NBA Player News

If both Daniels and Jamal Murray (hamstring) are out today, Monte Morris could be forced to flirt with close to 40 minutes. Stay tuned.

Jokić’s injury is devastating for fantasy managers, as the No. 1 player in fantasy hoops was on an incredible tear. The silver lining is that he avoided a more serious injury, but his absence will cause a monumental hole in Denver’s lineup. Jonas Valančiūnas should get the nod as starting center, but he won’t be able to replicate Joker’s elite playmaking abilities. Jamal Murray should pick up the slack as a facilitator and scorer, while guys like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown should be leaned on more as well. All three of Valančiūnas, THJ and Brown are worth picking up, though it’s still unclear what Denver will look like without its three-time MVP.

Williams continues to come off the bench, but for the second time in three games, he played more than starting point guard Ryan Nembhard. After logging 30 minutes on Christmas Day, Williams hit that number on Monday. And he started the third quarter in place of Nembhard, who went scoreless with two rebounds and six assists in 17 minutes. Williams’ fantasy value would be more appealing if he were the starter, but it has been challenging for many managers to make sense of the Mavericks’ point guard rotation.

While Flagg recorded a complete stat line in Portland, he struggled to provide consistent scoring. There were brief periods when he showed why he currently leads all rookies in scoring, but Flagg could not get untracked. And the shooting struggles may have led him to attempt only three shots in the fourth quarter, all misses. With Anthony Davis out due to a groin injury, there’s room for Flagg to be more assertive offensively, and the Mavericks need him to be. He’ll look to bounce back when the Mavericks host Philadelphia on Thursday.

Making a second straight start in place of the injured Anthony Davis, Gafford finished Monday’s defeat with one of his best stat lines of the season. In addition to recording his second double-double, the Mavericks’ center was responsible for four defensive contributions, his best output since December 20 against the 76ers. Gafford did take a quick trip to the locker room during Monday’s game, but the 26 minutes played were the most for him since November 24. Hopefully, Monday’s performance serves as a catalyst for a player who has offered 11th-round fantasy value this season.

Having scored 14 points in the first half of Monday’s game, Christie went scoreless in the third quarter, shooting 0-of-2 from the field. The Mavericks guard rebounded nicely in the fourth, scoring 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting to help Dallas claw its way back into the game. The 25 points were a season-high for Christie, who matched his previous high with five three-pointers. While starting gives him a higher fantasy ceiling, that’s likely to change once Anthony Davis is cleared to return from a groin injury.

As a player on a two-way contract, Love can only be active for 50 NBA games. Monday was the 25th for the rookie out of Arizona, and there may come a point soon when Portland has to consider giving him a standard deal. Active for the Trail Blazers’ last 22 games, Love has scored in double figures in four straight. He finished two points shy of his season-high on Monday while matching his previous high with six three-pointers. Love still doesn’t offer much overall fantasy value, so there’s no need to add him. But he may be on his way to earning added job security before this season concludes.

For the second time this month, Clingan has recorded double-doubles in consecutive games. While the stat line against the Mavericks did not include any defensive stats, the second-year center shot 80 percent from the field and made multiple three-pointers for the third time in five games. Over the past two weeks, Clingan has provided seventh-round value in eight-cat formats, and he’s been close to a top-25 player for managers punting free-throw percentage. Portland has three more games on its Week 11 schedule, starting with the Thunder on Wednesday.

Sharpe has scored at least 21 points in eight of his last nine appearances for the Trail Blazers, his most consistent stretch since early November. The Trail Blazers guard has been close to a top-50 player in eight-cat formats over the past three weeks. While foul shooting has been an issue, with Sharpe making 65.5 percent of his attempts, he’s shot nearly 50 percent from the field during this run. That’s good news for the Trail Blazers and those who have the athletic guard rostered.

Avdija, who finished one rebound shy of his third triple-double of the season, continues to make a strong case for a spot in February’s All-Star Game. The Trail Blazers’ forward, who has taken on primary playmaker responsibilities, is averaging 25.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 2.3 three-pointers per game while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 79.1 percent from the foul line. Turnovers have been the lone issue for Avdija, as he’s averaging nearly four per game and committed six on Monday. However, the overall production has been excellent in a breakout campaign for Avdija.

Wembanyama started things off with some excitement in the first quarter as he slammed home an alley-oop from Stephon Castle that came off the backboard. The 21-year-old center was efficient with 26 points and 14 rebounds in 27 minutes, but wasn’t much of a factor on the defensive end with one block after recording five blocks in his last game. The Spurs will take on the Knicks Wednesday in the second game of a four-game week.