NBA Player News

Holman, who signed a 10-day contract with the Heat on December 29, has been declared ineligible for Wednesday’s game. The reason why is that Miami has players returning from health and safety protocols, and he was signed via the hardship waiver. It’s likely that Holman won’t play again before his contract expires.

Sunday’s game will be the third that McBride has missed due to left ankle injury management. In his absence, Landry Shamet and Tyler Kolek have figured more prominently in the Knicks’ rotation.

Harris sat out Thursday’s loss to the Wizards with a sore left hamstring. While his availability does not affect fantasy basketball, Harris’s not playing on Thursday led to Gary Trent Jr. picking up additional minutes.

After contributing 16 points off the bench in Wednesday’s win over the Rockets, Harper recorded his fifth 20-point game of the season in Charlotte. While the role does limit the rookie guard’s ceiling, he’s been close to a top-100 player over the past two weeks. If Devin Vassell sits out Sunday’s game against the Magic because it’s San Antonio’s second game in as many days, Harper may receive a slight boost despite coming off the bench.

While Castle’s perimeter shooting has been a concern for some fantasy managers, how he values the basketball is far more critical. The second-year guard has now committed three turnovers or fewer in five straight games, the first time he’s done so this season. Also, Castle has dished out 36 assists during this period. Slowly but surely, the 2024 lottery pick is making strides with his decision-making.

Vassell returned to the starting lineup on Saturday after coming off the bench in his first two games back from a strained adductor. While he recorded a complete stat line in Charlotte, the impact was a bit muted. However, Vassell getting back to 30 minutes is the most notable aspect of his line. Harrison Barnes moved to the bench, finishing with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and three three-pointers in 25 minutes. With the Spurs hosting the Magic on Sunday, Barnes would likely be back with the starters if they decide to sit Vassell.

After taking over Wednesday’s win over the Rockets, Wembanyama was held in check by the red-hot Hornets on Saturday. The limited offensive production wasn’t the only issue for fantasy managers, as the 7-foot-4 phenom didn’t bring much defensive output to the table, either. After tallying 14 blocked shots in his prior three games, Wembanyama did not have any against the Hornets. Days like Saturday don’t happen very often for Wemby, so there’s no need to be concerned. The Spurs host the Magic on Sunday in their final game of Week 15.

Facing countryman Victor Wembanyama, Diabaté held his own on Saturday. In addition to recording his third double-double in five games and 13th of the season, the Hornets’ forward/center’s six assists were a season-high. Rostered in 25 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Diabaté appears to have locked down the starting center job. Even with the Hornets playing three games in Week 16, now is the time to add Moussa if he’s sitting on the waiver wire.

While Ball didn’t have the best day shooting the basketball, including a 3-of-9 afternoon from inside the arc, his work as a playmaker helped the Hornets extend their win streak to six games. During the run, the Hornets’ point guard’s assist-to-turnover ratio has been excellent, with Ball recording 47 assists and 17 turnovers. He’s shooting just 36.5 percent from the field over the last two weeks, which has negatively affected Ball’s fantasy value. That said, fantasy managers should be encouraged by the decrease in turnovers.

Having totaled 24 points on 8-of-27 shooting in his three prior appearances, Sexton needed a day like Saturday to snap out of his mini-slump. The Hornets guard was a perfect 5-on-5 from beyond the arc, knocking down two within the first three minutes of the fourth quarter. With Charlotte’s perimeter starters being healthy, Sexton offers limited fantasy value. But he’s capable of providing a spark off the bench, which was the case on Saturday.

Miller and the Hornets have now won six consecutive games, the franchise’s longest win streak since March 2016. And he’s been on a roll recently, scoring at least 20 points in 10 straight games. Another impressive streak for Miller is that he’s made his last 38 free throws. Over the past two weeks, he has provided first-round per-game value in 12-team leagues. The Hornets play three games in Week 16, starting with the Pelicans on Monday.