NBA Player News

Thomas fell hard on his back towards the end of Sunday’s game against the Kings but wasn’t on Monday’s injury report. He only played 23 minutes against the Warriors, exiting during the third quarter after appearing to aggravate that back issue. Thomas was efficient with 23 points on 11 shots and went 8-for-8 from the free throw line, but the injury is a concern moving forward. Thomas is a streaky scorer who doesn’t provide much in the other categories but can get buckets when he’s on.

After a couple of subpar performances, Markkanen was able to get back on track in this one. He led Utah in scoring, though they’ve now dropped four straight games and eight of their last nine. Utah is in an interesting spot where they have a lot of young talent in picks, but they haven’t traded their older, more productive players. Markkanen could certainly be moved at the trade deadline, which me be best for his long-term value, especially if the Jazz pull the plug on their season again. Until then, he should be a reliable option for at least two months.

Sexton was able to contribute a bit of value in every category, and he nearly won this game for the Jazz. He had the ball with just a few seconds left and was trying to get by Rui Hachimura. Time was ticking, and Will Hardy tried to call timeout. With the arena loud, the refs didn’t hear him and award him the timeout until Sexton started to turn the corner for a layup, which he made. Sexton had another chance after the timeout to win it, but he wasn’t able to get a good shot up. He’ll continue to be a primary source of offense for them, though he’ll likely be on the trade block within a couple months.

Vincent got his first start since joining the Lakers at the start of last season due to the absences of Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish. His tenure with the team has been disappointing, but during his time with the Lakers, this was his first time scoring in double figures. This was the first night of a back-to-back, and there is certainly a chance that all three of the aforementioned players remaind out, which would allow Vincent to get another start. However, he isn’t worth streaming.

On the heels of one of his worst games of the year and a weak stretch of games, there were plenty of questions about how much longer LeBron can keeping playing at this level. Though it wasn’t a flawless performances, James was extra aggressive in this game and shot a season-high 28 times while still dishing out 14 assists. He missed all nine of his 3-point attempts, including one that would’ve put them up four points with a few seconds remaining. LeBron turns 40 this month, and there will be plenty of eyes on him to see how his body holds up.

After a few quieter scoring games, Davis got back on track in a big way in this one. He has scored less than 20 points in three games this season, all of which came in the four games before this one. This was his fifth double-double with at least 30 points, and he has enjoyed plenty of success between their two games against the Jazz this year. Davis will continue to be one of the best players in fantasy basketball, and he’ll look to keep this going in Minnesota on Monday, which will be the second night of a back-to-back for them.

Wallace has started Oklahoma City’s last two games, and he was much better on Sunday than in Friday’s win over the Lakers. The second-year guard shot 3-of-6 from three, tallying 14 points and nine rebounds. The playing time was just as encouraging as the production, with Cason Wallace playing 36 minutes. By comparison, Aaron Wiggins (13 points, three rebounds, three assists, and one 3-pointer) played 27 minutes, and Isaiah Joe (zero points, two assists) 13. Fantasy managers shouldn’t feel obligated to add Wallace now, but keep an eye on his minutes moving forward.

Williams had a chance to send Sunday’s game into overtime, but his off-balance 3-point attempt fell short of the mark as time expired. This wasn’t the cleanest effort for JDub, who shot 33.3% from the field, but he’s been a top-15 player in 8-cat formats over the last two weeks. He’ll look to bounce back when the Thunder host Utah on Tuesday.

With Gradey Dick still sidelined, Walter remained in the starting lineup for a third straight game. His first start went well, as he had 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two 3-pointers in 28 minutes. He struggled in the second start (6/3/2/1/1), but he got back to scoring in double figures in this game. However, the minutes have gone down each game. Walter isn’t a player to roster in standard leagues, especially with Dick expected to be back in the lineup soon. Howeverm it is encouraging to see the rookie show flashes.

Hartenstein has been everything the Thunder hoped he would be when they signed him during the summer. He’s filled the void left by the injured Chet Holmgren, providing excellent value on both ends of the floor. Hartenstein has been a 5th-round player since his return from a hand injury, ranking just outside the top-50.

Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 32 points or more in four straight and six of his last seven games, producing at a level befitting of one of the NBA’s best players. He’s providing top-5 per-game value in 8- and 9-cat formats, which aligns with his Yahoo ADP (4). Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder play three games during the first segment of Week 7, beginning with the Jazz on Tuesday.