NBA Player News

Smart was initially doubtful for Thursday’s game, so his absence is unsurprising. His absence means more playing time for Scotty Pippen Jr., whose fantasy ceiling is limited with Ja Morant (back) available. Luke Kennard may also pick up a few more minutes, but he is not worth streaming on a 13-game night.

Dort did not shoot the ball well in Tuesday’s NBA Cup final (which didn’t count toward official stats), and that carried over into Thursday’s win over the Magic. He rebounded well on Friday, shooting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc and finishing as one of four Thunder starters in double figures. Dort remains a top-100 player in 9-cat formats, and he’s worth adding ahead of Oklahoma City’s four-game Week 9 slate.

Miami did a good job defensively on Gilgeous-Alexander, especially compared to his performance in Thursday’s win over the Magic. However, he still produced an excellent stat line outside the field goal percentage, and SGA is shooting nearly 51% for the season. He remains one of the best players to have rostered in fantasy basketball, regardless of position or league format.

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.