NBA Player News

Ayton was Portland’s leading scorer in this game, but that was about the only thing he did well. His three rebounds in 33 minutes were a new season-low, and that is way below his season average of 9.8 boards. The Blazers’ next two games are against the Jazz and Lakers, and matchups with Walker Kessler and Anthony Davis aren’t going to be easier for Ayton. The buckets should continue to come consistently, but he’ll need to do more to make the fantasy impact that he’s capable of.

Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports that Adebayo will “warm up with the intent to play,” so fantasy managers should expect him to get the green light here. If he’s sidelined, however, rookie big man Kel’el Ware could replace him in the starting five.

Irving was given a 1-2 week timeline for recovery on January 6, and the questionable tag suggests that he’s closer to returning in one week than in two. If he’s given the green light to face the Nuggets, Jaden Hardy and Quentin Grimes would see their roles reduced.

Dosunmu will sit out a 10th straight game on Tuesday. According to Bulls insider K.C. Johnson, he’ll “scrimmage player development coaches and low-minute players” on Monday. As long as he feels good after the scrimmage, he could make his return for the second leg of Chicago’s back-to-back set.

Brogdon will miss a fifth straight game, which should mean increased opportunities for Jared Butler. Butler has averaged16 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists across his last four appearances. Brogdon joins big man Tristan Vukcevic (right ankle sprain) on the sidelines against Minnesota.

Brunson injured his shoulder Sunday and, though he finished the game, the Knicks may choose to play it safe with him for the second leg of a back-to-back set. If Brunson is ultimately ruled out, Miles McBride could earn his first start of the season. Deuce averaged 18.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.6 triples in 16 starts last season.

Morant is a late addition to Monday’s injury report, which means his status against Houston is truly up in the air. If he’s unable to go, Scotty Pippen Jr. could replace him in the first unit. Pippen Jr. has averaged 13.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists across 16 starts this season.

Quickley has been solid since returning from a long layoff, averaging 16.7 points, 7.2 dimes and 2.3 triples across his last six. If he’s sidelined, expect some combination of Bruce Brown, Davion Mitchell and Jamal Shead to pick up the slack. Scottie Barnes would likely handle primary playmaking duties.

Mr. Consistent just keeps on putting up numbers. He has had at least 20 points without reaching 30 in seven straight games. No bad shooting nights. Solid assist and rebound numbers, but only one double-double. Durant has once again been a top-20 player in 9-cat leagues, which is actually a slight drop off from his typical production. They have a three-game week coming up, and managers should expect more of the same from KD. They return to the court on Tuesday in Atlanta, who they beat at home last week.

Ball recorded his eighth double-double of the season on Sunday, with eight being the points/assists variety. What’s also been notable recently has been the steals production. Ball has tallied three or more in four of the seven games he’s appeared in since returning from the calf strain that sidelined him for three weeks. While turnovers cut into Ball’s value in 9-cat formats, he has provided top 10 per-game value in 8-cat. Charlotte plays two games during Week 12 (Wednesday and Friday), which is a terrible schedule for fantasy basketball.

Bridges has scored 20 points or more in six of his last eight games, and there have also been improvements in the rebound and assist categories. Over the past three weeks, he has averaged 21.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.3 3-pointers per game, providing 3rd-round value in 9-cat formats. While Bridges hasn’t been as productive as he was last season, the Hornets forward is trending in the right direction. Charlotte only plays two games during Week 12, beginning with the Jazz on Wednesday.