NBA Player News

Ingram injured his ankle when he landed on Luguentz Dort’s foot after attempting a jumper early in the third quarter. Not only did he require help getting to the locker room, but Ingram could not put any weight on his leg most of the way there. Trey Murphy replaced him in the lineup and will have added fantasy value if Ingram misses time.

LaVine is on an absolute tear. The Bulls wing has scored more than 30 points in five straight game and his shooting splits are better than they’ve ever been. Whether he’s positioning himself to be a prime mid-season trade target for teams hoping to content remains to be seen. His fantasy value will certainly drop if he is moved.

Vucevic posted his usual double-double and was an especially active passer against Washington. His scoring, rebounding, and stellar shooting splits have made him a top-notch fantasy asset all season. Anything extra is a bonus.

Brown led all scorers but wasn’t much of a playmaker or rebounder in this game. His poor shooting from long range remains a problem. He’s converting just 32.2% of his attempts from beyond the arc this season.

Porzingis reached his third-highest-point total of the season while notching his second double-double of the campaign. The Celtics big man hasn’t had a problem finding his string since returning from injury. His shooting percentages are still in the works, though.

DeRozan’s scoring has been down in Sacramento but he’s now scored at least 24 points in three of his previous four games. De’Aaron Fox’s absence has a lot to do with that, though. Fantasy managers can expect more from DeRozan as long as Fox is out of commission.

McBride was back in the Knicks’ rotation after missing five games with a strained hamstring, and he was a bit rusty from beyond the arc. Deuce missed all four of his attempts from beyond the arc, but the positive was that he provided solid rebound and assist numbers. At best, McBride remains a deep-league option, as the Knicks’ starters will continue to log heavy minutes on most nights.

Sabonis put together one of his best performances of the season against Boston. The league’s double-double leader notched a new career high in rebounds. He’s cracked 21 points in three straight contests and is trending up in January.

Hart finished Friday’s defeat with his 18th double-double, three shy of his tally for the entire 2023-24 campaign. While some fantasy managers’ skepticism of his ability to maintain top-20 value for the whole season is understandable, Hart continues to provide evidence that he can get the job done. He’s rostered in 89% of Yahoo leagues, which means some holdouts still exist in shallow formats. It’s time to change that.

After shooting 13-of-34 from the field in New York’s first two games of the week, Brunson was better on Friday while also benefitting from the foul line. Unfortunately, it didn’t mean much regarding the outcome, as Oklahoma City outclassed the Knicks. Brunson is still ranked outside the top-50 in 9-cat formats, but only by a few spots. New York will host Milwaukee in their final game of Week 11 on Sunday.

There were only two positives for Towns on Friday. He extended his double-double streak to seven straight games, and the Knicks getting blown out meant he didn’t have to play as many minutes. The 29 minutes are the fewest he’s played in a game since November 18, when the Knicks only needed KAT for 25 in a blowout of the Wizards. Towns and the Knicks will look to bounce back when they host the Bucks on Sunday.