NBA Player News

Thybulle was forced to exit Friday’s loss to the Heat after playing seven minutes, a sign he may have returned too early after missing five games. His absence frees up additional minutes for Rayan Rupert and Dalano Banton, with the latter offering a superior fantasy ceiling.

Already dealing with a left calf contusion, Doncic suffered the strain during the second quarter of Wednesday’s loss to the Timberwolves. With the Mavericks star reportedly being re-evaluated in 30 days, Dallas will have to navigate at least 15 games without its best player. Kyrie Irving’s already significant role will expand, while Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes will figure more prominently in the rotation. Grimes started the second half of Wednesday’s game, but Dinwiddie has filled in for Doncic (alongside Irving) in the past. Also worth tracking is the production of PJ Washington and Klay Thompson, who should get more shots with Doncic out.

With Domontas Sabonis out, Fox predictably saw an uptick in usage. Unfortunately, he wasn’t very efficient as his 26 points came on 25 shots and he had just four assists to his three turnovers. The 27-year-old point guard was -13 in 38 minutes as the Kings blew a 19-point second half lead and lost by one. As Sacramento continues to struggle, rumors about his future with the team will only get louder as Fox is due for a contract extension. He’s still providing top-35 fantasy value this season.

Collier’s rebound and assist production was solid on Thursday, as he received the starting nod with Keyonte George still sidelined. However, the rookie’s efficiency was lacking, as he shot 30% from the field and committed six turnovers. Collier will have nights like this, which is expected of most rookies. The question is what his playing time will look like later in the season, as Utah is highly unlikely to be in the mix for a postseason berth.

Sexton shared the backcourt with rookie Isaiah Collier on Thursday, and the veteran played exceptionally well in Portland. In addition to recording his first double-double of the season, Sexton only committed one turnover. While his status as a starter is why Sexton is rostered in 83% of Yahoo leagues, the recent production has been solid. He has provided 5th-round value over the past week.

Mykhailiuk has started four of Utah’s last five games, reaching double figures in each. He’s primarily a points and 3-pointers option, and Thursday’s stat line bore that out. Outside of the points and triples, Mykhailiuk recorded one rebound, assist, steal, and blocked shot. If Keyonte George (ankle) and John Collins (hip) remain sidelined, Svi will only be worth a look for category league managers needing a 3-point specialist.

Beasley has a clearly defined role on this Pistons team. He comes off the bench when the starting five are all available and will play around 25 minutes per game. When Beasley is on the floor, though, he doesn’t hesitate to shoot the ball. He got off to a slow start in this one, but was undeterred. Beasley had nine points in the fourth quarter as the Pistons came back from a 19-point second half deficit to beat the Kings. He isn’t going to provide much at all besides points and threes, but once again Beasley had 22 points and six 3-pointers, showing he can be a useful piece for fantasy teams.

Markkanen has scored 21 points or more in four straight games, and he’s starting to turn things around after getting off to a slow start to the season. Over the past two weeks, the Jazz forward has provided 2nd-round value in 9-cat formats, slightly better than his Yahoo ADP (30). The recent run has edged Markkanen closer to the top 50, which is excellent news for those who have him rostered.

Cunningham wasn’t super-efficient from the field as he was just 9-of-24 including 4-of-11 from behind the 3-point line, but he saved his night by getting to the foul line and making 11-of-12 free throw attempts. Cunningham was an excellent playmaker in this one as he had 10 assists and turned the ball over just three times. He was +8 in 38 minutes in the one-point win over the Kings. Cunningham was instrumental in the comeback victory as the Pistons trailed by 19 in the third quarter. The 23-year-old point guard has been a top-40 player in fantasy this year.

Ivey didn’t have a huge game, but he came up big in the clutch. He was 2-of-6 from behind the 3-point line until the Pistons’ final possession when Ivey hit a 3-pointer to tie the game from the corner while he was fouled. With only three seconds left, Ivey hit the free throw to convert the four-point play and give the Pistons the lead and the win. Ivey has had a few game-winners this season and this was perhaps the most exciting. His play has picked up a little since returning from a knee injury, but he’ll need to do more to change his season-long fantasy value.

Henderson had a special night, capping one of the best floor games in his young NBA career with a game-winning turnaround with one-tenth of a second remaining. He recorded his first double-double of the season while committing one turnover. With Anfernee Simons struggling for most of the night, Portland went with Scoot in crunch time, and he answered the call.