NBA Player News

After coming close on two prior occasions, Randle recorded his first double-double as a Timberwolf on Thursday. While the four turnovers weren’t great, the overall offensive production and rebounding were positives for managers who have Randle rostered. He’ll look to build on this performance when Minnesota hosts Portland on Friday.

Krejci spent some time in the G League this week as part of his rehab and is trending in the right direction. With De’Andre Hunter sitting out Sunday’s game for injury management reasons, rotation minutes will be available. However, Krejci is not worth rostering in most leagues.

Hunter played well in his return to the lineup on Friday, scoring 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting. He did not experience any setbacks after that performance; Hunter’s not playing on Sunday is due to it being the first game of a back-to-back.

Sent to San Diego to continue his rehab process with the Clippers’ G League affiliate early in the week, Bamba played on Thursday. He’s no longer on the injury report, and Bamba’s return will give Tyronn Lue another big to work with. Bamba’s return will not impact fantasy basketball, as starter Ivica Zubac will continue to play most of the available minutes at center.

Rui Hachimura will miss a second consecutive game with an ankle sprain, and Cam Reddish has joined him on the sideline. As a result, Knecht remains in the starting lineup, while Max Christie has been promoted to fill the void left by Reddish. Of the two fill-ins, Knecht offers a higher fantasy ceiling.

The Celtics will go with a bigger starting lineup with Jrue Holiday sidelined due to injury. Queta has been tabbed to fill the void, which boosts his deep-league fantasy value. Also in line for a boost is Payton Pritchard, who has added value despite coming off the bench.

Simons will remain sidelined for another game, meaning Scoot Henderson will retain his place in the starting lineup. He’s worth streaming while Simons sits, while Dalano Banton is more of a “dart throw” due to his inconsistent minutes.

Doncic and Marshall are good to go after initially being questionable for Saturday’s contest. While the former will take on his usual role within the Mavericks’ rotation, the latter will see his minutes take a hit. PJ Washington (knee) is also available, resulting in fewer opportunities for Marshall.

Jones will be available for the first time since opening night, and rotation minutes will be available due to Devin Vassell sitting out the second game of the back-to-back. However, fantasy managers do not need to add Jones immediately; adding him to your watch list is good enough, especially with Chris Paul running the show.

Wembanyama injured his knee during Friday’s loss to the Lakers. He took a quick trip to the locker room during the fourth quarter but returned to action. His absence means Zach Collins will start and is worth streaming in deep leagues.

With Hachimura and Reddish downgraded from questionable to out, the Lakers have two spots to fill in their starting lineup. Dalton Knecht should remain in the starting lineup after replacing Hachimura on Friday, while Max Christie and D’Angelo Russell will figure more prominently in the lineup with Reddish sidelined.