NBA Player News

Avdija recorded his third double-double in four games, but he had a tough night shooting the basketball. Deni was 3-of-9 from inside the arc, which was far more surprising than him shooting 3-of-9 from three. However, given how productive he has been, the poor shooting was a blip on the radar. Over the past two weeks, Avdija has been a top 20 player in eight-cat formats. Rostered in 84 percent of Yahoo! leagues, he can be a difference-maker for shallow-league managers where Avdija is still available.

Giddey will once again play through a sore right hip, just as he did against the Thunder on Monday. On the second night of a back-to-back, he’ll look to stuff the stat sheet again after nearly recording a triple-double against OKC.

Kessler and Sexton have a shot at playing on Wednesday, which is suitable for those who have either player rostered on their fantasy teams. However, if cleared to play, both players will likely have their playing time limited. Johnny Juzang and KJ Martin started Monday’s loss to the Hornets and would retain those roles if Kessler and Sexton remain out.

Gill missed Washington’s last two games, but he will be available to play against Sacramento. His absence opened the door for Tristan Vukcevic to take on a few extra minutes, but Gill’s return shouldn’t negatively impact Vukcevic, who has played well off the bench recently.

Fantasy managers who have Markkanen rostered should operate under the assumption that he won’t help them during Week 22. If he returns, that’s great, but the Jazz forward’s minutes will likely be capped. Williams is also unavailable and will miss another opportunity to play rotation minutes. Brice Sensabaugh and Kyle Filipowski will play plenty as Utah plays out the rest of the season.

Beal and O’Neale have been downgraded from questionable to out, joining Kevin Durant on the sidelines. Their absences free up playing time for Grayson Allen, Tyus Jones and Bol Bol. Whoever receives the starting nod for Durant will be worth streaming, especially if it’s Allen who moved into the lineup.

With Simons sidelined and Scoot Henderson still in concussion protocol, Dalano Banton will get the start at point guard against Atlanta. Banton had some strong performances as a starter late last season, but this will be his first start this year.

This will be an 11th-straight absence for Grant with no end in sight. Even if Portland continues to list him as doubtful, there isn’t a glimmer of hope that he will play again this season. Shaedon Sharpe will continue to start.

Love remains away from the team for personal reasons and does not have a timeline for return. His absence does not impact fantasy basketball, as the veteran forward/center logs limited playing time when available.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported Lively is “trending toward” a return this week, and that could come against Atlanta. It will have been 2.5 months since Lively last played, so managers should expect him to be on a strict minutes restriction. However, between Lively and Daniel Gafford, there may not be many minutes left over for Kai Jones at center.