NBA Player News

Johnson, the 23rd overall pick in last month’s draft, served as Milwaukee’s starting point guard on Saturday afternoon. He didn’t have a great day shooting the basketball, going 2-of-9 from beyond the arc, but the 19-year-old guard displayed some of the on-ball athleticism that made him a first-round pick. He’s more of a project at this stage, especially with the Bucks being able to rely on Damian Lillard at the point, so Johnson will be a better option in dynasty leagues than redrafts.

This was the fourth straight game that Embiid has been available to play in, which is his longest streak of the season. He’s clearly getting healthier, as he was able to set a new season-high for scoring in this one. He has producing to the level that made him worth drafting in the first round despite managers preparing for him to miss time. Hopefully he’ll be able to maximize his time on the floor moving forward, but with a back-to-back coming up on Wednesday and Thursday, it would be surprising if he was able to play in both games.

With Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving joining Luka Doncic on the injured list, Grimes provided decent value as a starter on Monday. The rebounds, assists, and 3-pointers were solid, but category league managers who streamed Grimes took a hit in the field goal percentage category. If Thompson or Irving remains out for Wednesday’s game in Houston, Grimes should have a similar workload, making him worth the risk in deep leagues.

Hardy surpassed the 20-minute mark for the fifth time this season on Monday, as the Mavericks were without Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson. Unfortunately, he didn’t offer much production, and Hardy only played 21 minutes as a starter. That’s reason enough to leave him on the waiver wire moving forward, even if Dallas is forced to play without its top three guards again on Wednesday in Houston.

Washington was back in the lineup on Monday after serving a one-game suspension for his role in a fight between the Mavericks and Suns on Friday. With Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson all out due to injury, Dallas needed a more aggressive Washington on the offensive end of the floor. Not only were the 28 points a season-high, but this was also his first 20-point game since November 24. Due to Dallas’ injuries, Washington will have added value for the foreseeable future.

The Mavericks played Monday’s game without Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson, which meant Dinwiddie had the ultimate “green light” in Sacramento. He took advantage of the opportunity, scoring a season-high 30 points and dishing out six assists with two turnovers. While Sacramento eventually pulled away during the third quarter, Dinwiddie was one of the reasons why Dallas remained within striking distance. Dinwiddie is worth rostering in standard leagues with Doncic out for at least one month.

Yabusele’s production has been inconsistent this season, but he has been effective lately. This was his fourth straight game scoring in double figures, which is his longest streak of the season. He scored 15 of his 16 points in the first half, and while he wasn’t able to build off of the hot start after the break, it was still a solid night for him. He continues to benefit from Andre Drummond being sidelined with a toe injury, and with a back-to-back coming up on Wednesday and Thursday, Joel Embiid may end up missing a game, which could lead to a start for Yabusele.

Oubre Jr. has had some rough performances recently, but he made a big impact in this game. He contributed value across the board, which included a career-high eight steals. Six of those swipes came in the first half, which was the seventh time that a player has had at least six steals in a half. Oubre ranks just inside the top-125 in 9-cat leagues this season, which is an improvement over last season, even if his scoring has dropped. This was an excellent performance from him, but the odds of him approaching this steal number again are low.

Simons’ production has been inconsistent this season, but he was able to score at least 20 points for a second straight game and lead the team in scoring in this one. Prior to this two-game stretch, Simons scored a total of 36 points across three games, including an 8-point outing last Thursday. Simons’ production has taken a hit across the board this season, which has resulted in him being ranked outside the top-100 in 9-cat leagues. More performances like this will help, and he’ll look to keep it up in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Thursday.

Murray’s regression has been one of the most surprising aspects of the Kings’ season thus far. He’s surpassed 15 points twice in 12 December games and seven times for the season. As productive as Murray was in his first two seasons, fantasy managers expected much more from him in Year 3. Sacramento did end its six-game losing streak on Monday, but any chance they have of earning a playoff spot may depend on interim coach Doug Christie’s ability to get Murray going.

Sabonis recording another double-double is unsurprising; he has made those stat lines the norm since arriving in Sacramento. He also finished Monday’s win three assists shy of a triple-double. Sabonis has been slightly better than his Yahoo ADP (15), providing 1st-round value in 12-team, 8- and 9-cat formats. However, he’ll face a more formidable challenge on Wednesday as Joel Embiid and the 76ers visit Golden 1 Center.