerschon Yabusele would also be in for additional minutes, albeit in a bench role.

Williams is good to go and will figure prominently in the Nets’ bench rotation. He played 28 minutes in Friday’s loss to the Knicks, spending many minutes defending Jalen Brunson. Williams isn’t worth the risk in most fantasy leagues, but getting into the high-20s minutes-wise gives him a shot at eventually establishing fantasy relevance.

Even with Nikola Jokic (personal reasons) sidelined, Cancar is unlikely to get the minutes needed to impact fantasy basketball. Leave him on the waiver wire.

Ball and Bridges are good to go after going through their respective pregame routines. They’ll occupy their usual places in the starting lineup, which is good news for fantasy managers. Bridges’ minutes may decrease slightly due to his recent knee injury, but the dip shouldn’t be enough to make him a non-factor in fantasy if the Hornets take that approach.

While Smart being sidelined does hurt the Grizzlies from a depth standpoint, Desmond Bane’s availability will help mitigate the impact. He, John Konchar, and Luke Kennard will all be part of the rotation, as will recent starters Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jaylen Wells. If Pippen is sitting on your league’s waiver wire, pick him up. He’ll have value until Ja Morant (hip) returns.

Mann has been dealing with lower back soreness causing him to miss some games lately. He played on Saturday against the Bucks, but will get the second game of the back-to-back off. Vasilije Micic will take his place in the rotation.

Hardaway will remain sidelined for a third consecutive game. As a result, Malik Beasley will stay in the starting lineup and will add value in category leagues. Simone Fontecchio (toe) has been cleared to play and may sneak into the back end of the rotation, but Beasley is the player fantasy managers should target.