NBA Player News

Filling in for the injured Deandre Ayton (knee), Reath was solid on Wednesday. The rebounding, or lack of it, was a concern entering the game, but he managed to hold his own on the glass. Jabari Walker (12/5/1/1/1 in 22 minutes) was viewed as the slightly better streaming option and performed well on Wednesday. But give Reath credit for bringing more to the table than he did in prior spot starts. Portland hosts Dallas on Friday, and there could be value gained from streaming Reath or Walker if Ayton remains sidelined. Ultimately, managers will be better off with Walker, even if he isn’t the starter.

Sharpe has been the lone constant in Portland’s backcourt rotation, with Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson, and Malcolm Brogdon all dealing with injuries at various points this season. He’s scored 25 points or more in three straight games and has been a top 50 player in 9-cat formats over the last two weeks. Sharpe’s season-long value remains low, so it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to a relatively full backcourt rotation (Brogdon left Wednesday’s game with a sore knee). Fantasy managers should be encouraged by what they saw from Sharpe against the Warriors, from the point total to his playing 42 of a possible 48 minutes.

Appearing in a game for the first time since Portland’s season opener due to undergoing right thumb surgery, Simons was back in the starting lineup without any restrictions. He didn’t have his best night shooting the basketball, but the points and 3-point production were there. And those are the categories managers are banking on when they drafted Simons. With Malcolm Brogdon exiting Wednesday’s game during the first half with a sore knee, Simons’s workload should hold steady, if not increase, as he gets his game conditioning up to par.

Looney moved back into the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game, but that didn’t mean much regarding his fantasy value. He only played 16 minutes (none in the fourth quarter), with backup Dario Saric getting 20 and finishing with 13 points, six rebounds, and two 3-pointers. While Saric was also responsible for four turnovers, his scoring ability makes him worth rostering in deep leagues, even if he comes off the bench. Looney offers value as a rebounder and defender, but he isn’t the scorer that Saric is.

Paul returned after missing two games with a lower left leg injury, and he didn’t offer much production beyond the rebounds and assists. CP3 is providing top-75 per-game value in 9-cat formats for the season, and the minutes should increase as time rolls on. Brandin Podziemski still played 21 minutes on Wednesday, finishing with three points, five rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer. Still, Paul’s presence makes it difficult for the rookie to establish consistent fantasy value.

Theis has fit in really well with the Clippers as their backup center since Mason Plumlee went down. He has had multiple games with solid production with both his rebounding and shot blocking. However, his shot hadn’t been there. He was able to set a new season-high with two 3-pointers in this game, and if he can space the floor consistently when he’s on the floor, he will open up a new dimension for the Clippers. He isn’t a player to target in fantasy hoops even if he has had two straight solid games. However, he could be a solid streaming option in place of Ivica Zubac if he is forced to miss a game.

Harden was able to set a new season-high for assists in this game and record just his second double-double of the season. He also scored 20 points for the second straight game and the third time in his last four. This was also the first game of the year that Harden and Westbrook’s minutes never overlapped. They’ve slowly been playing fewer and fewer minutes together, which allows each player to have the ball in their hands when they’ve on the floor. That will be good for both of their fantasy values, though only Harden is still capable of putting up elite numbers.

PG didn’t have his best shooting night, but after three straight games with less than 20 points, he now has two straight games with 25. It is encouraging to see him string together solid performances after some less than ideal ones. George has been a top-20 player in fantasy basketball this season, though his recent poor shooting stretch has tanked his value over the past couple of weeks. However, he has been an elite fantasy player for a long time without ever having a high field goal percentage. The shooting struggles aren’t ideal for the team, but they won’t stop him from dominating the fantasy landscape.

Back in action after missing two games with a sore right index finger, Wiggins had a tough night shooting the basketball. He made 25% of his 12 attempts, and the lack of defensive production didn’t help either. Wiggins is still extremely low in the fantasy rankings, but his status as a starter has kept his rostered percentage relatively high. Meanwhile, Moses Moody, who filled in for Wiggins when he was sidelined, chipped in with 12 points, four rebounds, one steal, one block, and one 3-pointer in 26 minutes off the bench. Moody can remain a fantasy asset if he hits the mid-20s in minutes, and it may not be too difficult for him to do that if Wiggins’ struggles continue.

Jamal Murray’s return to the lineup forced Jackson back to the bench, but he was still able to be effective. That is partially because of Murray’s minutes restriction, which allowed them to split the point guard minutes 29-19 in favor of Murray. Jackson has been excellent for Denver this season and will continue to play a vital role for them as they look to repeat as champions. However, he’ll only be able to provide fantasy value when Murray is out of the lineup. When that happens, Jackson will be worth streaming once again.