NBA Player News

Eason will play both games of a back-to-back for the first time since a leg injury torpedoed his second NBA season. That’s excellent news for the Rockets and fantasy managers; he can provide solid value. How much Eason will play against the Spurs has not been revealed, but he’s on his way to being a reliable player to have rostered, especially in deep leagues.

With Ja Morant (foot) ruled out, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins decided to give more of the playmaking responsibilities to Bane rather than inserting Scotty Pippen Jr. into the lineup. And Bane was sensational in San Antonio, mastering the balance of getting his looks and setting up his teammates. Reaching double digits in assists for the second time this month, Bane’s 14 helpers were two shy of his career-high. As for Pippen, he played 16 minutes off the bench and finished with seven points, one rebound, five assists, and one 3-pointer. If Morant remains out, Bane’s fantasy value will increase, especially if he’s given the role he held on Friday.

Vassell has at least 21 points and at least three 3-pointers in three straight games. While the 24-year-old shooting guard has missed time with injuries and his points per game is down from 19.5 last year to 15.8 this year, he’s certainly perked up as of late. Vassell will look to close out a solid week of production against the Heat Sunday.

The six blocks give Wemby 16 blocks total in three games so far this week with still another game left to play Sunday against the Heat. The 21-year-old power forward had a relatively quiet game offensively as he had just 19 points on 19 shots, though he made 3-of-7 attempts from behind the 3-point line. Wembanyama is the definition of an elite fantasy player.

Dort poured in 18 points all on six 3-pointers. It’s his second game in a row with six made 3-pointers. Dort hadn’t made six 3-pointers in a game since November, which shows that throughout the season these games are rare for the 25-year-old shooting guard. Dort’s threes did help the Thunder stay in Friday’s game despite being severely shorthanded.

Williams was counted on to provide more offense with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out in this one. Instead, the 23-year-old small forward had a pretty rough shooting night. Williams scored just 19 points on 22 shots. He also turned the ball over six times and was -12 in 37 minutes in the eight-point loss to the Mavericks. Williams is still providing top-25 fantasy value on the season overall.

Washington has been a very reliable option with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving each missing their share of games this season. The 26-year-old power forward isn’t an elite fantasy option, but he’s steady. With Doncic out again Friday, Washington had 16 points on eight shots, seven rebounds, five assists and chipped in with a steal and a block on defense. He does a little bit of everything, which has led to Washington providing 10th-round fantasy value over the last two weeks.