NBA Player News

Saric was in the starting lineup because Nikola Jokic was away from the team for personal reasons. The production won’t make any headlines, but he was far from a liability in New Orleans. The backup situation was less clear, with Zeke Nnaji (one steal) and Vlatko Cancar (two points, two rebounds, and one steal) doing little in six and eight minutes, respectively. Denver is in Memphis on Sunday, and Saric will be worth a look if Jokic remains out because there isn’t a reliable option behind him.

Clarke and Williams have been downgraded from questionable to out, leaving the Grizzlies without two of their many options off the bench. John Konchar, Jay Huff or Marvin Bagley III may enter the rotation, but none will likely get the minutes needed to provide reliable streaming value. However, that would change if Ja Morant or Desmond Bane were also ruled out.

Mitchell will get a rest night after scoring 41 points in Cleveland’s comeback win over the Celtics on Friday. He earned a night off, which should allow him to be available for their back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday to start next week. Isaac Okoro and De’Andre Hunter should both play extra minutes with Mitchell sidelined, with one of them likely moving into the starting lineup.

Robinson made his season debut on Friday, playing 12 minutes off the bench in the Knicks’ win over Memphis. Fantasy managers should expect to see him take on a similar workload as the Knicks work Robinson back into the fold. Precious Achiuwa only played four minutes on Friday, so there’s no need to hold onto him in fantasy leagues.

With Jordan Poole sidelined, Carrington will slide into the starting unit in his place. Sarr also returns to the starting lineup after missing Washington’s last three games. That will push Richaun Holmes back to the bench, which will eliminate the streaming value that he held.

Filling in for the injured Aaron Gordon (ankle), Nnaji sprained his left ankle during Friday’s win over the Pistons. Both are considered questionable for Sunday’s game. Both being sidelined would likely force the Nuggets to go small, with Russell Westbrook or Julian Strawther moving into the starting lineup.

Hart is still dealing with a knee issue that forced him to miss New York’s first two games after the All-Star break, but it isn’t expected to keep him out of the lineup against Miami. Hart dealt with foul trouble on Friday, but he should play his usual large workload against the Heat.

Gordon did not play in Friday’s win over the Pistons after spraining his left ankle the night before in Milwaukee. Zeke Nnaji replaced him in the starting lineup, but Nnaji is also questionable for Sunday’s game. Russell Westbrook or Julian Strawther may be forced to move into the starting lineup if neither can go.

Porzingis and Holiday sat out Friday’s loss to the Cavaliers, leaving Joe Mazzulla with two holes to fill within the Celtics’ starting lineup. Sam Hauser and Al Horford received the starting nods against Cleveland and will likely retain those roles on Sunday. While the fantasy upside of both players is limited, they’re worth streaming when allowed to start.

Brown scored 37 points in 34 minutes on Friday, but there is a chance that he is sidelined against Denver. Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis are both doubtful, so Sam Hauser and Torrey Craig will likely both start if Brown is sidelined. However, Payton Pritchard will see a boost in minutes and provide a scoring boost off the bench.

Curry was initially listed as doubtful, so his absence doesn’t come as a surprise. Damion Baugh and DaQuan Jeffries should split the backup guard minutes, but with LaMelo Ball available, they won’t hold won’t be much upside in fantasy basketball.