NBA Player News

Vucevic will miss a fourth straight game due to his strained right calf. Zach Collins has been the replacement in the Bulls’ lineup, most recently logging 40 minutes and recording a double-double in Friday’s win over the Raptors. He needs to be rostered while Vucevic sits, while Jalen Smith offers limited fantasy value off the bench.

Both Caruso and Williams were listed as questionable after exiting early from Thursday’s win over Memphis. Participating in shootaround isn’t a guarantee that they will play, but it is a good sign. Kenrich Williams and Isaiah Joe would be in line for extra minutes if Caruso and Williams are sidelined, with Joe offering more fantasy upside.

Morant is questionable after missing the Grizzlies’ last six games. His presence at shootaround is a positive sign for his chances of making a return in Memphis’ first game without Taylor Jenkins at the helm. Scotty Pippen Jr. will likely return to a reserve role if Morant returns.

Clowney had been dealing with a wrist injury, but an illness could keep him sidelined on the second night of a back-to-back. With Nic Claxton (rest) sidelined, Clowney will likely start at center if he is available to play. Drew Timme, who had a double-double in his NBA debut on Friday, could be forced to play a massive role if Clowney is ruled out.

Russell will sit out the second night of Brooklyn’s back-to-back, and Tyrese Martin started in place of Russell during his most recent absence. Martin should return to the starting unit on Saturday, but he isn’t an appealing streaming option in standard leagues.

Claxton will get the night of on the second leg of Brooklyn’s back-to-back. Noah Clowney is questionable with an illness, so the Nets could be incredibly shorthanded down low. Drew Timme had a double-double in his NBA debut on Friday, and he could start at center with Claxton sidelined, unless Clowney plays and Brooklyn opts for a smaller starting unit.

Surprisingly, Watson was Nuggets coach Michael Malone’s pick to replace the injured Jamal Murray (hamstring) in the starting lineup on Friday. While the third-year forward did not score much, he provided solid value in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Rostered in eight percent of Yahoo! leagues, Watson is ranked just outside the top 75 in nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. While he can be a valuable player when the Nuggets are shorthanded, Watson’s fantasy value hinges on the availability of the team’s starters. Denver plays four games during Week 22, starting with the Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Westbrook made history on two fronts in Friday’s 36-point victory, moving into eighth all-time in assists and 16th in steals. While the overall stat line was solid, a familiar bugaboo has been an issue recently. Westbrook committed six turnovers on Friday, pushing his total to 35 over his last seven games. While this isn’t an issue in eight-cat formats and leagues where managers are punting that category, Westbrook is ranked outside the top 200 in nine-cat over the past two weeks. He did not start Friday’s game despite the Nuggets being without Jamal Murray, but Westbrook’s fantasy ceiling is raised whenever the starting point guard is unavailable.

Jokic fell a few assists shy of a triple-double, but the four steals were the most he’s had in a game since December 3, when he tallied a season-high five against the Warriors. All that prevented the three-time MVP from another triple-double was the playing time, as none of the Nuggets starters played during the fourth quarter of the 129-93 victory. Jokic will get a few days off as Denver doesn’t play its next game until Tuesday against the Timberwolves. The Nuggets play four games during Week 22.

Porter has scored 20 points or more in consecutive games for the second time this month. However, his fantasy value can’t be measured solely by MPJ’s points tally, which is an improvement over what he was as a player earlier in his career. Over the past two weeks, Porter has offered third-round value in eight-cat formats, averaging 18.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks and 2.8 three-pointers per game. Unfortunately for Porter managers, the Nuggets don’t play again during Week 21. However, Denver does play four games during Week 22.

Sexton has scored 20 points or more in two straight and three of his last five appearances. However, he did not provide much value outside of points on Friday, shooting 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. Sexton scored while backcourt partner Isaiah Collier did the passing, as the rookie finished with three points, three rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 32 minutes. Sexton will be worth rostering as long as he’s available, but fantasy managers must be ready to pivot if that changes.