NBA Player News

Salaun injured his ankle two minutes into Thursday’s loss to the Knicks. As he has been filling in for the injured Miles Bridges, the rookie’s absence opens up a spot in the starting lineup. Cody Martin is the player most likely to fill the void and is worth streaming in deep leagues.

While Tuesday’s NBA Cup final against the Bucks did not count toward official statistics, Williams also struggled in Thursday’s win over the Magic. So, a night like Friday was much-needed for the Thunder star, who finished with a season-high 33 points. JDub’s fantasy value took a slight hit due to his recent shooting struggles, but he remains a top-20 player in 8- and 9-cat formats. Oklahoma City plays four games during Week 9, beginning with the Wizards on Monday.

After scoring 11 points in his first two appearances of the season, Middleton scored six on 2-of-9 shooting in the two games that followed. Accuracy remains an issue, but the Bucks forward was more active as a scorer on Friday. Middleton established season-highs in points and shot attempts as Milwaukee was without Damian Lillard (calf). With the Bucks hosting the Wizards on Saturday, fantasy managers with Middleton rostered should plan for him to sit that out.

With Damian Lillard (calf) out, Bucks coach Doc Rivers started Green instead of another point guard (Delon Wright). That approach backfired spectacularly, with Green struggling in 17 minutes on the court. Wright (two points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 17 minutes) started the third quarter, but the damage was done by then. Saturday’s matchup with the Wizards should be better for Milwaukee, whether Lillard plays or not.