NBA Player News

Barnes has been sidelined since October 28, but he’s nearing a return. If Barnes doesn’t play Thursday, his next chance to take the court will come on Sunday at Cleveland.

DeRozan has missed three consecutive games with lower back tightness but appears poised to get back into the rotation ahead of the weekend. If he starts in his first game back he’ll likely bump Trey Lyles back to the bench.

Paul and Collins will continue playing to play through their injuries after helping power the Spurs to an upset victory over the Thunder. There’s been no indication that either player will be limited so fantasy managers should expect their usual production as starters.

Claxton has been out for a little over a week and could target a return against the struggling 76ers. Dorian Finney-Smith has served as a short-term fill-in and Noah Clowney will keep his place in the rotation if Claxton is ruled out.

Bridges’ nagging knee injury appears to have worsened since Wednesday. The Hornets wing handled a full workload against the Nets and Charlotte is being cautious with him. Rookie forward Tidjane Salaun or Cody Martin could start if Bridges is ruled out.

It’s unclear whether this injury could cost Doncic more than one week, but he’s only missed one contest so far this season. His numbers, while still elite, are down across the board in what’s been a middling season for the Mavericks so far. Kyrie Irving will get a chance to power the offense as the team’s clear lead guard in the meantime. Quentin Grimes is a likely candidate to step into the starting lineup.

While Suggs remains a 6th-round player for the season, his production has slipped recently. Over the last two weeks, he’s averaged 12.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.3 blocks, and 1.7 3-pointers. The issue for Suggs has been his shooting, as he made just 34.5% of his attempts from the field. That needs to be cleaned up to maintain his current season-long value.

Sometimes, getting away from home can spark positive change. That’s been the case for Black, who’s accounted for 37 points, 17 assists, three steals, one block, and five 3-pointers in the first two games of Orlando’s road trip. He scored 18 points in Orlando’s three home games before this road trip, which continues with a game against the Lakers on Thursday. On a four-game night, he’s worth a roll of the dice in deep leagues, especially since he’s jumped Cole Anthony in the rotation.

The Clippers have been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA thus far, and they were able to keep Wagner in check on Wednesday. He didn’t necessarily have a bad night, but Franz was nowhere near as impactful as he was in Monday’s win over the Suns. He’ll look to rebound when the Magic visit the Lakers on Thursday.

With Norman Powell (hamstring) sidelined, Coffey moved into the starting lineup on Wednesday. And he played well enough to provide solid fantasy value, scoring 18 points on good percentages. Of course, fantasy managers may have hoped for more production outside of the points, 3-pointers, and rebounds, but this was a good start. Coffey should get at least one more start, as Powell has been ruled out for Friday’s matchup with Sacramento.

Zubac was more involved offensively on Wednesday than in Monday’s win over Golden State, in which he scored eight points. He’s been excellent in the middle for the Clippers, and fantasy managers have also reaped the rewards. Zubac continues to provide 7th-round value in 8-cat formats, exceeding his Yahoo ADP (95). Also good for fantasy managers is that the Clippers are scheduled to play two more games in Week 5.