NBA Player News

Kessler could be sidelined for the second night of Utah’s back-to-back, and reports indicated that he appeared ill in the locker room after Thursday’s game. Oscar Tshiebwe will be available to take on some of the center minutes if Kessler isn’t available, and KJ Martin could replace him in the starting unit, with Kyle Filipowski sliding to center.

Missi did not provide much value as a scorer on Wednesday, shooting 3-of-8 from the field. However, the areas where fantasy managers have come to expect solid value are where he was most productive. He’s reached double digits in rebounds in three straight and four of his last five appearances, and the three rejections were the most in a game for the rookie since March 19. Missi’s fantasy value has been low recently, as he’s ranked outside the top 200 over the past two weeks. However, he’s worth targeting for category league managers seeking rebounds and blocked shots, as the Pelicans have two more games on their Week 22 schedule.

Brown is another Pelicans player who stands to benefit from CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson being ruled out for the rest of the season. He continues to start for the latter and has been an eighth-round player in eight- and nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. Brown is only rostered in 13 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and he’s worth a roll of the dice, despite the Pelicans’ final two games of Week 22 being played on the busiest days of the week (Friday and Sunday).

Alvarado finished Wednesday’s game with his second double-double of the season and first since March 9. Rostered in 18 percent of Yahoo! leagues, his fantasy ceiling raised significantly when the Pelicans ruled out CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson for the rest of the season. The good news for fantasy managers is that New Orleans plays two more games during Week 22, so there’s a decent chance they’ll receive solid value by rostering Alvarado.

While Bogdanovic has been a solid addition to the Clippers’ roster, his production has tailed off over the past two weeks. During this stretch, he’s ranked outside the top 200 in eight- and nine-cat formats. Wednesday was one of Bogdanovic’s good nights, but he’s only reached double figures in four of his last eight appearances. He remains rostered in 60 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but that’s due more to the expectations for Bogdanovic while he was with the Hawks than what he’s done recently.

Surprisingly, Harden’s double-double on Wednesday was his first since March 16. However, despite the decrease in assist production, The Beard has been a first-round player in eight- and nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. Harden has shot 45.7 percent from the field during this stretch, more than five percentage points higher than his mark for the season (40.1 percent). If he can maintain the improved efficiency through the Clippers’ final two games of Week 22, Harden may be able to carry some fantasy managers to a championship.

This has been a career year for Zubac, who deserves to be included in Most Improved Player conversations. The Clippers center recorded his 53rd double-double of the season on Wednesday, and the six assists were the most in a game for him since March 16. Over the past two weeks, Zubac has provided fourth-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats. The Clippers play two games against the Mavericks to end Week 22, and those matchups may be more challenging since Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II have rejoined the Dallas rotation.

Leonard has scored 20 points or more in 10 straight games and has the look of a player primed to put on a show during the postseason. The Clippers forward has rewarded those who patiently awaited his return from offseason knee surgery, and The Klaw could prove to be a league winner. Over the past two weeks, Leonard has been a first-round player in eight- and nine-cat formats. The lone negative for fantasy managers is the Clippers’ schedule, as they end Week 22 with a Friday/Saturday back-to-back against the Mavericks.

Schroder started his third game in a row in the absence of Cade Cunningham (calf) Wednesday. The 31-year-old point guard didn’t have as good of a game this time around as he had just 15 points on 18 shots and seven assists after going for double-doubles in his previous two games. It’s unclear when Cunningham might return, which likely means more starts for Schroder, who is a must-roster player as long as he’s in the starting lineup.

Hardaway Jr. went off for 23 points and five three-pointers as the Pistons lost by 16 to the Thunder. We’ve seen this movie before as the 33-year-old shooting guard is certainly capable of big games, but tends not to sustain this level of production. He might have the opportunity if Tobias Harris, who left Wednesday’s game against the Thunder with an Achilles injury, misses more time. In that case, though, it’s likely Malik Beasley would move into the starting lineup and he’s arguably better than Hardaway in a similar role.

Williams has had at least 20 points in three of four games since returning from a seven-game absence with a strained right hip. The 23-year-old small forward is the third banana on the Thunder after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, but is still capable of scoring at least 20 points with regularity as we’ve seen this season. With Williams doing his part, OKC is running on all cylinders as they head into the playoffs.