NBA Player News

Harris failed to crack double digits in field goal attempts for the second time this season, but he still had a solid night regarding overall fantasy value. The Pistons forward recorded one steal and three blocks, the fourth time this season he’s accounted for at least one steal and one block in the same game. Harris sits just outside the top 50 in per-game fantasy value, which aligns with where many managers expected him to be at draft time.

Having missed Brooklyn’s last two games, Finney-Smith is on track to return Friday night. That would push Ziaire Williams to the bench after he had one of the best games of his career in Wednesday’s loss to the Celtics. Williams’ fantasy value would take a hit, but his name is one to keep on your watch list as early preparation for “silly season.”

Due to the Nets being on the wrong end of a blowout, Claxton only played 24 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to Boston. If he cannot play against the Knicks, Ben Simmons would be a good candidate to fill the resulting void in the starting lineup, boosting his fantasy value. Noah Clowney would also be in line for additional playing time.

Simmons is back after sitting out Wednesday’s loss to the Celtics. With Nic Claxton considered questionable for Friday’s game, Simmons could be back in the starting lineup. That would boost his fantasy value, but he remains a deep-league option at best.

Carter has missed Orlando’s last five games, and Friday will be number six. Goga Bitadze has been solid as WCJ’s replacement in the starting lineup and should be streamed. Moritz Wagner will also have added fantasy value, but Bitadze is the player fantasy managers should target first.

As long as Nikola Vucevic and Jalen Smith are healthy and available, Sanogo will not be in the Bulls’ rotation. Leave him on the waiver wire.

After sitting out Wednesday’s loss to Milwaukee, Ivey remains on the Pistons’ injury report. Malik Beasley started and hit eight 3-pointers, and he’s worth streaming as long as Ivey is sidelined.

Given the doubtful tags, it appears unlikely that Hardaway or Fontecchio will play on Friday. The good news for the former is that the Pistons list his injury as a laceration without mentioning a potential concussion after his scary fall on Tuesday. Malik Beasley and Ron Holland will play more minutes, with the former being a worthwhile streamer in deep leagues.

If Melton didn’t have bad luck regarding injuries, he’d have none. The Warriors guard is back on the sideline and will undergo further testing on his knee before a timeline is determined. Unless the recovery is miraculously quick, there’s no need to hold onto Melton. His absence opens up a spot in the starting lineup, and there are multiple options at Steve Kerr’s disposal. Gary Payton II, Brandin Podziemski, and Buddy Hield are among the possibilities that could be asked to fill the void. Managers considering dropping Podziemski should hold for now, as he could figure prominently in the rotation with Melton sidelined.

DeRozan logged just two points in 17 minutes in his last game before suffering a back injury and it appears like he’ll need some time to recover. Doug McDermott is a strong candidate to receive a boost in minutes as a short-term solution.

Drummond is in danger of missing a second straight game after sitting against the Cavaliers. Adem Bona will get some rotation consideration if Drummond is ruled out, as Joel Embiid is not at 100% from a fitness perspective just yet.