NBA Player News

Kessler’s ability to play 35 effective minutes without experiencing a setback was encouraging, as was his ability to produce alongside John Collins. Rarely on the court together this season, they started alongside each other on Saturday, with both recording double-doubles. The Jazz play two back-to-backs during their four-game Week 6 slate, but the minutes logged on Saturday suggest Kessler will not be restricted.

Butler’s absence is a major blow to the Warriors, who are treading water in the competitive Western Conference standings. Golden State should have more minutes available for the likes of De’Anthony Melton, Brandin Podziemski and Quinten Post, though there is no clear-cut fantasy beneficiary to immediately identify.

Since being moved out of the starting lineup, Ware played 17 minutes or less in five consecutive games before Monday. He logged 18 against the Warriors, but the offensive production was solid. Unfortunately for the Heat, Ware’s performance wasn’t enough to compensate for Bam Adebayo (four points, 12 rebounds and three assists) shooting 1-of-13 from the field. Ware’s potential makes him worth holding onto, especially with Tyler Herro (ribs) out, but managers fighting for their postseason lives may not be able to take that risk.

After scoring 18 points in the first half of Monday’s game, Wiggins appeared to be on course for a big night. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Wiggins missed all five of his shot attempts and failed to score after halftime. While Wiggins’ season-long fantasy value has exceeded his Yahoo! ADP (110) by a comfortable margin, consistency can still be an issue on occasion. He’ll look to put together four productive quarters on Tuesday against the Kings.

With Tyler Herro (rib) unavailable and possibly missing the Heat’s entire five-game road trip, Powell has even more room to operate offensively. He’s scored at least 19 points in four straight games, surpassing 20 in three of them. Given how productive Powell was to begin the season when Herro was recovering from toe surgery, it would be unsurprising if he got back to that level during the Heat’s road trip.

Having fallen out of the Warriors’ rotation recently, Hield logged 23 minutes on Monday. The Warriors didn’t have De’Anthony Melton (knee) for injury management reasons, freeing up minutes for the veteran shooting guard. Hield took advantage of his opportunity, with the 16 points being the most in a game for him since November 24. Depending on how much time Jimmy Butler misses after injuring his right knee, Hield could remain in the rotation for the foreseeable future.

With Jimmy Butler (knee) leaving early in the third quarter and Stephen Curry saddled with foul trouble early in the fourth, Podziemski stepped up to help lead the Warriors to the win. He finished with a season-high point total, with only a blocked shot missing from Podziemski’s stat line. Butler’s injury makes Podziemski a more critical option, even if he remains with the bench unit. He’s worth picking up even before Butler undergoes an MRI on Tuesday.

The Warriors made 24 three-pointers in Monday’s victory, extending the team’s streak of games with 20 or more to four. Post was responsible for four of them, and the 16 points were the most he’s scored in a game since December 12. The second-year center has been a fixture in the starting lineup since early December, but Post’s production has not made him worth the risk in redraft leagues.

Curry’s 11 assists matched his season-high, with the Warriors’ guard recording his third double-double in six games. Interestingly, the game turned when Curry went to the bench early in the fourth quarter after picking up his fifth foul. That factored into him playing 28 minutes, which may bode well for his availability for Tuesday’s game against the Raptors.

Butler injured his right knee early in the third quarter, as his leg buckled inward on a drive to the basket. He remained down on the court for several minutes before walking back to the locker room with the assistance of two teammates. More will be learned about the severity of Butler’s injury on Tuesday, but a prolonged absence could be a crushing blow to the Warriors’ postseason hopes.

Harris exited early from Saturday’s game, though the reason wasn’t specified. However, if there was something bothering him then, it didn’t seem to carry over into this game. His 25 points were the most he’s had in a game since November. He hasn’t been a great fantasy option this season, but since returning from a five-game absence with a hip injury, he has been effective. He’ll look to remain hot in New Orleans on Wednesday.