NBA Player News

Harden played 35 minutes on Sunday, which Clippers coach Tyronn Lue regretted during his postgame press conference. During the third quarter, the Beard took a Luguentz Dort knee to the left thigh and struggled to move with his usual fluidity for the remainder of the game. Following the game, Harden said the real issue is that he rolled his foot after the hit to his thigh. The good news for the Clippers is that their first game of Week 21 isn’t until Wednesday night against the Knicks. If Harden has to miss time, Kris Dunn (7/3/1/1 with one three-pointer in 19 minutes) will have a higher fantasy ceiling, while Derrick Jones Jr. (9/4/1/0/3 with two three-pointers in 26 minutes) could return to the starting lineup.

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.

Rostered in 29 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Filipowski has offered 11th-round value in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks. While that isn’t excellent fantasy value, the situation in Utah is such that the rookie big is one of the few players who can be relied upon. Filipowski has scored 13 points or more in four straight outings and has hit double figures in rebounds six times since February 28. The Jazz won’t play again during Week 21, but they have four games on the Week 22 schedule.

Walker Kessler did not play in Friday’s game, resulting in Tshiebwe making his first start as a pro. While the second-year center did not have the best night shooting-wise, going 2-of-5 from the field, he did reach double figures in rebounds for the fourth time this season. Depending on Kessler’s availability, Tshiebwe will have more opportunities before the season ends. However, he still isn’t worth the risk in most fantasy leagues.

The return of Giannis Antetokounmpo also resulted in Rollins moving back into the starting lineup on Friday. The performance was arguably his best as a pro, with the third-year guard scoring a career-high 20 points. Rollins, who shot 66.7 percent from the field, provided solid value in the rebound, assist and three-point categories. He isn’t a great streaming option, but Rollins has a more straightforward path to consistent value with Damian Lillard (calf) out of the lineup. Gary Trent Jr. (14 points, one rebound and four three-pointers) is a safer streaming option despite coming off the bench.

After scoring 15 points or less in three straight games, Kuzma recorded his first 20-point stat line since March 20. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, the move from Washington to Milwaukee has not boosted Kuzma’s fantasy value. However, there is now more room for him to flourish offensively, as Damian Lillard (calf) is unavailable. Whether or not Kuzma can make the most of this opportunity will impact the Bucks and fantasy basketball, as Milwaukee is still in the hunt for the four-seed in the East.

Back in the Bucks’ lineup after missing Wednesday’s loss to the Nuggets, Antetokounmpo recorded his third straight 30-point game on Friday. The percentages were good, and the star forward provided solid value in the rebound and assist categories. Over the past two weeks, Giannis has been a top-30 player in eight-cat formats. With Damian Lillard (calf) out indefinitely, the Bucks will need Antetokounmpo’s production even more to improve their standing within the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee hosts the Hawks on Sunday in their final game of Week 21.