NBA Player News

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.

After missing Saturday’s game against Washington with the ankle injury that has had him in and out of the lineup often recently, Russell was back in the lineup and had one of his best games since January. This was his first double-double since January 21 and his most assists in a game since he had 12 on January 2, which was his second game during this stint with the Nets. Russell’s availability will continue to be a headache, but this was a solid performance for the veteran.

Aldama has been solid all season, but the production has been quieter in recent months when compared to his early season numbers. Monday’s performance was his highest-scoring night since February 2, which was a 23-point night in a win. That is something Memphis hasn’t done much of recently as they lost for the sixth time in their last seven games on Monday. Aldama has been a reliable reserve for them, but it’s hard to rely on him for this level of production. He ranks outside the top-200 in nine-cat leagues over the past two weeks.

For the second-straight game, Tatum was able to turn in a 20-point double-double in a double-digit win on the road. In fact, the Celtics completed a six-game road trip against Western Conference opponents and won each game by double digits. They’ve now won nine in a row and 14 of their last 15 games, with Tatum scoring at least 20 points in 10 straight games. The occasional rest night has been the only limitation for Tatum, and he has sat out four games in March. He’ll look to keep the production up against the Heat on Wednesday.

Nesmith led Indiana in scoring to help them get back on track after they lost to the Thunder on Saturday. Six of his 24 points came in the final 20 seconds as he went 6-of-6 at the free throw line to seal the victory for Indiana. Nesmith has been a solid contributor as a starter for the Pacers, especially as of late. He has provided top-75 value in nine-cat leagues over the past two weeks with averages of 13.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 triples while shooting 52.1 percent from the floor.

DeRozan entered this game having scored at least 20 points in nine of his last 10 games without ever reaching 30 points, but he was able to achieve that mark in Monday’s loss. This was just DeMar’s fourth 30-point game since the All-Star break, but Sacramento has now lost six of their last seven games. They now hold a one-game lead over the Suns for the final play-in spot, but their next two games are against Washington and Charlotte, which should give them some breathing room. Regardless, DeRozan will continue to provide buckets with consistency.

Outside of Jordan Poole, who scored a game-high 35 points, Vukcevic was the only Wizard to score in double figures on Monday. That is something he has done in seven of his last 10 appearances, though his inconsistent role has made him a difficult player to trust. Vukcevic is only 22 years old and has shown plenty of flashes over the past two seasons that should encourage dynasty managers that have him stashed. Washington has three more games this week, including a back-to-back on Wednesday and Thursday.

After having the best game of his career as a starter on Saturday, Larsson remained in a starting role against Washington. He took advantage of the opportunity and had another strong night. Head coach Erik Spoelstra said on Monday that he doesn’t have a timetable for Andrew Wiggins’ return from a hamstring injury, which could mean a lengthy absence for him. If that ends up happening, Larsson should continue to start. He has averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals, one steal and one block during these last two starts.

Morant was once again able to turn in a strong stat line in his second game back after missing six games with a hamstring injury. The last time Morant scored less than 20 points in a game was February 20, which was the Grizzlies’ first game after the All-Star break. Availability has once again been an issue for Morant this season, but he hasn’t had any issues pouring in the points when he’s on the floor. This was the first night of a back-to-back, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Morant didn’t play against the Warriors on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the injury report, though that game is far more important for the playoff race out West, so it would be surprising if they opted to rest him against Golden State and play him against Boston.

Despite a rough shooting night from White, he was able to turn in a well-rounded stat line and nearly record a triple-double. Oddly enough, this was White’s second consecutive game shooting exactly 4-of-13 from the floor and finishing with eight rebounds and three three-pointers. The difference on Monday was that he was able to reach double digit assists for the third time this season. White has had at least six assists in five straight games now, and he’ll look to continue to dish out the dimes against the Heat on Wednesday.

Toppin’s strong stretch continued on Monday, and this was his sixth-straight game scoring in double figures, which is his longest streak since he scored at least 10 points in nine consecutive games in December. Toppin has provided top-100 value in nine-cat leagues over the past week in just 19.8 minutes per game, which is an incredibly small sample size. Still, it shows just how effective he has been. It is quite the hot streak, but small volume success is hard to maintain, which makes it difficult to consider rostering Toppin in standard leagues.