NBA Player News

Williams got poked in the eye and left the game against Golden State in the second quarter. Carson Wallace started the second half in Williams place, though it remains unclear how serious the injury might be.

Wagner had one of his worst shooting performances of the season, but he was still able to make a big impact in fantasy basketball. Wagner did his scoring at the free throw line and nearly recorded a triple-double. This was his second straight game approaching that mark, which would’ve been his first of the season. Until Paolo Banchero is back in the rotation, Wagner will continue to be among the elite players in fantasy basketball. When Banchero makes his return, Wagner may take a hit, but he has taken a true leap and should maintain strong numbers all season.

Even with Wendell Carter Jr. back in the lineup, Bitadze continues to thrive as the team’s starting center. In the three games since WCJ returned, Goga has averaged 10.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 3.0 blocks per game. He has continued to start, and he hasn’t lost out on minutes. Paolo Banchero’s eventual return may change things, but if Bitadze continues to play this well, it may be WCJ that is moved out of the starting unit. Managers should continue to enjoy top tier production out of Bitadze moving forward.

Claxton got a bit too physical on an intentional foul on Franz Wagner in the closing moments of the loss. This is his second ejection for a Flagrant 2 this season in what was another frustrating performance for him. Claxton had a sixth round ADP in Yahoo leagues but has been incredibly disappointing this year, as he ranks outside the top-150 in 9-cat leagues and has already missed six games. He finished with nine points, seven rebounds, two steals, one block and five turnovers in 28 minutes before his ejection.

Much has been made of Haliburton’s home/away splits and with good reason. He entered Sunday averaging 12.3 points on 31.8% shooting away from home, and his performance in Memphis didn’t help. Haliburton remains a top 50 fantasy player, but this is disappointing production for someone who was expected to provide 1st-round value.

Mathurin didn’t have the best game shooting the basketball, but he’s coming off of a November in which he averaged 19.4 points on 48% shooting. He’s made the most of his opportunity to start with Aaron Nesmith (ankle) sidelined, emerging as a reliable fantasy option who provides value in more areas than scoring. Mathurin ends Week 6 ranked just outside the top 100 in 9-cat formats, providing 9th-round value.

Siakam has been the Pacers’ most consistent performer this season, with his scoring average being higher on the road (21.9) than at home (20.0). He only scored 17 on Sunday, but Spicy P has returned solid value in fantasy basketball this season, ranking within the top 50 in 9-cat formats. Indiana plays four games during the first portion of Week 7, beginning with the Raptors on Tuesday.

Sunday’s game was Nembhard’s first since November 6, so the Pacers exercised caution regarding his workload. While he started the game, he did not start the third quarter (Quenton Jackson did). That was a move to ensure Nembhard would be available for crunch time, but the Pacers were blown out. His minutes will increase as he shakes off the rust, but Nembhard is a deep-league option playing alongside Tyrese Haliburton.

After scoring six points in his first game back from an illness, Smart has tallied 25, 11, and 16 in his last three. The improved scoring is why he’s provided 6th-round value in 9-cat formats over the past week. While Smart’s fantasy ceiling is low due to his place within the rotation and Ja Morant’s presence, he’s capable of being a solid option in deep leagues (and some of the standard variety).

Entering Sunday, Bane was shooting 34.8% from the field since returning from injury on November 15. He was better against the Pacers, shooting close to 50% from the field while recording solid rebound and assist numbers. Having a healthy Ja Morant in the lineup should help regarding the quality of shots that Bane gets. At this point, it’s about him returning to being the shooter he’s proven himself to be in previous seasons.