NBA Player News

Smith will get the start with Cody Martin sidelined, though Steve Clifford mentioned that Miller and Nick Smith Jr. will also take on the ball handling role in this game. Smith should be able to provide a handful of assists, but he doesn’t produce much else with any consistency.

Clarkson led the Jazz in scoring for the third time this season on Sunday, with 21 points, the most he’s scored in a game since October 29 (21 vs. Sacramento). Rostered in 48% of Yahoo leagues, he’s been a 7th-round player in 9-cat formats over the last two weeks. The season-long value remains low, with Clarkson being a “schedule play” in standard leagues instead of someone who has to be rostered.

George struggled in the first half of Sunday’s game and did not start the third quarter. Rookie Isaiah Collier did, as George continues to struggle with his decision-making. While slightly better in the second half, the 2023 first-round pick finished with nine points and more turnovers (four) than assists (three). Fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on this, especially with Collier (four points, three rebounds, eight assists, and two steals) having the ability to put his teammates in positions where they can succeed. Not that George doesn’t, but he needs to get better.

Collins didn’t offer much value in the points category on Sunday, but fantasy managers should be able to work with the rebounds and steals. He’s been a top-20 player over the last two weeks, and Collins’ value should remain high as long as Walker Kessler (hip) is sidelined. Those two rarely shared the court before Kessler’s injury, so Collins will likely see his playing time (and fantasy value) take a hit once the Jazz center is cleared to return.

Filipowski has reached double figures in three of his last four games, and his consistency has helped him stay in the Jazz’s starting lineup. The second-round pick only played 24 minutes on Sunday, but he’s usually been in the high 20s since replacing Cody Williams in the starting lineup. Filipowski has value now, and that should only increase once the Jazz emphasize playing their youngsters.

After falling one rebound short in two of his first three games, Markkanen finally notched his first double-double of the season on Sunday. Back and eye injuries have done him no favors, as the Jazz star heads into Week 5 ranked outside the top 100 in 9-cat per-game value. Utah plays three games next week, beginning with the Lakers on Tuesday.

Zubac has scored 20 points or more in six games this season, a career-high for him. Paul George’s departure and Kawhi Leonard’s knee injury have opened up additional opportunities for Big Zu, and he’s made the most of them. Zubac struggled to begin Week 4, decreasing his season-long value, but Sunday’s effort got him back on track. The Clippers open a four-game Week 5 with the Warriors on Monday.

Bamba made his first appearance of the season on Sunday and was very good in his 15 minutes on the court. The 7-footer finished one point and two rebounds shy of a double-double, with his production being better than what Kai Jones provided when he was allowed to compete for the backup center job. With Ivica Zubac playing excellent basketball, Bamba’s fantasy ceiling is low. However, Sunday’s performance shows that he’s worth tracking.

Powell appeared poised for a big night when he scored 10 points in the first quarter. Unfortunately, for those who have him rostered, that isn’t how things worked out. Powell’s production slowed down from that point onward, and he finished with 19 points on the night. He continues to surprise regarding fantasy value, ranking within the top 50 in 9-cat formats. Powell is not a “sell high” candidate due to the uncertainty surrounding Kawhi Leonard.

What a night for Harden. For the eighth time in his career, he finished a game with at least 10 assists and no turnovers. Thus far, turnovers have been the most significant issue for The Beard this season, with a two-round gap between his 8-cat (1st-round) and 9-cat (3rd) values. Also, he made some history, moving into second place on the all-time 3-pointers list. Harden entered Sunday tied with Ray Allen at 2,973 3-pointers. The Clippers are among the few teams playing four games in Week 5, beginning with the Warriors on Monday.

Johnson had an interesting game. He was highly efficient scoring as he had 25 points on 14 shots and dished four assists. However, he also turned the ball over seven times in 37 minutes. The Hawks lost by three and Johnson was a team-high +15. He’s continuing to have a great season for fantasy. The Hawks have three games in Week 5, starting with the Kings on Monday.