NBA Player News

There isn’t much to complain about for a player to be as productive as James at age 39. However, fantasy managers may point to the turnover category if they’re in the business of picking nits. James had four turnovers on Tuesday and has averaged 4.7 per game over the last two weeks. Therefore, during this stretch, he’s ranked outside the top 40 in 9-cat formats while providing top-25 value in 8-cat. There is no need for concern, but hopefully, James can clean things up a bit moving forward.

LeVert (right wrist sprain) and Okoro (AC join sprain) have both missed at least six straight contests. Merrill will miss just his second straight contest on Thursday. Fantasy managers should expect a healthy dose of Ty Jerome and Georges Niang off the bench.

Juzang is still dealing with a right hand fracture and will miss his 10th straight game on Thursday. Brice Sensabaugh will likely maintain a strong contributing role off the bench against Minnesota.

Collins will return from a three-game layoff while Kessler will return from a two-game layoff caused by a left shoulder contusion. Both players should assume their usual roles as starters against Minnesota.

Bagley hasn’t played since late December, Brogdon hasn’t played since early January, and Sarr is set to miss his second straight game with a left ankle sprain. The only significant difference in the usual rotation will likely be Jonas Valanciunas starting at center.

Jaxson Hayes told reporters Thursday that he’ll start for Anthony Davis against Washington while he recovers from a abdominal injury. Hayes has been a solid contributor off the bench as of late but his counting stats haven’t been great. Fantasy managers shouldn’t expect consistent production.

Morant is dealing with right shoulder soreness and has had a pair subpar outings after missing a game against the Pelicans.

Wiggins came up big for the Warriors in this game and led the team in scoring to help them win their second straight game. 15 of his points came in the first half, which helped keep them afloat despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 31-point first half. Wiggins has been an excellent option for the Warriors this season, but his name has been mentioned as part of a potential trade package to bring in a star at the trade deadline. If he remains with Golden State, his success should continue, but a move could impact his role, for better or for worse.

Quinten Post got the first start of his career at center, but the experiment was short-lived. He played eight minutes in the first half and contributed two turnovers and three fouls. Looney ended up filling most of the center minutes and started the second half in place of Post. This was a new season-high for both points and blocks for Looney, which led to arguably his best game of the season. Assuming Trayce Jackson-Davis remains out against the Suns on Friday, Looney will likely get the starting nod in that game.

The first half didn’t go Steph’s way, and he entered the break with just four points on 1-of-7 shooting. However, he was able to get things going in the second half, which contributed to the Warriors’ win. Curry really struggled against the Lakers on Saturday and went scoreless in the second half of the game. He flipped the script in this one, though his line still ended up being below his standards. They only have one more game this week, which will be against the Suns on Friday.

JDub had a rough stretch from mid-December to mid-January, but he has been getting back on track recently. Over their last four games, he has averaged 27.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.3 steals, 1.0 block and 2.3 threes per game. The shooting splits haven’t been great, and he missed both of his free throw attempts in this game. Still, he ranks outside the top-50 over the past two months, but he has been a top-25 producer over their last four games. He’ll look to keep it going against the Kings on Saturday to wrap up the week.