NBA Player News

Initially probable for Saturday’s game, this was the expected outcome for Davis. He’ll be in the starting lineup opposite Denver’s Nikola Jokic.

After only scoring 11 points in a blowout loss to New York on Monday, DeRozan was more productive against Golden State. Unfortunately, it was another blowout loss for Sacramento, and they have now lost three in a row. It was a poor performance from the team, but fantasy managers that have DeRozan were fine with his efficient night. They’ll play the Suns on the second night of this back-to-back on Friday, which isn’t an ideal scenario. They’ll be at a rest disadvantage against a team that they only lead by 3.5 games in the standings. DeRozan will have to have another performance like this to avoid a further slide down the standings.

Green has been incredible on the defensive end of the floor, especially over the past couple of months. However, he made a difference on the offensive end during Thursday’s big win. He knocked sown some big triples, and he set a new season-high for scoring. Managers should not get accustomed to this offensive production, but it was nice to see he still has some gas in the tank. Golden State will close out the week against the Knicks on Saturday, and they have a four-game week coming up after that.

Kuminga only played 20 minutes in his first game in over two months, but he was quickly able to make an impact. He got right to work as a scorer and helped close out the game with three dunks in the fourth quarter. Kuminga may not return to the starting lineup this season, but he should be able to make a strong impact off the bench as an energetic scoring option, which is a role that he had success in prior to his injury. That may not be great for category leagues, but he still holds value in points formats.

It was a subpar night for Curry as he finished with just 11 points (4-of-9 FGs), two rebounds, five assists, one steal, one block and two three-pointers. However, the second triple that he hit, which came early in the second half, was the 4,000th of Curry’s career. He broke Ray Allen’s record of 2,973 three-pointers in December 2021, and he currently leads James Harden by nearly 900 career triples. Curry has been considered the greatest shooter of all-time for a while now, and this is just another accolade with his name next to it.

Williamson wasn’t able to replicate his triple-double from Tuesday’s game, but he was able to extend his 20-point streak to seven games while also continuing to be a reliable playmaker for New Orleans. It has been a lost season for them for a while now, but Zion’s success down the stretch has been an encouraging plot point for the Pelicans. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for New Orleans fans and dynasty managers alike. They only have one more game this week, but a four-game week coming up with no back-to-backs is an exciting opportunity for Williamson.

This was Chicago’s first game without Josh Giddey (ankle), and it’s unclear exactly how many more games he’ll miss. It will likely be a multi-game absence, which provides Huerter with some value as a streaming option. This was his second start as a Bull, and he is now averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 4.5 three-pointers as a starter for Chicago. Huerter is rostered in just 12 percent of Yahoo! leagues. They only have one more game left this week, but they have a four-game week after that.

This was an ugly game for the Kings as a team, but Ellis was one of the few bright spots. He outplayed starter Malik Monk (7/4/6/2/1), who was taken a major step back in production since Sacramento traded De’Aaron Fox. The expectation was that the increased usage would allow Monk to be even better than he had been, but he hasn’t been able to do that. As long as Ellis continues to be productive, he’ll push for more minutes, which will give him the chance to provide more strong stat lines over the final month.

Alvarado was a solid reserve option for New Orleans on Thursday and was a key piece in their improved second half. Alvarado scored all 12 of his points after halftime, which they entered trailing by 30 points. The Pelicans were better after the break, but it wasn’t enough to truly pull off a comeback. Still, it was encouraging to see Alvarado play well even as a reserve. It would be surprising if Alvarado didn’t get the chance to return to the starting lineup at some point this season, and that would make him an appealing streaming option.

Cole Anthony (toe) was scratched about an hour before tipoff despite not being on the injury report. That opened the door for Joseph to return to the starting lineup. Joseph only had eight points and five minutes in his previous start, but he was a better scoring option for Orlando in this game. This was the first night of a back-to-back for the Magic, and if Anthony remains out in Minnesota on Friday, Joseph could end up starting again. However, his fantasy upside is limited.

Wagner was incredibly efficient in the first half and entered the break with 20 points without missing a shot. Though he wasn’t as successful in the second half, it still ended up being a strong night for Wagner. This game came after three straight games scoring less than 20 points, though his shot allocation hasn’t changed; he has taken exactly 17 shots in four consecutive games. Wagner’s fantasy upside will continue to be capped by playing alongside Paolo Banchero, but he is still an All-Star caliber player.