NBA Player News

Duarte came off the bench Wednesday night, with Harrison Barnes and Sasha Vezenkov serving as the starting forwards. The latter filled in for the banged-up Keegan Murray (thumb), finishing with seven points, three rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer, shooting 3-of-11 from the field. Meanwhile, Duarte played well enough in the first half to replace Vezenkov to start the third quarter. The key for both players, as far as rotation minutes are concerned, is whether or not Kings coach Mike Brown has Vezenkov locked into the power forward position. If so, the coach’s comments about Sasha not being a lock to be in the regular season rotation weren’t just “coach speak,” as Trey Lyles (five points, two rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer in 18 minutes) will play. That would be good news for Duarte, who’s a three capable of playing some two-guard. That said, fantasy managers should look elsewhere for late-round fantasy value.

Vucevic followed up his 40-point game Friday with another strong effort. The 34-year-old center recorded a double-double and was just three assists shy of a triple-double. Vooch also added three steals and a block on the defensive end. He just continues to produce at a high level, though we would caution that he’s more of a top-50 player than a top-20 player in terms of fantasy value.

LaVine has had at least 25 points in eight of 10 games so far in January. He bounced back with a 27-point effort here after scoring only 19 in his last game. The 29-year-old shooting guard is playing at a high level, though his availability needs to be monitored as he’s playing through right patella tendinitis. The Bulls have three games in the upcoming week, starting with the Clippers on Monday.

Coulibaly not doing much as a scorer isn’t as concerning as the lack of defensive production. The second-year wing has averaged 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per game over the past two weeks, with the decrease in defensive production being one reason he’s only a top-250 player during this stretch. Coulibaly’s season-long value is much better, so dynasty league managers should not be too concerned. However, they’d feel much better if Bilal could turn things around soon.

After shooting well in Saturday’s loss to the Warriors, Kuzma was brutal in Sacramento. He’s hit 20% or worse from the field in three of his last six outings, and the percentages (35.7% FG, 59.4% FT) are while the Wizards forward is ranked outside the top 250 over the past two weeks. Kuzma’s season-long value has been just as bad, making him one of the most disappointing players in fantasy basketball this season.

Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Valanciunas continues to provide reliable fantasy value. He finished Sunday’s defeat with his first double-double since January 8 and 11th of the season. The starting center job belongs to rookie Alexandre Sarr (6/7/1 with one 3-pointer), who struggled against the Kings, and his growing pains have allowed Valanciunas to remain fantasy-relevant. The Wizards play three games during Week 13, starting with the Lakers on Tuesday.

Sharpe was replaced in the starting lineup by Deni Avdija, with coach Chauncey Billups citing defensive issues. Still, with Anfernee Simons out, the 21-year-old shooting guard managed to play 33 minutes off the bench and lead the Trail Blazers in field goal attempts. He had just 23 points on 18 shots including a 2-of-7 performance from behind the 3-point line. Sharpe won’t provide much in the other categories, but he can score when given the opportunities.

Ellis has made at least one 3-pointer in 16 straight games and two or more in each of his last four. Sunday’s effort was the best of the bunch, as the Kings guard shot 6-of-8 from beyond the arc and scored 18 points. Ellis didn’t provide much defensive value, but improved scoring can raise his fantasy ceiling despite coming off the bench. He remains, at best, a deep-league option, but Ellis is someone to be mindful of if the Kings lose someone to an injury.

Fox didn’t shoot the ball well but made up for that by racking up the assists. The 13 helpers were a season-high, and fantasy managers also picked up some value in the steals category. Over the past two weeks, Fox has provided top-25 value in 8-cat formats, which aligns with his season-long value. Malik Monk picked up the slack for his backcourt partner scoring-wise, tallying 23 points with one rebound, four assists, one steal, one blocked shot, and three 3-pointers in 30 minutes.

While scoring 20 points or more in six straight games may not be a noteworthy career achievement for a player of DeRozan’s caliber, this is his longest streak since he met or exceeded that number in his first eight games as a King. DeRozan has provided 6th-round value in 9-cat formats, taking a hit compared to his production with the Bulls last season. However, he’s one of the players whose production has improved since the head coaching change, which is good news for the Kings and those who have DeRozan rostered.

Avdija returned from a one-game absence due to a right ankle sprain and replaced Shaedon Sharpe in the starting lineup. The 24-year-old small forward scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds on his way to a double-double. Avdija should remain in the starting lineup as long as Jerami Grant is also sidelined.