NBA Player News

Leonard did not play during the preseason and has yet to appear in a regular season game. Fantasy managers should consider him out indefinitely at this point. Terance Mann and Derrick Jones Jr. will remain starters until that changes, while Lue said last month that Norman Powell will start even after Leonard returns.

While Suggs remains a 6th-round player for the season, his production has slipped recently. Over the last two weeks, he’s averaged 12.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.3 blocks, and 1.7 3-pointers. The issue for Suggs has been his shooting, as he made just 34.5% of his attempts from the field. That needs to be cleaned up to maintain his current season-long value.

Sometimes, getting away from home can spark positive change. That’s been the case for Black, who’s accounted for 37 points, 17 assists, three steals, one block, and five 3-pointers in the first two games of Orlando’s road trip. He scored 18 points in Orlando’s three home games before this road trip, which continues with a game against the Lakers on Thursday. On a four-game night, he’s worth a roll of the dice in deep leagues, especially since he’s jumped Cole Anthony in the rotation.

The Clippers have been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA thus far, and they were able to keep Wagner in check on Wednesday. He didn’t necessarily have a bad night, but Franz was nowhere near as impactful as he was in Monday’s win over the Suns. He’ll look to rebound when the Magic visit the Lakers on Thursday.

With Norman Powell (hamstring) sidelined, Coffey moved into the starting lineup on Wednesday. And he played well enough to provide solid fantasy value, scoring 18 points on good percentages. Of course, fantasy managers may have hoped for more production outside of the points, 3-pointers, and rebounds, but this was a good start. Coffey should get at least one more start, as Powell has been ruled out for Friday’s matchup with Sacramento.

Zubac was more involved offensively on Wednesday than in Monday’s win over Golden State, in which he scored eight points. He’s been excellent in the middle for the Clippers, and fantasy managers have also reaped the rewards. Zubac continues to provide 7th-round value in 8-cat formats, exceeding his Yahoo ADP (95). Also good for fantasy managers is that the Clippers are scheduled to play two more games in Week 5.

Harden finished Wednesday’s win with as many turnovers as assists (five), but the Clippers’ defensive execution ensured that the turnovers weren’t an issue. Harden sits just outside the first round in 12-team formats for the season when punting turnovers. He will have the occasional high-turnover night, especially with Kawhi Leonard (knee) sidelined.

Curry didn’t have to do too much in this blowout victory and was locked in from every spot on the floor. The Warriors sharpshooter has made at least three triples in five straight contests while converting them at a 43.1% clip. The Dubs could require him to step things up offensively in the aftermath of De’Anthony Melton’s season-ending ACL injury.

Wiggins has now scored at least 22 points in back-to-back contests. He’s slowly turning things around after a poor start to November. The Warriors wing’s playing time is on the rise and he’s responded to the increase in opportunities well.

Jones has dished out at least eight assists in three straight, reaching double figures twice. Wednesday’s total was one shy of his season-high, and he continues to provide 8th-round per-game value in 9-cat formats. Jones is rostered in 80% of Yahoo leagues, but that number won’t increase this week as the Suns don’t play again until Tuesday.

Nurkic was back on the court after sitting out Monday’s loss to the Magic, replacing Mason Plumlee in the starting lineup. Nurk recorded a complete stat line against the Knicks, good news for fantasy managers who have been waiting for him to break out. While his fantasy value remains disappointing, nights like Wednesday are why Nurkic remains rostered in nearly 90% of Yahoo leagues.