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.

Council IV’s role with Philadelphia hasn’t been consistent, but he has had some solid performances when he has been given the opportunity. This was another one of those games, and he set a new season-high for scoring in 29 minutes off the bench. Philly’s bench accounted for 53 of their 123 points, with Jeff Dowtin Jr. (17) and Adem Bona (12) also scoring in double figures. Council IV will certainly have a chance to impact fantasy basketball during “silly season”, and he certainly holds value in dynasty formats.

Philadelphia was more shorthanded than ever on Monday, and Grimes continued to lead the offense. Over their last six games, Grimes has averaged 25.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, two steals and 3.2 three-pointers per game while shooting 54.7 percent from the floor. Grimes has been an incredible addition for Philly, and he should get the chance to continue to prove his worth over the final month of the season. Rostered in just under half of Yahoo! leagues, he should be added everywhere he is available.

Butler started for the second time since being traded to Philadelphia, and he was able to chip in solid value in assists. He dished out nine assists in his previous start this season, and when he played a significant role in Washington, he was able to dish out plenty of dimes. It seems as though the 76ers have shifted their focus towards the lottery, which means that Butler could hold plenty of value over the final month of the year, especially for managers that are looking for assists.

With Kelly Oubre Jr. (ankle) and Andre Drummond (illness) both sidelined, Walker IV was able to start for the first time this season. He was able to contribute decent value, but a poor shooting night limited his overall impact in an increased role. It was also a bit of a letdown after he had 25 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in Philadelphia’s previous game. If they continue to deal with injuries in Toronto on Wednesday, Walker IV may continue to hold some value as a streaming option, though he will hopefully shoot the ball better in that one.

After missing Charlotte’s last two games, Williams was back in the starting unit against Miami. He got right back to work and was able to contribute value across the board to help the Hornets win consecutive games for the first time since January. Though availability continues to be an issue for him, Williams has been a fantasy stud when on the floor this season. Of course, a trade being rescinded because of your health is a red flag for dynasty managers.

In the first of what will be multiple games without Amen Thompson (ankle), Smith Jr. returned to the starting lineup, which is a role that he may be able to maintain for a handful of games. He had his highest-scoring performance since December and tied his season-high for three-pointers made. In a low-scoring game, Smith Jr. was still able to make an impact on the offensive end, which was encouraging to see. Houston still has three more games this week, making him a valuable option with Thompson sidelined.

Despite being a consistent starter, Barnes has been a non-factor in fantasy basketball this season. He’s an efficient player that can hit some three-pointers, but he doesn’t help in any individual category. However, he was unconscious as a scorer in Monday’s loss. His two missed field goal attempts were both three-pointers, meaning he made all eight of his two-point attempts. He didn’t enjoy that same success at the free throw line as he made just one of his three shots. This was an excellent performance from him, but there is a reason that he is rostered in just 13 percent of Yahoo! leagues despite playing 27.4 minutes minutes per game.