NBA Player News

Looney made the most of his 20 minutes, recording a double-double while tallying three steals. And it likely wasn’t an accident that the veteran center played more minutes in a competitive game than in blowouts of Portland (14 minutes) and Utah (13). Starter Trayce Jackson-Davis (four points, one rebound, one assist, and one block) only played 16 minutes against the Clippers, but TJD managers should not panic, given his upside.

Having been signed to a two-way deal on February 7, Goodwin played 21 minutes off the bench Friday night. Shooting 3-of-7 from the field, he finished with six points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals. While the production hasn’t exactly translated to fantasy basketball, Goodwin has done enough to earn Redick’s trust. He’s only appeared in seven games, so the 50-game limit won’t be an issue for the regular season. However, the Lakers must convert him to a standard deal at some point to ensure Goodwin is eligible for the postseason.

Lakers coach JJ Redick delivered the news following Friday’s win over the Clippers, the first game played after Hachimura strained his left knee during Thursday’s win over the Timberwolves. He’ll miss a few more games, and the Lakers begin an extended trip east on March 8 in Boston. Dorian Finney-Smith replaced Hachimura in the starting lineup on Friday and will likely retain that role. Jarred Vanderbilt will also have added importance but offers minimal offensive value.

After playing nine minutes on Friday, a sore right calf hastened Austin Reaves’ exit, and Vincent started the third quarter. He didn’t provide much scoring, but the assists and steals are notable. Vincent has recorded at least one steal in four straight games, and the four pilfers on Friday were a season-high. He won’t be a must-stream player if Reaves misses time, but there’s the potential for Vincent to provide modest value in the steals category in extremely deep leagues if he’s forced to start.

With Rui Hachimura (knee) out, Finney-Smith made his seventh start as a Laker on Friday. The production was modest, but he’ll have a few more opportunities to start. Following the win, Lakers coach JJ Redick said Hachimura will be re-evaluated in about one week. Finney-Smith may get at least three more starts, beginning with Sunday’s rematch with the Clippers. So, deep-league managers needing to roll the dice for three-pointers and steals should consider streaming DFS.

Doncic notched his second 30-point game in a Laker uniform, with the only issue for fantasy managers likely being the six turnovers he was responsible for. Since making his debut for the team on February 10, Luka has provided top-50 value in eight-cat formats. While that doesn’t align with what fantasy managers have grown accustomed to, things could be far worse. Doncic appears to be getting more comfortable with his new teammates, and the calf injury that sidelined him for nearly six weeks hasn’t given him any trouble.

James had an injury scare late in Friday’s game, where he appeared to tweak something in his core. However, during his postgame interview on ESPN, he said that all was fine, so fantasy managers should plan for LeBron’s injury listing to be the usual (left foot) ahead of Sunday’s rematch with the Clippers. Over the past three weeks, he has been a top-10 player in eight-cat formats, which is virtually unfathomable for a player his age.

Not thought to be much of a factor offensively, Dunn shot 6-of-7 from the field and scored 14 points in the first half. Add in another night of causing mayhem defensively and providing value in the rebound and assist categories, and Dunn showed why he’s worth rostering in deep leagues. Rostered in 13 percent of Yahoo! leagues, he has been a third-round player in eight-cat formats over the past three weeks. At a minimum, fantasy managers should stream Dunn until Norman Powell (knee) is cleared to return.

Harden had a brutal night in the Clippers’ first game at Crypto.com Arena since leaving for their palatial digs in Inglewood. He shot 1-of-10 from three and was responsible for six turnovers, and the 4-of-12 night from two didn’t do fantasy managers any favors, either. However, despite the efficiency concerns, Harden has been close to a first-round player in 12-team, eight-cat formats over the past three weeks. Managers who must be mindful of the turnover count would like to see Harden take better care of the basketball, but we all know who he is at this stage in his career.

Leonard had an uncharacteristically poor night at the foul line, making only two of his six attempts. However, more important for fantasy managers is that his playing time continues to increase, as he played a season-high 37 minutes. In the six games he’s played since being allowed to play 32 minutes or more, the Klaw has been a top 50 player in eight-cat formats. Leonard hasn’t been as valuable in nine-cat formats due to an average of 3.0 turnovers per game, but that isn’t something to lose sleep over.

Recording his third double-double in as many games, Zubac tallied a season-high 27 points on Friday. And the 16 rebounds were the most in a game for him since January 29, when he corralled 22 in a win over the Spurs. Since the All-Star break, Zubac has provided second-round value in nine-cat formats, averaging 18.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.0 blocks per game. And given the Lakers’ lack of credible deterrents at the center position, Sunday’s rematch could be another showcase for Zubac.