NBA Player News

Fontecchio began last season with the Jazz before he was moved to Detroit at the February trade deadline. In 16 appearances for the Pistons, he averaged 15.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 2.7 3-pointers in 30.3 minutes. Fontecchio’s 3-point shooting ability should get him consistent minutes on a now-healthy Pistons squad, as that skill is a severe need. He may not be worth drafting in standard leagues, but there will be times when Fontecchio is worth streaming.

White has been on quite the impressive run recently. Chicago has won five consecutive games, and White has averaged 30 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, one steal and 3.2 three-pointers per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and and 89.7 percent from the free throw line. Those averages have him providing third-round value during this stretch. Chicago now sit 1.5 games behind Miami for the ninth seed in the East, and if White keeps playing like this, they may be able to move up the standings before the season ends.

Banchero got going early in this game, and New Orleans didn’t have any answers. He scored 14 points in the first quarter and entered the break with 24 points. On top of the continued scoring burst, Banchero has been a nine-cat superstar in recent weeks. Over the past two weeks, Banchero has averaged 28.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.5 three-pointers while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor and 82.7 percent from the free throw line. The drastic leap in both steals and shooting percentages has been unexpected, and even if it isn’t a permanent upgrade for Banchero, managers should enjoy the run while it lasts.

Phillips hasn’t contributed much since being drafted with the No. 35 pick in 2023, but everything came together on Thursday. He played a career-high 34 minutes and set new career-highs for points, rebounds and assists. It was an impressive performance from the 21-year-old forward, and it would be surprising if Chicago didn’t further explore his upside over the final month of the season. The production will be inconsistent, but he should have a consistent role moving forward.

Martin got off to a strong start on Thursday and scored 11 points in the first quarter. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to contribute much after that. Martin has had some excellent scoring nights this season, but they just haven’t happened consistently. He has alternated between less than 10 points and scoring in double figures in each of his last eight games. Martin ranks inside the top-150 in nine-cat leagues, and he has some streaming appeal this weekend with a back-to-back coming up on Saturday and Sunday.

KPJ has quietly had some terrific performances despite not seeing a major role with the Bucks. He has played over 25 minutes once since being traded to Milwaukee, and he had a triple-double in that game. He has played over 20 minutes four times and has scored in double figures in all of four games. KPJ has scored in double figures while playing 15 or fewer minutes four times. If he keeps playing this well, it will be difficult for Doc Rivers to leave him on the bench. This was only the seventh time in NBA history that a player had at least 22 points and five three-pointers while playing 17 or fewer minutes.

After returning from a calf strain that sidelined him for two games, Reaves’ first few outing weren’t up to his standards as a scorer. He shot below 25 percent from the floor in two of his first three games back, and he shot below 45 percent in all three. He won’t continue to be quite as efficient as he was on Thursday, but it was encouraging to see him have an uber-efficient night, since he is more than capable of that type of production. Assuming the Lakers don’t opt to rest him in his first back-to-back since the calf injury, Reaves will look to keep it going in Denver on Friday.

After shooting 8-of-25 from the field during Monday’s loss to Brooklyn, Doncic had a much better night shooting the ball. His seven three-pointers were a new season-high, and his 45 points tied his season-high, which he set back in December as one of his final games as a Maverick. Unfortunately, he didn’t enjoy the same efficiency as a playmaker. He had 12 assists on Monday, but he only had three in this one and had twice as many turnovers as he did dimes. Doncic has at least five turnovers in seven straight games. After the game, Doncic was asked if he’d play the second night of the Lakers’ back-to-back in Denver, and he said “we’ll see.” Managers should keep an eye on the injury report ahead of that game, as Dalton Knecht could return to the starting unit.

Champagnie got another start in place of Bilal Coulibaly, who is now expected to be sidelined until mid-April at the earliest with a hamstring strain. Washington may not be set on Champagnie as a starter, but as of now, he seems like the Coulibaly replacement. He wasn’t great as a starter on Tuesday (5/8/1/1/1), but he can be productive in an increased role, which makes him worth considering as an option during “silly season” as long as he is starting. Washington will wrap up the week in Denver on Saturday.

Middleton still isn’t seeing a heavy workload, but that isn’t something that is likely to change this season. However, as he proved on Thursday, that won’t prevent him from filling up the stat sheet. He struggled against Detroit on Tuesday, but he has scored in double figures in five of his last six appearances and ranks inside the top-100 in nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. It has been a disappointing season overall for Middleton, but he has provided some redemption during the fantasy playoffs.

After scoring just eight points during Tuesday’s loss to Detroit, Sarr found more success on the offensive end in this game. He was also able to provide plenty of three-pointers and blocks, which is a combination that will make him dangerous in fantasy basketball for years to come. Washington is clicking at the wrong time, and they currently only have one less win the the Jazz, which gives them a half game lead over Utah for the worst record in the league. However, Sarr’s development should continue to be a priority for the Wizards for the rest of the season.