NBA Player News

Powell didn’t score much on Friday and has not recorded a 20-point stat line since returning from his hamstring injury. However, he did dish out six assists against the Nets, the most in a game since November 6. Over the past two weeks, Powell is ranked outside the top 200 in nine-cat formats. Fantasy managers hope he can flip the switch sooner rather than later, possibly as soon as Sunday in Cleveland.

Sabonis is a late addition to Friday’s injury report which puts his status in doubt against Charlotte. If he’s ultimately sidelined, expect Jonas Valanciunas to replace him in the starting five. Valanciunas averaged 12 points and 10.9 rebounds across his last nine starts, and JV will be in the streaming conversation if he starts.

Grant has missed 12 straight games, and it’s unlikely we’ll see him on the court again this season. Shaedon Sharpe should continue to start in his place. Reath’s injury is less impactful, but it should free up more minutes for Jabari Walker.

Simons has missed two in a row, but he’s got a chance to return against Chicago. Camara injured his ankle in Thursday’s matchup with Toronto, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he sat out the second leg of Portland’s back-to-back set. Simons’ absence could free up more playing time for Dalano Banton, while Camara’s absence would mean more minutes for Matisse Thybulle and Kris Murray.

Scoot will sit out a fourth straight game, which means Dalano Banton should get some additional playing time. Banton’s fantasy value will be even higher if Anfernee Simons (arm) sits out.

The pair sat out the first leg of Toronto’s back-to-back set on Thursday, but they’ll be back on Friday to presumably handle their normal workload. Jamal Shead and Orlando Robinson will likely retreat back to the bench after filling in with the first unit on Thursday.

No surprises here, as Toronto has alternated rest days for many of its starters since the All-Star break. The Raptors played Thursday, so Barrett and Agbaji will sit out the second leg of the back-to-back set. In their absence, Ja’Kobe Walter and Jamison Battle should earn some extra minutes.

Brunson hasn’t played in nearly a month, and Deuce has missed seven straight. If one or both are able to take the court on Saturday, Delon Wright and Tyler Kolek could see their minutes reduced. The same is true of Cam Payne, who has missed four straight but returned to practice on Friday alongside Brunson and McBride.

Martin has averaged just over 21 minutes per game across his last six, so his absence will free up some rotational minutes for the likes of Brice Sensabaugh and Kyle Filipowski. With Walker Kessler (concussion) sidelined, Martin likely would have started if he was available. That opportunity will now likely fall to either Johnny Juzang or Svi Mykhailiuk.

Reaves’ breakout season continued on Thursday, and he added another milestone to his special year. Though it wasn’t enough for the Lakers to get the win, Reaves set a new career-high for three-pointers made in a game. He only had 12 points in their last game against Houston, but Reaves has now scored at least 30 points in three of the Lakers’ last four games. Over the course of the season, he has provided third-round value in nine-cat leagues and has been a first-rounder of the past two months. He will be an intriguing player heading into fantasy drafts next season.

For just the fourth time this season, Curry shot double-digit free throws, and the Warriors are now 4-0 when he does. In fact, his 14 attempts were a new season-high and the most he has shot in a game since 2021. This performance came on the heels of him scoring 52 points with 12 triples in a win over Memphis, and while Curry didn’t replicate that type of production, his 37 points with only four threes was still impressive. This was only the 12th time in Steph’s career that he had at least 35 points while making four or fewer triples.