NBA Player News

While Randle’s scoring output was limited on Sunday, the rebounds and assists made up for it. He hit double digits in assists for the first time this season, and Randle’s production has increased in that category recently. Accounting for at least nine assists in three straight games, he’s averaged 7.2 per game since the All-Star break. By comparison, Randle is averaging 4.6 per game for the season. And since the break, he has been a fifth-round player in eight-cat formats.

Holiday has been downgraded from questionable to out, joining Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford as rotation players who will not play on Wednesday. Due to the absences, Sam Hauser’s minutes should increase, and he’s worth streaming in deep leagues.

Porzingis is getting the night off for return from illness conditioning while Horford continues to deal with a left big toe sprain. Luke Kornet will likely move into the starting lineup and play heavy minutes for the Celtics against Miami.

Brown is back after sitting out Monday’s win over the Grizzlies, meaning Xavier Tillman will return to the bench. Tillman only logged eight minutes in that spot start, so fantasy managers will not take a hit with his being moved to the bench.

Colby Jones had more opportunities recently with Khris Middleton out, but now he finds himself sitting with a leg injury Wednesday. AJ Johnson appears to be in line to pick up the slack against the Kings.

Springer is available after playing 27 minutes off the bench in Monday’s loss to the Hornets. He should take on a similar workload against the Rockets. However, with Collin Sexton available, there isn’t much to gain from streaming Springer.

VanVleet has been downgraded from questionable to out due to soreness in his right ankle. Rockets coach Ime Udoka said this may be an issue the point guard has to manage for the rest of the season. With VanVleet out, Tari Eason could potentially move into the starting lineup, with Aaron Holiday entering the rotation.

Towns is back after sitting out Tuesday’s win over the 76ers. He’ll return to the starting lineup, joining Delon Wright, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby. With Mitchell Robinson (ankle) unavailable, Precious Achiuwa will serve as Towns’ backup.

Initially questionable for Wednesday’s game, Bridges is officially available. He’ll take his usual place within the starting lineup, and Bridges’ availability also means Tidjane Salaun will miss out on an increase in his playing time.

Smith Jr. was downgraded to questionable Wednesday afternoon and subsequently ruled out with a left ankle injury. Taj Gibson is also out with an illness. With Smith Jr. out, DaQuan Jeffries and Josh Okogie figure to take up the vacated minutes.

Ball underwent successful procedures on his right ankle and right wrist early this week. Unfortunately, injuries have been a significant factor in the Hornets guard’s career, as he’s surpassed 55 games once in his first five seasons. While Ball does possess a high fantasy ceiling, the injury woes make him challenging to trust in most leagues. Some managers may be willing to use a top-50 pick on him in the fall, while others would prefer to leave that dice roll to someone else.