NBA Player News

Simons still had a big night, but it was limited by foul trouble. He entered the fourth quarter with five fouls, subbed in with 8:14 left in the game and fouled out two seconds later. Still, he went off in the third quarter, scoring 24 of his 27 points in the frame. He has been inconsistent this season, but this was his third straight game with at least 20 points. Simons is more than capable of making a huge impact in fantasy basketball, and he is starting to play at a level that reminds us of that.

It’s safe to say that SGA is on a heater at the moment. The 26-year-old point guard has scored at least 35 points in three of his last four games and at least 40 points in his last two games. Gilgeous-Alexander was highly efficient against the Pacers as he poured in 45 points on 22 shots, made 4-of-5 attempts from behind the 3-point line, dished out eight assists and made all 11 of his free throw attempts. He was +12 in 38 minutes in the six-point victory. SGA is a top three player in fantasy this year.

Holland has been upgraded from questionable to available, and the rookie will provide additional wing depth off the bench. While he hasn’t offered much fantasy value thus far, Holland will be worth a look later in the season, especially if the Pistons fall out of contention for a postseason spot.

Stewart was initially questionable for Thursday’s game but will not play. His continued absence means that Paul Reed will remain Jalen Duren’s backup. Reed offers limited streaming value in this role; he’s only worth a look in extremely deep leagues.

Jovic sprained his ankle early in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game, and it’s the same injury he injured during a December 14 practice. Due to that injury, Jovic missed one game, so keep an eye out for his name on the injury report ahead of Saturday’s game against the Hawks.

Aldama played three minutes before exiting Thursday’s game with a sprained ankle. His chances of returning are slim, so Jake LaRavia should play more minutes off the bench. He’s only worth adding if Aldama is forced to miss an extended period.

Green returned to the lineup Monday after dealing with a leg injury and played against the Lakers on Wednesday. Now he’s on the injury report with a back injury. Kyle Anderson could replace Green in the starting lineup if the latter is out Friday, but he isn’t worth streaming.

Curry will sit out Friday’s game due to pain in both knees. His absence changes the entire Warriors ecosystem on the offensive end of the floor. Buddy Hield, Andrew Wiggins, and Jonathan Kuminga will all have more opportunities to score. Brandin Podziemski will also be in the mix for a more significant workload, which could be the catalyst that the second-year guard needs.

Toppin briefly left the game with ankle injury in the first quarter before returning in the second quarter. Upon returning, the 26-year-old power forward was noticeably slowed by the injury. He didn’t come back for the second half. Toppin is probably a long shot to get back on the floor Friday against the Celtics.

Thursday’s game is the second Williams has missed with his sprained ankle, the first being Monday’s loss to the Mavericks. Deandre Ayton and Donovan Clingan will be the starting and backup centers on Thursday. Clingan’s fantasy value as the backup isn’t great, but he’s worth rostering in deep leagues.

Banton missed two games with a hip injury last week before returning for Monday’s game against the Mavericks. The 25-year-old point guard is out again Thursday. While his absence doesn’t significantly impact fantasy basketball, it’s a blow to the Trail Blazers’ bench depth.