NBA Player News

Selected 52nd overall in this summer’s NBA Draft, Post’s contract status was not finalized until Tuesday. He will be on a two-way deal, with the Warriors waiving Daequon Plowden to make room for Post. The former Boston College standout was one of the best big men in the ACC last season, earning all-conference and All-Defensive Team honors. Don’t look for Post to impact fantasy basketball this season.

Ryan Rollins (shoulder) joins Lillard and Portis on the injury report, and the Bucks will be sorely shorthanded against Charlotte. AJ Green and Delon Wright should continue to hold things down in Milwaukee’s backcourt, and Taurean Prince and Pat Connaughton could see more playing time with Portis presumably sidelined.

Jokic’s absence will mean increased playmaking responsibilities for Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook. Zeke Nnaji and Deandre Jordan will presumably handle center duties, but it’s unclear who will start and see the most court time.

Claxton will sit out Friday against New York, and we should get an update on his status on or around November 22. With Claxton sidelined, Ben Simmons should slide into the starting center spot. Dorian Finney-Smith has been upgraded to available, and both he and Noah Clowney could see some extra playing time as well.

Mobley and Jarrett Allen were both given probable tags on Thursday, so Mobley’s downgraded status on Friday suggests he’s trending in the wrong direction. Allen is still listed as probable, which means he should be expected to play and handle a sizeable workload. Georges Niang and Dean Wade should see more playing time if Mobley sits.

Lively moved into the starting lineup on Thursday, replacing Daniel Gafford in a move that wasn’t surprising. Those two are interchangeable due to their skill sets, so there wouldn’t be much change. Unfortunately for Lively, he got into early foul trouble and could not get anything going before the fourth quarter. Fantasy managers will be happy with the defensive stats, but the offense and rebounding were not there. As for Gafford, he finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and two blocks in 19 minutes. He and Lively are late-round players, especially if the Mavericks insist on giving Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell credible rotation minutes.

Marshall was moved to the bench for Thursday’s game, with Maxi Kleber replacing him in the starting lineup. While Kleber (three points in 17 minutes) did not provide much value, that could not be said for Marshall. He finished one point shy of his season-high, scoring an efficient 19 points while delivering solid assist and steals production. Marshall had a chance to win Thursday’s game, but his corner three missed the mark as time expired. He’s worth streaming until PJ Washington (returns), whether starting or coming off the bench.

Grimes was tabbed to replace Kyrie Irving in the starting lineup, and he provided solid numbers in the two-point defeat. During the preseason, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said he wanted to pair up Grimes and Klay Thompson as often as possible, and Thursday night was an opportunity to do so for most of the game. Thompson struggled with his shot, going 6-of-17 from the field and finishing with 17 points, three rebounds, two assists, one block, and five 3-pointers in 28 minutes. Grimes’ fantasy value this season will depend on Irving and Luka Doncic’s availability.

Despite dealing with groin and knee issues, Doncic still played 38 minutes, with the Mavericks not having Kyrie Irving in the lineup. He put up a quality stat line, but it wasn’t enough to get Dallas the win. While Doncic has yet to miss a game, the nagging injuries can add up over time, which is a concern considering that last season was the first in which he’s played 70 games or more since his rookie campaign. Dallas ends Week 4 with a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back.

Clarkson, who’s scored 16 points or more in four straight, gave the Jazz much-needed production off the bench in Thursday’s win. His biggest play was an assist, with Clarkson finding John Collins for a wide-open dunk with 6.4 seconds remaining to win the game. He may still be ranked well outside the top 150 in per-game value, but Utah’s lack of consistent scoring options makes Clarkson a player worth holding onto in deep leagues.

Collins has shined over his last two games, starting for the injured Walker Kessler. After putting up 29 points and a complete stat line in Tuesday’s loss to Phoenix, he scored another 28 while finishing one blocked shot shy of another full line. A top-20 player over the last two weeks, Collins is providing 4th-round value for the season despite coming off the bench most nights. He’s already rostered in 89% of Yahoo leagues, and those who have Collins rostered should consider selling high.