NBA Player News

The return of Scottie Barnes may end up limiting Barrett’s production, but it didn’t limit him in this game. He scored at least 20 for the fourth straight game and had his fifth 30-point game of the year. He hasn’t ever been great in 9-cat leagues, and his numbers have been inconsistent so far this season. However, when he’s playing like he has over their last few games, he’ll be a strong contributor in every fantasy format. He’ll look to keep it going in Cleveland on Sunday before they start a four-game week after that.

Johnson has been a late-round player in standard leagues this season, but a potential absence would be more impactful if Devin Vassell (knee) remained sidelined. Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley may pick up additional minutes off the bench, but neither would be worth streaming.

Vassell has missed the last three games, but after missing time to start the season, he still hasn’t been part of the team’s starting unit. If he makes his return this weekend, he may continue to play a reserve role, which would limit Malaki Branham’s minutes.

Wemby has missed San Antonio’s last three games, and Zach Collins has replaced him in the starting lineup. Collins’ streaming value takes a significant hit with Wembanyama on the court, while Charles Bassey may drop from the rotation entirely.

With Cam Thomas back, Jalen Wilson will be pushed to the bench after logging 34 minutes in their last game. Nic Claxton will continue to come off the bench, with Ben Simmons starting in his place.

Missi will not play after being listed as questionable on the initial injury report. While Daniel Theis began the season as the starting center, he’s recently fallen out of the rotation. Rookie Karlo Matkovic may be the preferred replacement in the starting lineup, which would give him a shot at achieving some semblance of fantasy relevance.

Walker has played a larger role off the bench recently, which is what he should see once again in this game. His availability means that Obi Toppin won’t play a larger role, but Walker isn’t a player worth rostering in standard leagues at this point.

Sheppard will miss a second straight game after injuring his oblique during Monday’s game against the Heat. With Jarace Walker (illness) available, he and Quenton Jackson (who started on Wednesday), are the players who will absorb the minutes that would have gone to Sheppard. Neither offers an exceptionally high streaming ceiling.

Ayton’s absence means Robert Williams and Donovan Clingan will handle the center responsibilities. Both are worth streaming in this spot, but fantasy managers should operate under the assumption that the Time Lord will not play in Friday’s game against the Rockets.

Bagley will be able to play through this groin issue, but he isn’t a significant part of the team’s rotation. His availability won’t impact fantasy basketball.