NBA Player News

After only recording two assists in their loss on Christmas Day, Jokic got back to his triple-double ways in this game. Regardless of the game result, Jokic has once again been a dominant fantasy option this season. This was his fifth straight game with at least 25 points, and the only time that he scored less than 20 points this season was during a blowout win earlier this month when he only took nine shots. For fantasy managers, the only thing that has prevented Jokic from dominating every facet of a game has been a lopsided score, which wasn’t an issue in this game.

Jackson was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul late in the second quarter of Thursday’s game, as he hit Nets center Nic Claxton in the face while navigating a screen. He played 14 minutes in the first half, finishing with two points (1-of-1 FGs) and two rebounds. Gary Trent Jr. should play more minutes in Jackson’s absence.

This will be Banton’s sixth absence in their last seven games, which means that Scoot Henderson will continue to see a few extra minutes off the bench. Henderson has been a top-100 player over the last two weeks in 9-cat leagues and will look to keep that going.

Davis will not play on Thursday due to a sprained left ankle. Hayes moves into the starting lineup and is worth streaming in this spot. Austin Reaves, Max Christie, Rui Hachimura, and LeBron James will complete the quintet. Christian Koloko will re-enter the rotation, but he is not worth the streaming risk in most leagues.

Murray missed the Kings’ last game and is expected to be sidelined for another. Keon Ellis got the start in his place and contributed nine points, four steals, two blocks and three 3-pointers in 38 minutes. Interim head coach Doug Christie seems to favor Ellis more than Mike Brown did, making him worthy of a stream.

As expected, Green will suit up for Golden State in this game. He’s coming off a weak performance against Cleveland, though his minutes were capped due to the lopsided score. They’ll look to get back on track as a team in this game.

Considered questionable on the initial injury report, Curry is now probable to play, according to Warriors coach Steve Kerr. If cleared, he’ll take his usual place in the starting lineup, and Buddy Hield misses out on a bump to his fantasy value.

LaRavia missed their last game on Tuesday after exiting early on Sunday. His absence opened up extra minutes for Luke Kennard, who played well in the increased opportunity. However, LaRavia’s potential return would likely cut into Kennard’s role and limit his production.

Kawamura is not in the Grizzlies’ rotation when healthy, so his availability does not impact fantasy basketball.

Clarke has been sidelined for Memphis’ last two games, most recently missing Tuesday’s win over the Suns. His absence has freed up additional minutes for Jay Huff, who still is not at the point where he should be streamed in most fantasy leagues. If Clarke can play and Zach Edey (concussion) remains sidelined, he may start alongside Jaren Jackson Jr., bumping John Konchar to the bench.

Edey has missed the team’s last two games, which has allowed John Konchar to start in his place, with Jaren Jackson Jr. sliding over to center. That should change if Edey returns to the lineup for this game, though if Brandon Clarke (calf) plays and Edey doesn’t, he could be the one that starts.