NBA Player News

Krejci is available to make his first appearance in a game since October 28. He played no more than 20 minutes in any of his four games before the injury, so fantasy managers should not expect too much. With De’Andre Hunter sidelined, there should be rotation minutes available to Krejci, but not enough to make him a factor in fantasy basketball.

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.

The good news for fantasy managers is that Beasley extended his streak of games with at least three three-pointers to ten games before getting ejected from Saturday’s game. Shooting 6-of-10 from the field, Beasley finished with 18 points, one assist and five three-pointers in 24 minutes off the bench. The Pistons begin a four-game Week 18 on Monday against the Jazz, and Beasley is worth rostering while he remains hot.