NBA Player News

They each played three whole minutes in garbage time in their first ten-day stint, but that was it. Nothing to see here for fantasy purposes.

After tallying one steal and two blocks in Saturday’s win over the Mavericks, Raynaud did not record any defensive stats on Sunday. However, the rookie did come through with his fifth double-double. And over the past two weeks, Raynaud has provided top-75 value in eight-cat formats. With the Kings playing four games in Week 11 and Domantas Sabonis (knee) sidelined, now would be a good time to consider adding Raynaud in 12-team formats.

While Keon Ellis (two points and one blocked shot in 22 minutes) continues to start for the injured Zach LaVine, Monk has worked his way back into the Kings’ rotation. However, the scoring output has not been what some fantasy managers may have hoped. Monk has scored 11 points or fewer in each of his last three appearances, with Sunday being the only time he hit double figures. Fantasy managers who may have considered adding Monk in the aftermath of his return to the rotation should hold off on doing that.

One day removed from scoring nine points in a win over the Mavericks, DeRozan looked more like himself on Sunday. He’s scored at least 22 points in three of his last four appearances, and the veteran wing’s fantasy value has improved recently. Over the past two weeks, DeRozan has provided top-25 per-game value in eight-cat formats. The Kings play four games in Week 11, starting with the Clippers on Tuesday.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick said before Sunday’s game that Smith’s role would expand as the team moved forward without Austin Reaves (calf). The two-way contract guard playing 24 minutes was unsurprising, but the output certainly was. Smith notched his second 20-point game as a Laker, finishing four points shy of his season-high. Fantasy managers shouldn’t hop onto the Smith bandwagon yet, but they should watch him in Tuesday’s game against the Pistons.

As was the case in Thursday’s loss to the Rockets, James only attempted 13 shots on Sunday despite Austin Reaves (calf) being unavailable. The difference was that he made 11 against the Kings, and the final stat line only lacked a blocked shot. How much James can help the Lakers defensively at this stage in his career is up for debate, but the team will accept scoring efficiency on par with Sunday’s performance as well. Over the past two weeks, James has provided top-40 per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats.

A good tonic for a team struggling defensively is an opponent playing its second game in as many nights. Dončić and the Lakers rebounded from a poor performance on Christmas Day by soundly defeating the Clippers, and he surpassed 30 points for the first time since returning from a left leg contusion. And while no one will describe him as a lockdown defender, Dončić recorded three steals on Sunday. He and the Lakers play three games in Week 11, starting with the Pistons on Tuesday.

Ivey’s offensive production on Sunday wasn’t great, but this was a big night for him in other aspects. The Pistons’ guard played fourth-quarter minutes for the first time since December 15, and the 29 minutes were a season-high. With Caris LeVert (knee) leaving Sunday’s game during the third quarter, Ivey reaching the high-20s in minutes may happen again on Tuesday against the Lakers. He isn’t at the point where standard-league managers need to consider adding Ivey yet, but he’s worth watching.

For the first time this season, Cunningham has shot 50 percent or better from the field in four straight games. Between the percentages, assists and relatively low turnover count, Sunday was a good night for those with Cunningham on their fantasy rosters. Over the past two weeks, he has provided top-10 per-game value in eight-cat formats. Cunningham and the Pistons will look to end their road trip on a positive note when they visit the Lakers on Tuesday.

Duren has recorded a double-double in five of his last six appearances, with Friday’s loss to the Jazz being the exception. If there has been an issue for the Pistons center recently, it has been at the foul line, though he made both of his attempts on Sunday. Duren is shooting 60 percent from the line over the past two weeks, a big reason why he has provided eighth-round value in eight-cat formats during this stretch. For the season, Duren is shooting a respectable 72.9 percent from the charity stripe. The Pistons end their west coast trip on Tuesday against the Lakers, the first of three games they’ll play in Week 11.

Sunday’s game was the first for Jones since November 16, as a sprained right MCL sidelined him. “Airplane Mode” was under a minutes restriction and John Collins (illness) was unavailable, so there isn’t too much to learn from Sunday’s game regarding how the power forward minutes will be divided in the future. Nicolas Batum (12/4/1/1 with four three-pointers) filled in for Collins and played 31 minutes against the Pistons. A lot more will be learned about the Clippers’ power forward rotation if Collins is available on Tuesday against the Kings.