NBA Player News

Gillespie hasn’t been part of the team’s rotation when healthy, so his continued absence won’t impact fantasy basketball.

Gordon practiced on Saturday, and his appearance on the injury report as “doubtful” instead of being ruled out immediately is another encouraging sign. He appears unlikely to play on Sunday, but Gordon isn’t far off. Peyton Watson will remain in the starting lineup until AG is cleared.

Injured during a November 19 game against the Grizzlies, Cancar will miss a fifth consecutive game. His continued absence will not impact fantasy basketball.

Sochan is closing in on a return to action, but Sunday will not be the day. Julian Champagnie should remain in the starting lineup, where he’s offered deep-league value on most nights. Rostered in 18% of Yahoo leagues, Champagnie is ranked just outside the top 100 in 9-cat value.

Fontecchio didn’t shoot the ball well, going 1-of-8 from beyond the arc, but he was highly productive on the glass. He corralled a career-high 11 rebounds, providing a little value off the bench. This performance isn’t enough to make Fontecchio a player worth rostering, but seeing him be productive on a night when his shot wasn’t falling was nice.

Due to Cade Cunningham being a late scratch, Beasley made his fourth start in Detroit’s last five games. The points and 3-pointers were where fantasy manages like to see them, with the rebounds and assists being excellent bonuses. Over the previous two weeks, Beasley has provided top-60 per-game value in 9-cat formats. He’s likely to return to the bench when the Pistons host Milwaukee on Tuesday.

No one connected to the Pistons would be blamed if they labeled Saturday’s defeat a “schedule loss.” After blowing out the Pacers on Friday, they faced the 76ers at home, and Cade Cunningham was a late scratch. Ivey didn’t have his best game, but he’s been much-improved this season. He’ll look to be better on Tuesday when the Pistons host Milwaukee in a pivotal NBA Cup game, the first of three Detroit will play during the first segment of Week 7.

Already playing without Joel Embiid, the 76ers lost Andre Drummond during the first quarter with a sprained right ankle. His exit and Philadelphia’s lack of frontcourt options meant more playing time for Martin, who started the third quarter. He finished with his best stat line of the season and will be worth streaming if Embiid remains sidelined and Drummond misses time. Another name to be mindful of in deep leagues is Ricky Council IV, who logged 26 minutes and finished with 17 points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block, and one 3-pointer.

One game removed from scoring 39 points in an overtime loss to the Rockets, Maxey put up 28 more on Saturday. And while Paul George didn’t have the best night in his first game back from a knee injury, his presence helped open things up for the 76ers guard. If Philadelphia can achieve some semblance of good health for an extended period, Maxey’s efficiency should improve.

In a move that was a bit surprising, McCain was moved to the bench in favor of Paul George while Kelly Oubre Jr. (14/6/1/2/1 with two 3-pointers in 31 minutes) remained in the starting lineup. The good news for fantasy managers who have the rookie rostered is that he still played 28 minutes. The negative was the production, with McCain scoring just seven points. Stay patient with him, especially considering the 76ers’ injury woes this season.

Saturday’s game was George’s first since November 20, so it’s unsurprising that his minutes weren’t what they usually are. The nature of the contest also conspired to get him a little more time on the bench, as the 76ers took a 20-point lead into the fourth quarter. Philadelphia plays four games during the first portion of Week 7, but it includes a back-to-back. We’ll see if that limits George to three games or if he’s made available for both legs of the Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back.