NBA Player News

Simmons, DFS and Williams will join Cam Thomas on the sidelines Monday. Cam Johnson is questionable, which means guys like Jalen Wilson, Trendon Watford and Shake Milton should see increased run.

Thursday’s game will be the second Brooks misses due to his ankle injury. Amen Thompson replaced him in the starting lineup for Monday’s win over the Hornets, and that should remain the case against the Pelicans. Thompson is already rostered in most standard leagues; the promotion makes him worth a look in shallow formats.

Anderson and Payton were considered questionable, with the former being added to the Warriors’ injury report early Wednesday afternoon. They’re good to go and will provide depth off the bench, but Anderson and Payton are unlikely to impact fantasy basketball.

Porzingis injured his ankle during the first quarter of Wednesday’s game. While he did return during the second, KP was not on the court (or on the bench) for the start of the third quarter. Luke Kornet filled the resulting void in the Celtics lineup.

Simmons may not provide much value as a scorer, but the ability to facilitate has been key in the aftermath of the Nets trading Dennis Schroder to the Warriors. Thursday’s game is the first of a back-to-back for Brooklyn, so fantasy managers should expect Simmons to sit either then or Friday against the Spurs. Shake Milton will figure more prominently in the rotation if Simmons cannot play.

Finney-Smith has missed Brooklyn’s last two games, with Noah Clowney replacing him in the starting lineup. While the second-year forward did not play well on Saturday, Clowney hit four 3-pointers and scored 19 points in Monday’s loss to the Heat. He isn’t a must-stream player if Finney-Smith remains out, but Clowney will have value later this season as the Nets pivot toward playing their younger guys more.

Giddey has missed Chicago’s last three games, with Patrick Williams replacing him in the starting lineup. Williams has not provided much fantasy value, whether starting or coming off the bench. If Ayo Dosunmu (Achilles, questionable) cannot play on Thursday, he may be the player Giddey replaces if cleared.

Ball did not play in Monday’s loss to the Bucks, joining Josh Giddey (ankle) on the sideline. While Giddey could be back on Thursday, Ball appears likely to miss a second straight game. His absence alone does not significantly impact fantasy basketball.

Dosunmu played 34 minutes in Monday’s loss to the Bucks. While he didn’t shoot the ball well, he did dish out 11 assists. Dosunmu has logged heavy minutes recently, especially with Josh Giddey (ankle) sidelined, providing reliable fantasy value. Dalen Terry and Talen Horton-Tucker may pick up additional minutes if Dosunmu cannot play on Thursday, but neither would be worth streaming.

Caruso injured his hip during Monday’s win over Washington, but his absence won’t significantly impact fantasy basketball. Oklahoma City has multiple players, including Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell, who can absorb the minutes that would usually go to Caruso.

Carlson’s status does not impact fantasy basketball. In addition to having Isaiah Hartenstein, the Thunder welcomed back Jaylin Williams on Monday. He’ll serve as the backup center moving forward.