NBA Player News

Wiggins will not play on Sunday after a flare-up of his ankle injury forced him to the sideline before halftime of Friday’s loss to the Timberwolves. Lindy Waters III may pick up additional rotation minutes, but he is not worth streaming in most fantasy leagues.

Coulibaly and Sarr are back after sitting out Monday’s loss to the Thunder. Their returns mean Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valanciunas will come off the bench. While the latter will retain standard league fantasy value, the former is a deep-league option with his return to the bench.

A late scratch for Monday’s loss to the Knicks, Shead will miss a second consecutive game for the Raptors. With Ja’Kobe Walter out, Jamison Battle and Davion Mitchell should play more minutes off the bench.

Wade did not play in Monday’s win over the Jazz, and the Cavaliers were also without Isaac Okoro. Sam Merrill started and hit six 3-pointers, and if Wade cannot play, he is worth streaming.

Walter averages 20 minutes per game this season as a 20-year-old rookie. While he could see his role grow as the season goes along, he’s still a member of the Raptors bench rotation. Jamison battle could see more minutes with Walter out Thursday, though he’s not worth streaming.

Gordon injured his calf during Wednesday’s loss to the Suns, and it’s the same one he injured in early November. That particular strain cost Gordon three-plus weeks of game time, as he did not return until December 1. Peyton Watson is the likely replacement in the starting lineup, and he should be streamed wherever available.

Murray returned from a one-game absence Wednesday and didn’t play particularly well against the Suns. He was 4-of-10 from the field with 13 points and six assists. Murray will look to bounce back against the Cavaliers Friday.

Lillard will miss a fourth consecutive game, with the last two due to an illness. Ryan Rollins has been the starter and is worth streaming in deep leagues. Also worth a look in deeper formats is AJ Green, whose minutes have increased with Lillard sidelined.

Eason is missing his fourth straight game Thursday. His leg injury is particularly concerning since he missed most of last season with a stress reaction in the same leg. Cam Whitmore will likely remain in the Rockets rotation with Eason out Thursday.

Bogdanovic is out for a second consecutive game, which means more playing time for Garrison Mathews. While he may not go off for seven 3-pointers, as he did in Monday’s win over Minnesota, Mathews will have every opportunity to make something happen.

Simmons has been the primary playmaker for Brooklyn since trading Dennis Schroder to the Warriors. Despite his lack of scoring, he’s still going to handle the ball and see plenty of usage with Cam Thomas still out. Given his lower back issue, Simmons will likely sit out Friday’s game against the Spurs to avoid playing back-to-back games.