NBA Player News

Sexton shot the ball well on Saturday, his second game this season in which he scored 20 points or more while shooting over 50% from the field. Shot selection can be problematic for the Jazz guards, and Keyonte George (foot) being sidelined made it even more critical that Sexton and company be more disciplined in their approach. Utah plays four games in Week 4, beginning with the Suns on Monday, and Phoenix will be playing its second game in as many nights.

Valanciunas ended up starting the second half and playing an extended role in Saturday’s win because of Domantas Sabonis’ early exit. Sabonis was ruled out with a hamstring injury that he suffered a little over a minute into the game. Valanciunas ended up playing 29 minutes and provided an excellent stat line. Sabonis could certainly miss multiple games, which makes Valanciunas an elite streaming option, especially with a four-game week coming up for the Kings. He’s currently available in 31% of Yahoo! leagues, so he may not be easy to find on the waiver wire.

Washington’s right ankle has had him on the injury report regularly in recent weeks, and it will force him to exit early from Saturday’s game. Naji Marshall should close the game out in place of Washington and should start against the Kings on Monday if Washington remains out.

A good night for Kennard came to a disappointing and abrupt end as he picked up his second technical foul with 7:43 remaining in the fourth quarter. He finished with 14 points (6-of-9 FGs, 2-of-3 FTs), six rebounds, five assists and two steals in 24 minutes off the bench. Lamar Stevens should play additional minutes off the bench, as the Grizzlies were already without Desmond Bane and Vince Williams Jr. due to injury.

Harris has shot 50 percent or better from the field in four straight and nine of his last 10 games. Since February 7, the veteran forward has averaged 17.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 three-pointers per game, shooting 58.3 percent from the field and 92.9 percent from the foul line. That production has been good for fourth-round value in nine-cat formats. Harris may not be the flashiest fantasy option, but he has provided consistent middle-round value as a fixture in the Pistons’ starting lineup.

Cunningham didn’t score as much as he’s capable of Saturday night, but the Pistons’ offensive balance had much to do with that. Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley scored 18 points apiece for the Pistons, who notched their 34th win of the season. Not only are those the most wins Detroit’s amassed in a season since 2018-19 (41 wins), but this is also the first time since that year they’ve won at least 25 games. Cunningham has led the way for the much-improved Pistons, and fantasy managers have also reaped the rewards. Over the past two weeks, he has provided top-10 value in eight-cat formats.

Duren was fantastic on Saturday, recording his fifth double-double in seven games and a career-high six blocked shots. How out of the ordinary were the six rejections? Duren amassed a total of six in his previous 10 appearances. Over the past two weeks, he has been a third-round player in eight- and nine-cat formats. Of course, Isaiah Stewart (three points, four rebounds, one assist and four blocks in 14 minutes) getting into foul trouble led to Duren playing 30 minutes (or more) for just the fifth time since the beginning of February. He’s been good recently, but Duren managers should keep their expectations in check for a four-game Week 18.

On the final day of his 10-day contract, Hayes returned to the city where his NBA career began. The former lottery pick struggled against the team that drafted him, shooting 1-of-6 from the field while providing modest production in the rebound and assist categories. The Nets will have a decision to make regarding Killian. The health of D’Angelo Russell will likely influence the Nets’ decision regarding Hayes. Reece Beekman (3/1/1/3 in 26 minutes) may figure more prominently in the bench rotation if the Nets do not re-sign Hayes and Russell remains out.

As has been the case since he cracked the Nets’ rotation, Johnson had another game in which he shot poorly but provided value in other areas. The 20 percent night from the field won’t help category league managers on the verge of losing that category, but Johnson did grab eight rebounds and hit two three-pointers. Rostered in 19 percent of Yahoo leagues, he has provided eighth-round value in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks. However, his value moving forward depends on how much Cam Thomas plays. While he did not play on Saturday, Thomas did replace Johnson in the starting lineup for Friday’s loss to the Thunder.

Johnson had a brutal night in Detroit, shooting 3-of-20 from the field overall and 0-of-10 from beyond the arc. His streak of 60 consecutive games, the second-longest in franchise history, ended in brutal fashion. Due to poor performance, Johnson has become a 10th-round player in nine-cat formants over the past two weeks. He’ll look to bounce back on Tuesday when the Nets visit the Spurs.

On a night when Cameron Johnson, Keon Johnson and Ziaire Williams combined to shoot 11-of-49 from the field, Martin was among the few bright spots for the Nets. The 23 points are the most he’s scored since November 27, when he tallied a career-high 30 against the Suns. While this one performance doesn’t make Martin a player who should be rostered in most fantasy leagues, it does put him on the radar for the “silly season.” The Nets played Saturday without Cam Thomas, which freed up additional scoring opportunities.