NBA Player News

Okpala has been ruled out for Sacramento’s final game before the All-Star break. He hasn’t been in the rotation when healthy, so his absence will not impact fantasy basketball.

DeRozan was limited to 29 minutes on Friday in the blowout loss to OKC. In his minutes, he shot efficiently and logged more three-point makes against the Thunder than he had combined prior to Friday’s contest. Still, the veteran scorer finished with fewer than 20 points and had minimal impact as a facilitator or defender. Aside from his contributions from beyond the arc, there wasn’t much for fantasy managers to get excited about.

LaVine returned from a one-game absence on Friday but struggled to make much of a positive impact. In the blowout loss, he totaled 29 minutes and attempted just five shots. He was efficient on his limited looks, but scored in single digits for the first time all season. LaVine will have a chance to knock off the rust and bounce back on Sunday against a Timberwolves team that has won three of its last four games.

Westbrook logged his third-straight 20-point game of the season on Friday, which was again highlighted by strong overall shooting efficiency and high production from beyond the arc. The veteran guard also found success on the glass, produced as a passer, and got his teammates involved against his former team. Even in Year 18, Westbrook has proven capable of stuffing the stat sheet and providing value in fantasy leagues, especially now as he’s demonstrating an ability to be an efficient scorer. He’s certainly worthy of a roster spot.

Mitchell once again filled in for Luguentz Dort and again provided the Thunder with solid production. He didn’t reach the same 20-point mark as he did against the Trail Blazers on Wednesday, but managed to supplement a nice scoring outing on Friday with a season-high 10 assists. The double-double marked the first of the season for the second-year guard, while he compiled four stocks on the defensive end. Mitchell continues to produce in his sophomore season and has turned himself into a roster-worthy player in fantasy leagues.

SGA wasn’t the highest scorer for the Thunder on Friday, but he still managed to extend his streak of 30-point games to six. He dominated inside the three-point line and chipped in a few stocks to help OKC avenge its first loss of the season. The reigning league MVP hasn’t shown any signs of regression during his eighth NBA season and is putting up similar numbers to last season. He remains one of the most productive players across fantasy basketball leagues.

A big 15-point second quarter led the veteran center to a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double at halftime, which eventually turned into a career-best night for Hartenstein. He missed only three shots en route to his first game of more than 20 points this season, while nearly snagging 20 boards in the process. In his second year with the Thunder, Hartenstein continues to make a massive impact for one of the league’s best teams. He’ll have a chance to land a third straight double-double on Sunday against the Grizzlies.

After recording one triple-double in the previous three seasons combined, Randle has two in Minnesota’s first nine games of the 2025-26 campaign. He was responsible for seven turnovers on Friday, but this was the first game in which the Timberwolves’ forward had surpassed five. High-turnover nights of this caliber are unlikely to become the norm for Randle, so there’s no need for anyone to be concerned. And Friday’s performance was an indicator of what he’ll be able to do with Anthony Edwards (37 points) back in the lineup and fully healthy.

McDaniels has scored 20 points or more in four of Minnesota’s nine games, and he’s off to the best start of his NBA career. The 6-foot-9 wing is averaging 18.3 points per game, which would be the best of his career by more than six points (12.2 ppg last season). And he’s doing this while shooting nearly 54 percent from the field. McDaniels is providing top-50 value in nine-cat formats, and some may be tempted to sell high, especially with Anthony Edwards back from a hamstring injury. However, those two combined for 59 points on Friday, and Julius Randle recorded a triple-double, which may be a sign of McDaniels’ staying power.

George once again led the Jazz in scoring, but the third-year guard didn’t have much help offensively. Lauri Markkanen (12/2/2/3) shot 4-of-14 from the field, while Jusuf Nurkić and Svi Mykhailiuk combined to score nine points. George was still efficient offensively playing alongside Isaiah Collier, but the defense suffered as no one could slow down Anthony Edwards. The Jazz don’t play again during Week 3 but will have four games during Week 4.

In his first game back from a back injury, Butler logged 31 minutes in the blowout loss and finished as one of the Warriors’ top scorers. He was efficient from the field and landed his usual production from the free-throw line. Yet, the veteran forward made little impact elsewhere as far as the stat sheet is concerned. The good news, however, is that Butler appears to have made it out of Friday’s contest without a new or reaggravated injury.