NBA Player News

Vukcevic isn’t in the rotation when healthy, so his absence will not impact fantasy basketball.

Williams was injured with a little over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when his right knee buckled on a drive to the basket. He immediately signaled to the Hornets bench for assistance and could not put any weight on the leg while being helped to the locker room. The Hornets are already without Mark Williams and Nick Richards; they cannot afford to lose Grant Williams. Moussa Diabate is the player to target if Grant misses time.

Hood-Schifino remains sidelined, and his absence does not impact the Lakers’ rotation or fantasy basketball.

With Cade Cunningham sidelined, Ivey took on the point guard responsibilities on Saturday night. While the two assists were disappointing, given the role change, Ivey led the Pistons in points and rebounds. He heads into Week 6 ranked outside the top 175 in 9-cat formats but remains rostered in 85% of Yahoo leagues due to his status as a starter. Detroit plays four games in Week 6, beginning with the Raptors on Monday.

Due to Cade Cunningham’s injury, Beasley was in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game. He provided solid value in points and 3-pointers, and that should be enough in deep leagues if Cunningham remains sidelined.

Thompson was made available for the first time this season, but the Pistons wing did not appear. Detroit isn’t going to rush him back onto the court. But Saturday’s DNP-CD should not dissuade deep-league managers from stashing Thompson, as he brings a valuable skill set to the table in category leagues.

While he wasn’t as prolific as his younger brother Franz, Moritz had a good night against the Pistons. The points were there, but so were the rebounds and assists, an encouraging development for a player ranked outside the top 175 over the last three weeks. Goga Bitadze (eight points, one rebound, one assist, one steal, and three blocks in 18 minutes) remains the preferred streamer with Wendell Carter Jr. sidelined, but Wagner is also of value in deep leagues.

Isaac has played at least 20 minutes in five of his last six games, with Saturday’s effort being his most productive. In addition to grabbing a season-high 12 rebounds, the Magic forward was responsible for three blocks and two steals. Isaac doesn’t need significant minutes to impact fantasy basketball, but the injury concerns remain.

With Jalen Suggs exiting Saturday’s game during the first half with a sore hamstring, Black picked up additional minutes. He’s played 29 minutes or more in three of Orlando’s last four games, so the second-year guard’s playing time may not change much if Suggs misses time. Orlando plays four games in Week 6, beginning with Charlotte on Monday.

After missing Thursday’s win over the Lakers, Caldwell-Pope was back in the lineup on Saturday. He didn’t offer much value, but the nature of the game had something to do with that. Orlando was up big by the end of the third quarter, so there was no need to push veteran like Caldwell-Pope. He remains little more than a deep-league option. The Magic play four games in Week 6, beginning with Charlotte on Monday.

Wagner continues to flourish with Paolo Banchero sidelined, surpassing the 30-point mark for the fifth time in seven games. Franz provides top-20 per-game value for the season in 8- and 9-cat formats. While the production may take a hit once Banchero returns, managers who have Wagner rostered should just enjoy the ride.