NBA Player News

Dennis Schroder should benefit the most in Westbrook’s absence, while Paul George will soak up extra usage and Raymond Felton should join the rotation. For every two techs Westbrook gets after No. 16 he’ll face another suspension, so hopefully he can keep his cool in the final 11 games for which he’ll be active. This also means he’ll play just two games in Week 23, a brutal turn of events for his fantasy owners.

A double-figure scorer in two straight and four of his last six appearances, Clifford recorded a season-high point total on Tuesday. And it’s worth noting that the rookie did not have to wait until “garbage time” to put up his points. Clifford shot 6-of-8 from the field in the first three quarters and finished a steal shy of a complete stat line. One solid performance does not make him a player worth adding, but Clifford is undoubtedly someone who would have added value if the Kings move some of their veterans before the February trade deadline.

Murray returned from his calf injury much sooner than many may have expected, as he was back in the lineup on Tuesday after a two-game absence. Interestingly, he played 30 minutes despite the game getting out of hand by halftime. The only important takeaway from Tuesday’s game for Murray managers is that he got through it without aggravating the calf injury. The Kings play three games over the final four days of Week 11, starting with a back-to-back on Thursday/Friday against the Celtics and Suns. We’ll see if Murray is available for all three.

The play of the Kings’ 2025 draft picks may have been the only positive to take from Tuesday’s 131-90 defeat. Raynaud recorded his sixth double-double since moving into the starting lineup. Add in the two blocked shots, and the final stat line was decent. Rostered in 31 percent of Yahoo! leagues, he has been a top-100 player over the past three weeks. If Raynaud is sitting on the waiver wire in 14-team leagues, and even some 12-team formats, fantasy managers can do far worse than picking him up if there’s a need for production at the center position.

Before the Clippers lost Ivica Zubac to a sprained ankle, Niederhäuser’s opportunities were limited, with the rookie hitting double digits in minutes just twice in his first 12 appearances. He’s slotted in as Brook Lopez’s backup, and the first-round pick out of Penn State had the best night of his young career on Tuesday. Niederhäuser recorded new highs in points and rebounds, shooting 75 percent from the field. While he still isn’t at the point where he should be rostered in redraft leagues, Niederhäuser’s performance against the Kings was promising for those who have him in dynasty formats.

The Clippers did not require much from Harden on Tuesday, as they were never challenged in the 131-90 victory. As a result, his stat line was modest in comparison to what fantasy managers have grown accustomed to. The good news for Harden managers, especially those competing in nine-cat formats, is that he did not commit a turnover, the first time that has happened this season. The Clippers end Week 11 with home games against the Jazz and Celtics on Thursday and Saturday.

Collins returned to the Clippers’ lineup on Tuesday after missing Sunday’s win over the Pistons with an illness. And he continues to perform well, providing third-round value in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks. Tuesday’s game was the second for Derrick Jones Jr. (8/1/3/2/1 with one three-pointer) since returning from a knee injury, and he played 20 minutes off the bench to Collins’ 22. Tuesday’s blowout affected the minutes split, but fantasy managers should watch for it when the Clippers face more formidable opponents.

Two days removed from scoring a career-high 55 points, Leonard had 30 points through the first three quarters on Tuesday. Unlike the Pistons, the Kings offered little resistance to the Clippers throughout the 131-90 defeat, so Kawhi’s night was done with just over seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Over the past week, he has been the most valuable player in fantasy basketball, and Leonard is a top-five player for the season.

With Rui Hachimura sidelined by a calf injury, LaRavia made his tenth start of the season on Tuesday. He didn’t have a great night shooting the basketball, but the Lakers forward did record four steals and one blocked shot in 38 minutes on the floor. Those stats are encouraging for fantasy managers, especially since Hachimura is expected to miss multiple games. LaRavia is rostered in 10 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so he won’t be too hard to find on the waiver wire.

LeBron’s 41st birthday was not a joyous occasion for the Lakers’ star, as the Pistons took control in the third quarter and won with relative ease. Simply put, Detroit did on Tuesday night what “Father Time” has failed to do to the future Hall of Fame forward. In addition to the poor shooting, James was responsible for five turnovers, with only Luka Dončić committing more (eight). He and the Lakers will look to bounce back when they host the Grizzlies on Friday and Sunday.

While fantasy managers will likely be pleased with Dončić recording another 30-point double-double, that did not tell the whole story of his night. There were a few defensive lapses, and the Lakers’ point guard compounded those errors by committing eight turnovers. With Austin Reaves (calf) out for at least four weeks, Dončić and the Lakers have an extremely slim margin for error. They were able to hang around until the second half of the third quarter, with the Pistons’ takeover leading to Dončić and the other starters watching the final four minutes from the bench. The Lakers end Week 11 with games against the Grizzlies on Friday and Sunday.