NBA Player News

Neither Matthews nor Lundy has provided much fantasy value when healthy, so their absences will not impact that regard. The former has been more impactful to the Hawks rotation, albeit not by much.

Following a two-game absence, Toppin only logged 12 minutes in his first game back on Tuesday. However, he got back on the right track in this game and was able to supply some buckets off the bench. Jarace Walker, who played well with Toppin out of the lineup, was also able to have a solid night, scoring 12 points of his own. The pair should continue to lead a balanced bench attack for Indiana, though neither has been consistent enough to justify rostering in standard redraft leagues this season.

It has been a down year for Haliburton, but this was a “vintage” performance for him. He set a new season-high for assists and had one of his most efficient scoring nights of the season without turning the ball over once. Haliburton’s points, assists, field goal percentage and usage percentage have all taken a hit this year despite his minutes increasing. As he proved with his performance in this game, he’s still more than capable of dominating fantasy hoops. He has been a third-round producer over the course of the season, which is disappointing after back-to-back top ten finishes. However, more performances like this will help that number get back up to where it should be. He’ll look to carry this production into their matchup with the Suns on Saturday.

Once again filling in for the injured Kristaps Porzingis, Horford recorded a solid stat line on Thursday and played 35 minutes. Producing at a late-round level, the Celtics center is most valuable when allowed to start. The Celtics play two more games during Week 10, but fantasy managers should anticipate Horford sitting out Friday’s game in Houston. If he and Porzingis cannot play, Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta will have added fantasy value.

Hauser filled in for Jaylen Brown on Thursday, with the Celtics star sidelined due to a strained right shoulder. And Hauser did what many fantasy managers expected: to provide solid production in the points and 3-point categories. His value moving forward depends on the availability of Boston’s starters, as two sitting (on Thursday, it was Brown and Kristaps Porzingis) usually pushes Hauser into the starting lineup.

Tatum attempted 17 of Boston’s 57 3-pointers on Thursday, making six. He’s now scored 30 points or more in 16 games, which ranks third in the NBA. Based on his Yahoo ADP (9), fantasy managers expected Tatum to be a top-10 player, and he’s produced at that level thus far. The Celtics play two more games in Week 10, beginning with the Rockets on Friday.