NBA Player News

Hart was back in the lineup on Saturday after missing Thursday’s win over the Timberwolves and provided his usual production. Complete stat lines have become the norm for the Knicks wing, who remains a top-20 player in 9-cat formats. That may not hold for the entire season, but Hart’s game is exceptionally fantasy-friendly.

Bol’s absence will not impact fantasy basketball, as he is not guaranteed rotation minutes when healthy. Monday’s game will be the fifth straight he’s been inactive for.

Allen took an elbow to the head during Saturday’s loss to the Pistons and will miss a few games as he works his way through the league’s concussion protocol. With Devin Booker also out, Royce O’Neale will have added streaming value, and Ryan Dunn should play more minutes off the bench.

Moody has missed Golden State’s last four games, most recently playing on December 8. His absence has left the Warriors with one less option on the perimeter, but Moody has not been an impactful fantasy option when healthy.

Green did not play in Saturday’s win over Minnesota, resulting in Kyle Anderson starting alongside Trayce Jackson-Davis. If Green can play against the Pacers, SloMo and TJD may head to the bench, with Kevon Looney re-entering the lineup. None of those three have stepped forward to provide consistent fantasy value this season.

Hood-Schifino is not in the rotation when healthy, so his continued absence will not impact fantasy basketball.

While Davis has not missed a game since November 6, James missed two in early December. The latter, who will turn 40 on December 30, could be the likelier player to miss Monday’s game, the first of three the Lakers will play during Week 9. Fantasy managers should assume that Davis and James will play, with Christian Koloko and Gabe Vincent being the players most impacted by the starters’ availability.

There’s never a good time for an injury, but Coulibaly possibly being sidelined by a groin issue is a tough deal for him and fantasy managers. The Wizards wing has been a top-30 player in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. If Coulibaly cannot play on Monday, Kyshawn George and Corey Kispert should see their minutes increase, with the former being the more likely choice to start.

Kuzma has not appeared in a game since November 27 and does not have a timeline for return. Justin Champagnie, who’s rostered in 23% of Yahoo leagues, should remain in the starting lineup. He’s worth having until Kuzma is cleared to play, especially with Bilal Coulibaly questionable for Monday’s game.

Williams’ absence from the injury report means he’s ready to make his season debut, giving the Thunder an infusion of depth in the frontcourt. JWill is unlikely to get the minutes needed to impact fantasy basketball, but the Thunder have effectively been down to one center with Chet Holmgren sidelined.

Braun was considered probable for Sunday’s game after playing 25 minutes against Portland on Thursday. Fantasy managers should expect a similar workload, with Russell Westbrook playing a few more minutes off the bench. As for Saric, his return means DeAndre Jordan will drop out of the rotation. Neither big is worth streaming as long as Nikola Jokic is available.