NBA Player News

“It’s similar to last year,” Thibs said. “When you throw in he’s been sick, and to me you get rhythm when you work ... So get back in the gym, get back to grooving your shot. Shoot a lot of threes and you’ll start making more.” Beat writer Ian Begley notes that while that may sound like a criticism, Thibs was likely referring to Barrett’s inability to “get back in the gym” due to the illness. Barrett said he’s adjusting to getting shots in new ways with new teammates this season. Regardless of the cause or the cure, fantasy GMs may want to bench him until he sorts out his high-volume shooting woes.

Markkanen’s absence with the first unit should free up a starting spot for Kyle Filipowski. Fresh off a 25/9 performance in his last game out, Filipowski has streaming value for Thursday’s slate. He’s started three of Utah’s last five games and posted at least 20 points and nine rebounds in each of his last two starts.

Marshall’s late addition to the injury report puts him in danger of sitting out Thursday against Detroit. If Marshall ends up sidelined, Max Christie could get a significant boost. Christie has been playing well as of late and has standalone value when Marshall is available, but he’ll be even better if the latter is out.

Poeltl was listed as probable on Wednesday, but this downgrade suggests he’s in danger of missing Thursday’s game against Milwaukee. If Poeltl is ultimately sidelined, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Murray-Boyles would be in line for additional minutes.

Powell is dealing with left calf discomfort, but he’ll play through it on Thursday. Assuming he doesn’t re-aggravate the injury, fantasy managers should expect him to handle his typical workload.

While Reid didn’t have his best night shooting the basketball, he recorded another complete stat line in what has been an excellent run of production. Over the past two weeks, the Timberwolves’ forward/center has been a top-30 player in nine-cat formats. And with his role remaining consistent, Reid’s chances of sustaining this production level are good. With Anthony Edwards (foot) out, Naz is one of the players whose usage has increased slightly in recent games, much to the delight of fantasy managers.

Randle has scored at least 21 points in six straight and seven of his last eight games. The consistent scoring output is why he continues to provide third-round per-game value in eight-cat formats. The good news for those who have Randle rostered in nine-cat formats is that he’s been good enough to offer top-40 value. He’s kept the turnovers in check, and the scoring efficiency has improved. He looks more comfortable in his second season with the Timberwolves than he did in his first.

Back with the team after exiting Sunday’s win over the Kings to be present for the birth of his child, Gobert recorded one of his best stat lines of the season. Recording his 11th double-double, Gobert’s 16 rebounds were two shy of his season-high. Add in the percentages and blocked shots, and Wednesday’s stat line was the high end of what fantasy managers hope to get from the “Stifle Tower.”

DiVincenzo has now scored 18 points or more in each of his last three games, which were all played with Anthony Edwards out of the lineup. Counting Wednesday, he’s shot 20-of-49 (40.8 percent) from the field, slightly lower than his percentage for the season (41.3 percent). However, over the past two weeks, he’s made 38.9 percent of his shots. DiVincenzo has still provided top-100 value, but things could be better for him and those who have him rostered.

With Brandon Clarke (knee) making his season debut, there may have been some concern among those who have held onto Landale. However, with Clarke under a minutes restriction, he played 30 minutes off the bench and finished with one of his best lines of the season. The double-double was the second of the season for Landale, who also recorded his third 20-point game. With Clarke’s playing time restricted and Zach Edey (ankle) unavailable, those who held onto Landale for this long might as well stick with him for a few more games.

Clarke made his season debut on Wednesday, and to the surprise of many, he did so as a starter. His first stint on the floor lasted just under four minutes, and the Grizzlies are likely to limit Clarke’s playing time for the foreseeable future. The question is whether he can play enough while Zach Edey (ankle) is out to become a viable option in deep leagues. Based on the playing time and production, Clarke isn’t there yet, but that could change in time.