NBA Player News

After finishing the season as the interim head coach of the Kings, the team let Gentry walk. Gentry may not have been the man for the head coaching job, but they wanted to keep him around the organization.

For any rookie, much less one being asked to master the point guard position in the NBA, there are going to be bumps in the road. Fears struggled against the Suns, shooting poorly and committing five turnovers while recording just one assist. The good news is that he did record three steals and three three-pointers, so there was some value. If anything, fantasy managers have to hope that the early struggles give way to improved play as the season wears on, especially if the Pelicans find themselves out of playoff contention in the final months.

After going off for 41 points on Saturday, Murphy was held in check by the Suns on Monday. With Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole unavailable, more of the offense will run through Murphy. And the Pelicans’ use of rookie Jeremiah Fears at the point has not negatively impacted Trey’s fantasy value. He’s providing third-round value in nine-cat formats, exceeding his Yahoo! ADP of 42. As long as he stays healthy, Murphy is more than capable of being a top-50 player in fantasy basketball at a minimum.

With Jalen Green (hamstring) back on the sideline, O’Neale made his seventh start of the season on Monday. The veteran wing had a good night, shooting 4-of-8 from beyond the arc and joining three other Suns starters in double figures. Due to the ability to provide three-pointers and steals, O’Neale is worth streaming until Green returns. And it may be a while before that happens, with Green set to undergo more testing this week.

Fantasy managers may have looked at Monday’s matchup and hoped for a massive night from Booker, but the Suns didn’t have to ask too much of their star. The 27 minutes are the fewest Booker has played in a game this season. He shot over 50 percent from the field, but the overall stat line was meager compared to what Booker usually provides. Wednesday’s game against the Mavericks may prove to be a bigger challenge for the Suns, possibly leading to more production from Booker.

Much to the chagrin of the Pelicans, Allen put on a shooting clinic in Monday’s 121-98 victory. He shot 10-of-15 from beyond the arc, breaking the Suns franchise record for three-pointers in a game. Also, the 42 points were a career-high for Allen, who had just one 20-point game to his credit this season before Monday’s explosion. With Jalen Green (hamstring) out, Allen’s importance to the Suns has increased. And despite providing third-round value in nine-cat formats, he’s rostered in just 38 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

George is proving to be an excellent scorer. He’s had at least 25 points in three of his last five games. George’s 27 points ultimately weren’t enough to keep up with Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves as Lauri Markkanen was the only other Jazz player with at least 20 points. The Jazz play the Pacers on the second night of a back-to-back on Tuesday.

Randle had a rare triple-double against the Jazz last Friday. The 30-year-old power forward didn’t have a triple-double on Monday, but was able to record 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Even with Anthony Edwards back in the lineup, Randle is a productive fantasy asset.

Edwards destroyed the Jazz for the second time in his last three games. The 24-year-old shooting guard had at least 35 points and led the Timberwolves to a win over the Jazz for the second time since last Friday. Edwards continues to play at a high level since returning from injury. The Timberwolves are off until Friday’s game against the Kings.

Gafford was a game-time decision as he was dealing with an ankle injury. While he ultimately played 23 minutes with the Mavericks shorthanded in the frontcourt, he had a subpar offensive game with seven points on eight shots. Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II’s next chance to play for the Mavericks will come Wednesday against the Suns.