NBA Player News

Moody’s left knee caused him to miss six of Golden State’s eight games leading into Monday’s matchup with the Cavaliers. He hasn’t been much of a fantasy asset this season, but Monday’s performance was a departure from the norm. The 19 points are a season-high for Moody, who has reached double figures in just 10 of his 26 appearances. While the absence of Brandin Podziemski has cleared up a little room within the Warriors’ rotation, fantasy managers should not rush to pick up Moody based on one performance.

Camara has reached double figures in points in consecutive games for the sixth time this season, but he’s a player who is more valuable to his team than to fantasy basketball leagues. The second-year forward has been ranked well outside the top 150 over the past two weeks, worse than his season-long value. Camara’s rebounding has improved (8.2 RPG over the last two weeks), but the defensive stats and scoring have slipped. While he may have added value after the trade deadline, Camara is not a player who should be rostered outside of deep leagues.

While Sharpe doesn’t have much trouble scoring, he doesn’t provide consistent production in other categories, so his fantasy value remains low in category leagues. Thursday’s game was the third out of four in which he recorded five rebounds, but there wasn’t much value beyond that category and points. A 10th-round player in 8-cat formats over the past two weeks, Sharpe’s season-long value places him outside the top 150.

After racking up a shocking 10 turnovers in Monday’s loss to the 76ers, Avdija cleaned things up on Thursday. In addition to recording his third double-double of the season, the Blazers wing only committed two turnovers. With Jerami Grant missing time with a facial injury, Avdija has been able to start, and he’s provided 7th-round value in 8-cat formats over the past two weeks.

Simons has scored 22 points or more in three straight games, and his improved scoring has made him close to a top-50 player over the past week. While his season-long value in 9-cat formats remains disappointing, Simons is closing in on top-100 value in 8-cat formats. The possibility of a shutdown later in the season remains a concern, so the last week may provide an opportunity for some Simons managers to “sell high.”

Reaves did not have the best night shooting the basketball, but he’s been on a roll with the assists. The Lakers guard has dished out 10 or more in four straight games, which is the longest streak of his career. Over the past two weeks, Reaves has provided top-25 per-game value in 8-cat formats, and top-75 value for the season. The Lakers play two more games in Week 10, beginning with the Hawks on Friday.

With Anthony Davis (ankle) sidelined for Thursday’s game, the Lakers needed someone to step up alongside LeBron James. Enter Christie, who had the most productive night of his NBA career. Not only did he score a career-high 28 points, but this was also Christie’s first 20-point game. Rostered in 12% of Yahoo leagues, he has provided top-75 per-game value over the past two weeks. Christie should remain a starter for the foreseeable future, making him a player worth adding.

With Anthony Davis sidelined due to a sprained ankle, the Lakers needed “vintage LeBron” to show up on Thursday. The 40-year-old turned back the clock, shooting 60% from the field and making seven of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc. James passed Dirk Nowitzki to move into fourth on the all-time games played list and has provided top 5 value in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. And there was another milestone for LeBron, as he is now tied with Michael Jordan for the most 30-point games in a career (562).

Hayes started Thursday’s game for the injured Anthony Davis, and fantasy managers hoping he would play starters’ minutes were left disappointed. The Lakers went small for portions of the game, with Dorian Finney-Smith (3/4/2/1 with one 3-pointer in 24 minutes) and Rui Hachimura (6/4/3 in 23 minutes) seeing time at center. Backup Christian Koloko (8/8/3/1/1 in 19 minutes) was also in the rotation, which limited Hayes’ upside significantly. There’s no need to add Hayes, even if Davis cannot play in Friday’s game against the Hawks.

After sitting out the first night of their back-to-back, Embiid returned to the lineup for this one and provided his typical dominant numbers. He was able to log 31 minutes, though his night was cut short by the lopsided score, so he would have been able to provide even more if the game didn’t get out of hand. The lack of availability has obviously plagued Embiid’s season, but when he has been on the floor recently, he has been one of the most productive players in the league. Their next back-to-back is on January 14th and 15th, but Embiid should be available for their next five games before that.

After really struggling in their blowout loss to Cleveland on Monday, Green was able to respond with a strong, well-rounded performance in a bounce back game for the Warriors. Green’s numbers have been some of the worst of his career this season, but he has had a handful of performances like this one that remind the league that he’s still more than capable of impacting a game in a big way. They have a back-to-back this weekend, with the first game against Memphis. Green was held scoreless when these teams played a few weeks ago, so there should be some added motivation for him to play well in that game.