NBA Player News

Mathurin has been rolling since Aaron Nesmith’s ankle injury freed up a spot in the starting lineup. He’s scored 20 points or more in three straight and four of the last six, with Sunday’s effort being Benn’s best. He dropped in a career-high 38 points while shooting 72% from the field, and the rebounding numbers were also on point. Rostered in 43% of Yahoo leagues, Mathurin has been a top-25 player over the past week. With Nesmith likely out until December, Mathurin will have every opportunity to show he can sustain this production level.

Agbaji had a tough assignment on Saturday, as he was the player most responsible for guarding Jayson Tatum. While he did a good job overall, the final image of Saturday’s overtime thriller was Tatum cashing a three over Agbaji’s outstretched hand. However, this should not dampen his start, as Agbaji is providing top 75 per-game value in 9-cat formats. Few, if any, fantasy managers expected that before the season began.

Other than the field-goal percentage, Barrett performed excellently on Saturday. He established a new career-high with 15 assists and recorded a triple-double. Also, Barrett only committed one turnover. He remains ranked outside the top 150 in per-game value, but managers should be okay with taking the hit while the Raptors are without Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley.

Poeltl ended Week 4 with a bang production-wise. One night after he went for 25 & 19 against the Pistons, he scored a career-high 35 on 16-of-19 shooting while also grabbing 12 rebounds. A top-25 player in 9-cat formats over the last week, Poeltl’s cracked the top-50 in season-long value. Injuries to Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley have given the Raptors center more opportunities to get his offense, much to the delight of managers who have him rostered. Toronto plays three games in Week 5, beginning with the Pacers on Monday.

Due to Jrue Holiday (knee) sitting out Friday’s game, Queta remained in the starting lineup. He was effective, reaching double figures for the first time since November 8 while grabbing eight rebounds and blocking a shot. Depending on Holiday’s availability for Tuesday’s game against Cleveland, there may not be much need to hold onto Queta for the start of Week 5. However, the Celtics end the week with a Sunday/Monday back-to-back, so there may be another start for him soon.

Horford was back in the lineup after sitting out Wednesday’s win over the Nets, which was the second game of a back-to-back. While the 38-year-old center has been productive on the court, sitting just outside the top 75 in per-game value, the availability has negatively impacted his availability. Horford’s rostered in 40% of Yahoo leagues, and the Celtics have another back-to-back on the horizon (Sunday of Week 5-Monday of Week 6). It’s possible he only plays twice in Week 5.

Brown has scored 24 points or more in four of the five games he’s played in November, with his first game back from injury (November 10 vs. Milwaukee) being the exception. For the season, he’s providing top 75 per-game value in 8- and 9-cat formats, ranking slightly higher in the latter.

Tatum didn’t have his most accurate night from the field but made the game’s biggest shot. JT’s 3-pointer over the outstretched hand of Toronto’s Ochai Agbaji went down as time expired in overtime, giving Boston the win. While Tatum has shot 37% or less in three of his last four games, he’s still shooting 44.0% over the previous two weeks while providing top-10 fantasy value. The Celtics play three games in Week 5, beginning with the Cavaliers on Tuesday.

Due to injuries and Trey Murphy sitting for injury management reasons, Nowell practically played starters’ minutes off the bench on Saturday. While he didn’t shoot the ball efficiently, the 2019 second-round pick established a new season-high with 18 points. Under normal circumstances, Nowell would not be worth a look in most leagues. However, the Pelicans have been decimated by injuries and have another back-to-back on Tuesday/Wednesday.

Boston didn’t have a great night shooting the basketball after making more than half his attempts in Friday’s win over the Nuggets. However, the rebounds and assists will be helpful to fantasy managers in category leagues, and he remains one of the value pickups of the season. Boston is providing 8th-round per-game value in 8- and 9-cat formats and needs to be rostered as long as the Pelicans are shorthanded on the perimeter.

Trey Murphy (hamstring) sat out Saturday’s game, the second of a back-to-back, leading to Robinson-Earl getting the start. While the production wasn’t elite, JRE reached double figures for the third time in five games while also grabbing nine rebounds. The Pelicans have another back-to-back on Tuesday/Wednesday, so Robinson-Earl may have another opportunity to show what he can contribute as a starter.