NBA Player News

While Johnson did not play much last season, the veteran forward has been a critical mentor for the young Pacers. He appeared in only nine games in 2023-24, so there’s no need to consider Johnson’s potential fantasy value in 2024-25.

Micic is dealing with a knee issue, but it shouldn’t keep him out of the lineup on the second night of a back-to-back. With LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann both sidelined for at least two weeks, Micic should be a reliable source of assists for the foreseeable future.

Richards has been sidelined since the fifth game of the year, which has left Moussa Diabate as the primary center option. There is a chance that Richards returns to the lineup this weekend, which would likely cut into Diabate’s minutes and could force him to play a reserve role. However, with Mark Williams still sidelined, both Diabate and Richards should see plenty of minutes.

Young is still managing this Achilles issue, but it has only forced him to miss one game this season. On the second night of a back-to-back, Young should still see his normal workload after posting a 21/11 double-double on Friday.

On the second night of a back-to-back, Bogdanovic may sit out to help manage the hamstring injury that forced him to miss time early on this season. If he has to sit, Garrison Mathews should pour in some triples in an extended role.

Ball missed Friday’s game against New York, and now he’s set to be out until at least mid-December. This is a re-evaluation period, so it doesn’t mean that he’ll return immediately after two weeks. Tre Mann, who has been dealing with a back issue, has been diagnosed with disc irritation and will also be re-evaluated in two weeks. That means Vasilije Micic should be the starting point guard for the foreseeable future. He had nine points and eights assists in 31 minutes as a starter on Friday.

Hayes re-injured his right ankle on Tuesday and has missed the Lakers’ last two games since then. Christian Koloko will be the backup center until Hayes returns, but he won’t see enough minutes to be worthy of a roster spot in fantasy hoops.

Jackson is a late addition to the injury report, but he hasn’t played a significant role this year. His potential absence will not have an impact on the team’s rotation.

Davis was merely three assists shy of a triple-double. While he continues to deal with a foot issue, he’s only missed one game on the season. Davis was uncharacteristically passive in this one as he played 38 minutes and only took 10 shots, which was the fifth-most on the Lakers. It’s unclear if that has anything to do with his foot. The 31-year-old power forward is still having a great season as one of the best players in fantasy basketball.

Knecht wasn’t particularly efficient in this one as he scored 20 points on 16 shots, but he hit 6-of-12 shots from behind the 3-point line. Fantasy managers will take that, though it’s unlikely that Knecht will lead the Lakers in shot attempts most nights. Still, Knecht has to be rostered in all fantasy leagues given his position in the starting lineup and that he’s playing at least 30 minutes as of late.

Hartenstein briefly left the game with a back injury, but still managed to play 37 minutes. The big man has been exactly what the Thunder needed so far in his return as the team is 4-0 with him in the lineup. Oklahoma City is 12-1 when either he or Chet Holmgren play as the team lacks size without either of them. Hartenstein has a double-double in all four games he’s played so far this year and will continue to play an important role for the Thunder.