NBA Player News

Caruso will be available after missing five games with a strained hip. While he hasn’t been an impactful fantasy option when healthy, his presence in the rotation means fewer minutes for Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins. All three are deep-league options at best, which won’t change with Caruso available.

Barnes has surpassed the 20-point mark in consecutive games for the third time this season, with this streak one shy of his season-high. Of course, the time missed due to injury hasn’t helped the Raptors star get into a groove, negatively impacting his fantasy value. While a top-50 player in 8-cat formats, Barnes is ranked just inside the top 75 in 9-cat. He hasn’t been poor, but many fantasy managers expected greater value when they selected him.

Morant only played 24 minutes on Thursday, one more than backcourt partner Desmond Bane. He only accumulated three turnovers against the Raptors, but that category has been an issue for the Grizzlies point guard this season. Averaging 3.8 per game, Morant’s value is three rounds lower in 9-cat than in 8-cat. Over the past two weeks, his average has been slightly higher, with Ja responsible for 4.2 per outing.

Bane only played half of Thursday’s game, as the Grizzlies blew things open during the third quarter. He’s scored 19 points or more in three straight and four of his last six outings, beginning to turn things around after a slow start to the season. Over the past two weeks, Bane has provided top-20 per-game value in 9-cat formats.

Edey was outstanding on Thursday, recording his second 20-point double-double and a complete stat line. If there’s been an issue for the rookie recently, it’s been the charity stripe. Edey has made 44.4% of his attempts over the past two weeks, which is why he’s only a 10th-round player in 8- and 9-cat formats during this stretch. However, remove the free throw percentage, and Edey is a top-75 talent.

As productive as Jackson has been this season, he entered Thursday’s game without a double-double to his credit. That changed on Thursday, as the Grizzlies forward hit double digits in rebounds for the first time this season. Jackson hasn’t been an elite rebounder, and the Grizzlies don’t need him to be, as Santi Aldama and Zach Edey average at least seven boards per game, and Desmond Bane checks in a 5.9. If Jackson can consistently threaten double-digits in rebounds, his fantasy value will benefit.

Middleton is still working his way back from bilateral ankle surgery so even with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard out, the Bucks couldn’t count on Middleton to play close to 40 minutes or take 30 shots despite inserting him into the starting lineup. He still had one of his better games since returning as he scored 21 points on 13 shots and made 3-of-6 attempts from behind the 3-point line. The 33-year-old small forward has seen a positive trend in his performance lately and should continue to progress as the season goes along, though he’s not ready to take on a full complement of minutes just yet.

Clowney replaced Dorian Finney-Smith (calf) in the starting lineup and had another good game. He scored 20 points on 10 shots and went 6-of-9 from behind the 3-point line. Clowney is only worth streaming when Finney-Smith is out, but could have more value later this year as the Nets pivot to using more young players.

McCollum has scored 18 points or fewer in four of his last five games, with Sunday’s loss to the Nuggets (24) being the exception. While his fantasy value has held steady, with the veteran point guard providing 9th-round value in 8- and 9-cat formats, it’s fair to wonder if McCollum possesses a limited ceiling. The Pelicans getting healthy would help, but that’s no sure thing, given the injury histories of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.