NBA Player News

Jackson had another productive day offensively, scoring 20 points to help propel the Grizzlies into Monday’s championship game. While the turnover (six) count wasn’t great, this has been a summer of immense growth for the 2023 second-round pick. Primarily a scorer last season, Jackson has been tasked with expanding his game on both ends of the floor. He’s taken on some difficult defensive assignments but has not backed down from the competition, which is a good sign for the Grizzlies heading into next season. Jackson’s fantasy upside on a healthy Grizzlies team will be limited, but he’ll be worth a late-round roll of the dice in many leagues.

With Kleber doubtful and Dereck Lively II (shoulder) already ruled out, the Mavericks’ center rotation is likely to consist of Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell. Powell played 20 minutes on Wednesday but is not worth the streaming risk, even with Dallas being light on options at the center position.

Markkanen returns from a lower back injury, and in addition to starting, his minutes will not be restricted (the same goes for reserves Jordan Clarkson and Isaiah Collier). Sexton will retain his place in the starting lineup while Williams continues to fill the void left by the injured Taylor Hendricks.

Injured during the fourth quarter for Wednesday’s win over the Pistons, Bridges had already been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Pacers. He’ll miss at least two weeks before being re-evaluated by doctors. Cody Martin is the player most likely to move into the starting lineup and would be worth streaming in deep leagues. Bridges’ absence also preserves some of Tre Mann’s value, as the Hornets need his scoring ability.

After playing 14 minutes in Monday’s win over the Knicks, Adams sat out Wednesday’s win over San Antonio. His absence pushed Jock Landale into the rotation, but this did not impact fantasy basketball. There’s no need to roster Adams or Landale.

Injured during the preseason, Collier is available to make his official NBA debut on Thursday. However, fantasy managers should not expect much from him, as Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson are all available and will play rotation minutes.

Markkanen and Clarkson have missed three and two games, respectively, due to their injuries. The returns mean Kyle Filipowski and Collin Sexton are headed to the bench, with the latter having a chance of sticking ahead of Clarkson. Filipowski won’t fall out of the rotation entirely, but his minutes will take a significant hit.

Jaquez missed Miami’s last two games, and his absence freed up additional minutes for rookie Pelle Larsson. Nikola Jovic’s decrease in minutes has also helped Larsson from a playing time standpoint. There’s no need to stream Larsson, especially if Jaquez plays in Denver.

Love has yet to appear in a game this season, and his absence means Thomas Bryant will continue to serve as the backup center. There’s no need to consider streaming Bryant with starting center Bam Adebayo healthy.

Thursday’s game will be Sharpe’s first since January 11, and he will come off the bench. Fantasy managers should not expect too much from the Blazers wing early on, but the minutes of starters Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara will be worth tracking.

Dunn injured his ankle during Wednesday’s win over Miami, playing just nine minutes. His anticipated absence on Friday won’t significantly impact fantasy basketball, as starter Bradley Beal is on track to play. Royce O’Neale may play a few more minutes, but he remains a deep-league option in fantasy.