NBA Player News

Davis is out after returning for one game against the Nets, while Martin is set to miss his sixth-straight game. Naji Marshall has a clear path to start and ramp up his minutes against the Knicks on Tuesday with both of these forwards out of commission.

Friday’s game will be the fourth McBride has missed with a strained groin. As for Payne, he sprained his right ankle during Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers, leaving the Knicks down three point guards, as starter Jalen Brunson (ankle) is also out. That leaves Tyler Kolek and Delon Wright to handle the point guard responsibilities, with the former having tallied 24 assists and one turnover in his last three games. Kolek does not provide much value as a scorer, but managers needing assists should strongly consider streaming him.

Carter is available after being considered questionable for Thursday’s game. He only played three minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Thunder, but additional minutes may be available if Malik Monk (illness) cannot play. Monk remains questionable for Thursday night.

LaRavia will miss Thursday’s game with a sore left thumb, freeing up rotation minutes among the Kings’ bench players. Look for Trey Lyles to pick up additional minutes, but he’s difficult to rely on in most fantasy leagues. Devin Carter is available and may absorb a few of those minutes, but the rookie will unlikely impact fantasy basketball.

Despite playing 38 minutes each in Wednesday’s win over the Pacers, Doncic and James are not on the injury report for Thursday’s game in Chicago. That’s great news for fantasy managers, as the Lakers stars are available. Doncic and James should shoulder their usual workloads as the Lakers look to improve their standing within the Western Conference.

After logging 28 minutes as a starter in Wednesday’s win over the Pacers, Hachimura will sit out the second game of the Lakers’ back-to-back. Dorian Finney-Smith should move into the starting lineup, making him a worthwhile streamer in deep leagues.

The status update for Davis is unsurprising. He was held out of Tuesday’s loss to the Knicks because that was Dallas’ second game in as many nights. His return will push Naji Marshall to the bench. However, due to the Mavericks’ lack of depth, Marshall will continue to figure prominently in the rotation. He’s worth holding onto for the rest of the season.

Thursday’s game will be the second that Smart and George have missed with their respective injuries, and the latter’s absence is more impactful on fantasy basketball. Justin Champagnie filled in for George in Wednesday’s win over the 76ers and should remain in the starting lineup, making him a streamable player in deep leagues. As for Smart, his continued absence means more playing time for AJ Johnson, who will likely come off the bench with Khris Middleton returning from a one-game absence.

Middleton has been removed from the injury report after sitting out Wednesday’s win over the 76ers for injury management reasons. AJ Johnson will likely move to the bench, but the rookie should not fall out of the rotation entirely. Middleton has not exceeded 27 minutes in any appearances with the Wizards since the team acquired him from the Bucks at the February trade deadline.

Per Charania, Payton suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb and will be out indefinitely. Only rostered in three percent of Yahoo! leagues, there’s no need for those fantasy managers to hold into Payton with this news. Moses Moody (14 percent rostered) will have added importance within the Warriors’ rotation, even if Stephen Curry (pelvis) can return to action on Friday against the Pelicans.

Clarkson has dealt with plantar fasciitis in his left foot for much of this season, most recently missing Utah’s March 25 loss to the Grizzlies. The Jazz announced Thursday that he underwent a medical procedure to address the issue and will not play again this season. Utah was already taking steps to ensure its younger players would get all the playing time they need to develop, so Clarkson being ruled out does not change much. Brice Sensabaugh and Cody Williams won’t lack playing time the rest of the way, with the former offering a higher fantasy ceiling.