NBA Player News

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.

Nothing would keep Brunson from redeeming himself after he and the Knicks played poorly in Friday’s home loss to the Thunder. Not even his right shoulder, which the Knicks captain injured during the third quarter of Sunday’s blowout win. Brunson came out hot, establishing a career-high for points in a quarter when he dropped 23 in the first. He picked up where he left off after returning from the shoulder injury, surpassing the 40-point mark for the second time this season. Fantasy managers should consider Brunson questionable for Monday’s game against the Pistons. If he cannot play, Miles McBride will be the “next man up.”

With both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving still sidelined, Dinwiddie was once again able to turn in strong numbers as a starter. He had a rough shooting night, but he made up for it by recording his first double-double of the season. Dinwiddie hasn’t been able to provide reliable value this season, but he has seen an uptick in stats as a starter, specifically as a dime dropper. Though he may not shoot the ball well, Dinwiddie should continue to provide enough value across the board to be worth streaming, especially with a four-game week coming up.

Whitehead has only appeared in five games this season, so his presence is unlikely to impact fantasy basketball. However, with the Nets lacking multiple rotation players, he’s likely to get some playing time against the Jazz. Deep-league managers should watch Whitehead with an eye toward the “silly season,” as the Nets are unlikely to reach the postseason.

While Lively did have to manage some foul trouble in this game, he was still able to make an impact in the box score. However, it wasn’t his typical stat line. He still provided solid blocks and a high field goal percentage, but he was also able to set a new career-high for assists while playing just 27 minutes. Foul trouble has been an issue for him a few times this season, but it hasn’t happened frequently enough for it to truly plague his value. We’ll see if he can build off this game as a playmaker when they host Denver again on Tuesday.

Shannon’s availability does not impact fantasy basketball, as he is not in the Timberwolves’ rotation when healthy.