NBA Player News

Sunday was Pritchard’s annual opportunity to play in the state he grew up in. With Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday out due to injury, Pritchard moved into the starting lineup. Early foul trouble slowed the Celtics guard during the first half, but he still finished with a solid stat line. As has been the case throughout the season, Pritchard’s fantasy value depends on the availability of Boston’s starters. The Celtics play in Sacramento on Monday, which may be another opportunity for Pritchard to flourish if players sit for injury management/rest reasons.

Booker has hit double figures in assists in three straight and five of his last seven appearances. While he has only shot 43.9 percent from the field over the past two weeks, the improved assist production is why the Suns’ guard has offered top-50 value during this stretch. Of course, the Suns and fantasy managers want to see Booker shoot the ball better than he has. However, subpar shooting has not kept him from offering solid overall value. The Suns play two more games during Week 21, starting with the Timberwolves on Friday.

Durant got his points on Wednesday and has scored 30 points or more in three straight games. However, he did not offer much else in the loss to the Celtics, which was terrible news for category league managers. The good news is that nights like Wednesday have not been the norm for the future Hall of Fame forward. Over the past two weeks, Durant has offered second-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats. With the Suns needing to go on a run to earn a play-in spot, they will lean on Durant and Devin Booker to lead the way.

Horford has started the Celtics’ last 11 games, most recently filling in for the injured Jayson Tatum (ankle) on Wednesday. The 38-year-old finished the victory with a complete stat line and his fifth double-double of the season in 26 minutes. Rostered in 31 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Horford has offered sixth-round value in eight-cat formats over the past month. That said, his fantasy value depends on the availability of Boston’s starters. The Celtics visit the Spurs on Saturday in their final game of Week 21.

Limited to nine points in his first game back from a knee issue that cost him three games, Brown looked much sharper on Wednesday. He finished the 30-point win one blocked shot shy of a complete stat line, and the four three-pointers were the most he’s made in a game since February 28. Over the past month, Brown has offered sixth-round value in eight-cat formats. The Celtics end Week 21 with a game against the Spurs on Saturday in the penultimate game of the team’s road trip.

Porzingis was outstanding in Wednesday’s 132-102 victory, only needing 29 minutes to record his second 30-point game of the season. The Celtics’ forward/center has offered first-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. The lone concern for Porzingis managers is his availability. However, the Celtics only play once more during Week 21, and the team’s four-game Week 22 does not have a back-to-back. That may bode well for Porzingis’ availability for the championship weeks of the fantasy season.

A double-digit scorer in five straight and six of his last seven outings, Braun finished Wednesday’s win with his fifth double-double of the season. A seventh-round player in eight- and nine-cat formats over the past two weeks, the third-year wing has been a pleasant surprise in fantasy basketball. The only negative for fantasy managers is they’ll only get one more game out of Braun during Week 21, with the Jazz visiting Denver on Friday.

Porter recorded his 15th double-double on Wednesday, surpassing his 2023-24 campaign tally (14). Over the past two weeks, the Nuggets forward has offered fourth-round value in nine-cat formats, three rounds better than his season-long production. To a certain extent, Porter’s fantasy ceiling was raised recently by Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon (7/2/1 with one three-pointer in 19 minutes) missing time due to injury. MPJ being as productive as he was on Wednesday with those two in the lineup was a positive development for those who have him rostered. Following the game, he noted that his hamstring had been the issue rather than his back. Hopefully, Porter will get back to full strength by the postseason.

Jokic made up for lost time on Wednesday, recording his 30th triple-double of the season after missing five games with a left ankle injury. He shot 64 percent from the field and committed just three turnovers in his 38 minutes on the court. With Jokic back in the lineup, DeAndre Jordan only played three minutes and Zeke Nnaji picked up a DNP-CD.

With Milwaukee playing Wednesday without Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lopez stepped up and surpassed the 20-point mark for a third straight game. Over the past two weeks, the Bucks center has offered third-round value in nine-cat formats. Even if Giannis returns for Friday’s game against the Knicks, Lillard’s indefinite absence means there will continue to be additional opportunities for Lopez to flourish offensively.

Even with the move into the starting lineup, not much changed for Trent regarding where he provided value. Eleven of his 15 shot attempts were from beyond the arc, with the Bucks guard connecting on four. AJ Green offered a more robust stat line despite coming off the bench, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and five three-pointers in 34 minutes. Trent remains the superior streaming option if Giannis Antetokounmpo is not healthy enough to play on Friday. However, deep-league managers should consider Green since the minutes will be there if Giannis is out.