NBA Player News

With Myles Turner and Ben Sheppard both sidelined for this game, Walker and Freeman will both get the first starts of their careers. Indiana’s rotation will be pretty different due to the number of injuries, and there should be plenty of minutes for both players.

GTJ has been incredibly disappointing in his first season with the Bucks, but he is starting to get it going. He has scored in double figures in three straight games and averaged 11 points, two steals and three triples during that stretch. Monday’s game included a new season-high for both points and 3-pointers. This modest production doesn’t make him worth picking up at this point, but if he can start to figure things out, he’ll be a huge help for the Bucks as they try to turn their season around.

Following a three-game absence due to a concussion, Lillard was back in the lineup for this game. He didn’t shoot the ball well, but all was forgiven when he knocked down a game-winning layup in the closing seconds. Prior to the final game of last season, Dame had gone 150 straight games with at least one 3-pointer, but he already has three such games this year. The numbers don’t look as bad, but the highs have been high and the lows have been low for Dame. He has hit just one triple over his last three games, and he’ll look to get back on track against the Bulls on Wednesday. He was able to record his first double-double of the season and set a new season-high for assists.

Lopez has shown us recently that he definitely still has it, but it hasn’t come consistently. Two games before this one, he had 29 points, eight rebounds, eight “stocks” and five triples. He followed that up with a modest five points in a loss before going off again in this game. The norm should be somewhere in the middle, but he has been very hit or miss so far this season. There aren’t many players that can hit 3-pointers and blocks shots at the same rate as Lopez, and when he gets going, he can have some special performances.

Allen has scored 15 or more points in his last three games, providing solid production off the bench. He’s been dealing with nagging injuries, most recently missing two games last week due to a sore hamstring. And even with the recent scoring run, Allen is ranked outside the top 200 in 9-cat formats over the past week. Outside of deep leagues in which his 3-point production is needed, there isn’t much reason to roster Allen.

Due to Jusuf Nurkic sitting out Monday’s game with a sprained ankle, Ighodaro made his first career start. The second-round pick out of Marquette played well, shooting 75% from the field and accounting for seven rebounds and two steals. Ighodaro’s value moving forward depends on Nurkic’s availability, as the rookie will be difficult to roster in most leagues if he’s the third big in the rotation.

One day removed from dropping 44 points on the Timberwolves, Booker was held in check by a stingy Magic defense on Monday night. That said, this performance has been the norm for Booker during Phoenix’s 1-5 skid, as he scored 18 points or fewer in three of those games. Injuries to Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant haven’t helped, with their absences leaving Booker to shoulder even more of the scoring load. He’ll look to rebound when the Suns host the Knicks on Wednesday.

Jones got off to a solid start on Monday, scoring 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting in the first half. Unfortunately for the Suns and fantasy managers, his production tailed off in the second half, with the point guard scoring six points on 2-of-5 shooting. Jones remains a solid point guard to have rostered, as he’s providing top-100 per-game value, but he possesses a limited fantasy ceiling.

Suggs didn’t offer much offensive value on Monday, but he has reached double figures in seven of ten games played in November. His issue recently has been field goal percentage, with Suggs shooting 36.1% from the field over the last two weeks. However, he remains a top 75 player in 9-cat formats for the season, exceeding his Yahoo ADP (102).

Bitadze has recorded four double-doubles in the eight games he’s started for the injured Wendell Carter Jr. During this period, he has provided top-60 per-game value in 9-cat formats. The 17 points scored on Monday were a season-high for Bitadze, who is still rostered in 27% of Yahoo leagues. With Orlando completing its road trip with a Wednesday/Thursday back-to-back against the Clippers and Lakers, Goga is worth adding, even if Carter is cleared to return.

After scoring 18 points on 7-of-19 shooting in the three games prior, Black had his best offensive game of the season on Monday. The 20 points and nine assists were season-highs for the second-year guard, as were his three 3-pointers. Black’s issue has been inconsistency, which has prevented him from taking advantage of the additional opportunities that have come his way with Paolo Banchero sidelined. As an 11th-round player over the last two weeks, Black has only been worth the risk in extremely deep leagues.