NBA Player News

Barnes typically has massive usage and is know for his ability to fill up the stat sheet. He didn’t have a great game Monday, though, as he had just 21 points on 18 shots, missed all four of his 3-point attempts and turned the ball over five times. The 23-year-old small forward was -24 in 32 minutes as Toronto lost by 24. Barnes will have to pick up his play over the course of the rest of the season to live up to his preseason ADP (19).

A double-digit scorer in seven straight games, Johnson’s 24 on Wednesday were the most for him since December 5 (28 vs. Chicago). Also, he matched his season-high with 11 rebounds, recording his second double-double. The issue for Johnson regarding fantasy value is that his production outside of points and rebounds has been limited, which lowers his ceiling. Despite the seven-game run of double-digit efforts, he’s ranked outside the top 175 in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. Rostered in 19% of Yahoo leagues, Keldon should not be added despite playing well against the Bucks.

Facing Giannis Antetokounmpo for the first time this season, Wembanyama came up short on the scoreboard and in the box score. While he did record a double-double and a complete stat line, the 10 points are the fewest Wemby’s scored in a game since October 30 (season-low six points vs. OKC). However, given Wembanyama’s season-long production, there is no need for anyone to be concerned. All players have nights like this at some point. Wemby will look to bounce back when the Spurs visit the Lakers on Saturday.

After scoring seven points or less in five straight games, Paul has tallied 18 in each of his last two. And he’s done so on good percentages, shooting 13-of-23 from the field and 3-of-3 from the foul line. While the move to San Antonio hasn’t brought back “vintage CP3,” the 39-year-old point guard still provides respectable fantasy value. He has also been a good mentor for San Antonio’s younger players, most notably Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.

With Jeremy Sochan (back) ruled out, Castle made his 19th start of the season on Wednesday. Unfortunately for the rookie guard, he did not shoot the ball well, missing all five 3-point attempts and going 2-of-7 from two. However, Castle did dish out five assists while committing just one turnover. The Spurs believe the shot will eventually come around, and they’ve done nothing to dissuade Castle from taking them. That may result in some problematic nights for fantasy managers in the short term, as was the case on Wednesday.

Having started his previous seven games, Middleton was moved to the bench for Wednesday’s matchup with the Spurs. Unfortunately, his struggles continued, as he shot 2-of-7 from the field. However, he still has an offensive “gravity” that opposing teams must respect, which may have opened things up for AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr. (three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and four 3-pointers). They scored 14 points apiece in Wednesday’s win, with Green (one rebound, one assist, one steal, and four 3-pointers) doing his damage during the first half. In addition to Middleton’s production, fantasy managers should watch Green and Trent, as their values may increase due to the lineup change.

Lopez had a big night, matching his season-high with five 3-pointers and recording a complete stat line in Milwaukee’s win over the Spurs. The veteran center has provided solid value throughout the season, ranking within the top 60 in 9-cat formats. While some may have anticipated a drop-off in Lopez’s production before the season began, that hasn’t happened, regardless of league format. Milwaukee plays two more games during Week 11, starting with the Magic on Friday.

Lillard has scored 23 points or more in four of the six games he’s played since returning from an illness that sidelined him for four games. Despite shooting 39.8% from the field, the Bucks guard has provided top-25 per-game value in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. Lillard has provided 1st-round value in 8- and 9-cat formats for the season, exceeding his Yahoo ADP (25). He’ll look to continue this run on Friday when the Bucks visit Orlando.

Facing Victor Wembanyama for the first time this season, Giannis won the individual battle convincingly on Wednesday. He finished two assists shy of a triple-double, with the foul line (3-of-7 FTs) and turnovers (four) being the lone issues. Antetokounmpo made some history on Wednesday as he moved past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and into the top spot on the Bucks’ career double-doubles list. Milwaukee hits the road for its final two games of Week 11, beginning with Orlando on Friday.

Johnson sat out all three games of the Nets’ homestand, which concluded on Wednesday. At the time of his injury, the plan was for him to be re-evaluated before Brooklyn hits the road for an extended road trip that begins on Friday in Denver. His return would cut into the playing time for Ziaire Williams and Jalen Wilson. Also, Johnson’s name is one to watch ahead of the trade deadline, as multiple playoff-bound teams will be interested in his services.

Harden continues to struggle with efficiency. He had just 16 points on 15 shots. Harden also had four assists with five turnovers, which got his streak of games with at least four turnovers to 20 games. The 35-year-old point guard was -17 in 27 minutes in the 23-point loss to the Nuggets. With the turnovers being an issue, Harden will benefit from Kawhi Leonard coming back to the team as it will take the ball out of his hands at times.