NBA Player News

JJJ took an elbow to the face in the third quarter but returned to the Grizzlies’ bench in the fourth. He seems to have avoided a serious injury, but fantasy managers should keep an eye on his status for Thursday’s tilt with the Thunder just to be sure. He stuffed the stat sheet again, but that’s nothing new for the versatile stretch big.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s sublime season kept on rolling Saturday, even with supporting stars Jaylin Williams and Chet Holmgren out and Isaiah Hartenstein making an early exit due to injury, as he continues to bolster his MVP Award argument. SGA was literally a do-it-all superstar against the Pacers, pouring in 33 points on 23 shots, including three made three-pointers. He also got to the foul line 12 times and sunk 10 free throws. Gilgeous-Alexander also dished out eight assists and was close to a triple-double with seven rebounds as well. The 26-year-old point guard is a lock for his first career MVP Award, and with Nikola Jokic missing games down the home stretch, he’s the fantasy basketball MVP too.

Nembhard has now had at least seven assists in back-to-back games and three of his last five games. The 25-year-old point guard played a team-high 30 minutes Saturday and was -15 in the 21-point loss to the Thunder. Nembhard’s fantasy ceiling is capped by playing alongside Tyrese Haliburton, but he can still be a reliable source of assists.

Haliburton’s streak of 12 straight games with at least 10 assists ended in the blowout win against the Wizards on Thursday. In another blowout Saturday, though this time it was a loss, the 25-year-old point guard had just three assists. Haliburton played 29 minutes, but was out-assisted seven-to-three by teammate Andrew Nembhard. It’s unlikely this trend continues into next week, where the Pacers start off with a matchup against the Kings on Monday.

Dort isn’t a fantasy asset because he’s inconsistent. Saturday was one of those games where the 25-year-old shooting guard just happened to be feeling it. Dort poured in 22 points on 11 shots including six made three-pointers. Unfortunately, we’ve seen this movie from Dort before and know that his production against the Pacers ultimately isn’t sustainable. He can be safely left on waiver wires.

Joe played 27 minutes off the bench as one of the beneficiaries of Jaylin Williams being out with a hip injury. The 25-year-old shooting guard caught fire and scored 19 points on nine shots including five made three-pointers. Joe can be an interesting streamer in deeper formats if Williams’ hip injury lingers.

Morant returned to the Grizzlies’ lineup on Saturday after missing six games with a hamstring injury. He did so while playing for a new head coach, with Toumas Iisalo grabbing the reins on an interim basis, after Taylor Jenkins was fired earlier this week after six seasons at the helm. The point guard’s efficiency wasn’t great, as he shot 9-of-23 from the field, but 10 assists countered his four turnovers. When healthy, Morant has been a superior option in eight-cat formats and team builds in which turnovers are punted. Memphis’s four-game Week 22 includes a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back, so there may be another opportunity for Scotty Pippen Jr. to start. Pippen played 23 minutes off the bench against the Lakers, finishing with 16 points, three rebounds, five assists, one steal and three three-pointers.

Edey reached double digits in rebounds for the 15th time this season and first since March 9. That was also the last time the rookie recorded a double-double, moving his tally to 10 on the season. While Edey has offered sixth-round value in nine-cat formats over the past two weeks, five of six games were played without Ja Morant. Morant returned to the lineup on Saturday, and the 7-foot-4 rookie produced an excellent stat line. That’s encouraging for those who have Edey rostered, especially with the Grizzlies playing four games during Week 22.

Jackson shot the ball well on Saturday, scoring 23 points or more in three of his last four games. However, the overall stat line was lacking, especially in the rebound department. He’s grabbed five rebounds or less in six straight games, which has factored into JJJ only being a top 75 player in nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. Sharing the court with Zach Edey doesn’t help, but fantasy managers are likely hoping for more rebound production from Jackson during Week 22.

After a brutal 1-of-12 performance in Thursday’s loss to the Thunder, Bane got back on track against the Lakers. He’s scored 20 points or more in five of his last seven outings, a run that includes a 44-point effort on March 17 against the Kings. Ja Morant returning to the lineup on Saturday likely helped boost Bane’s efficiency, but he is shooting 48.4 percent from the field for the season. Memphis plays four games during Week 22, starting with a Monday/Tuesday home back-to-back against the Celtics and Warriors.

There was concern for some fantasy managers that Reaves would be adversely impacted by LeBron James’ return to the Lakers’ lineup after missing two weeks with a strained groin. This type of performance alleviates those worries as Reaves continues to provide excellent fantasy value, even with James back in the mix. Reaves has provided second-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats since LeBron’s return, and he’s scored 30 points or more in consecutive games for the first time this season. With all the attention opposing defenses must devote to James and Luka Doncic, things have opened up for Reaves, and he’s taken advantage. The Lakers play four games during Week 22, starting with the Rockets on Monday.