NBA Player News

Simmons will remain sidelined for a fourth consecutive game. With Cam Johnson back in the lineup, Dorian Finney-Smith will be the starter in place of Simmons. When Simmons returns, DFS will likely return to the bench and lose his streaming value.

After a four-game absence, Vukčević will be available for Tuesday’s game. His return likely means less playing time for Julian Reese, who played 26 minutes off the bench in Sunday’s loss to the Pelicans.

Richard’s sprained right ankle will sideline him for a fourth consecutive game. While Nate Williams has picked up rotation minutes in the rookie’s absence, he may lose out on some playing time with Seth Curry available for the first time since early December.

Curry, who has not appeared in a game since December 4, is officially available to play on Monday. Given the time missed, the veteran guard is unlikely to play significant minutes in his first game back. Plus, with Monday’s game being the first of two in as many nights for the Warriors, Curry may not be available for Tuesday’s game against the Bulls.

While James did fall hard on his left elbow during Thursday’s loss to the Nuggets, arthritis in his left foot has been the bigger issue for the 41-year-old. He’s missed the last two games, and after not practicing on Monday, James’s having to sit out Tuesday’s game against the Timberwolves is a real possibility. Rui Hachimura has moved into the starting lineup and should retain that role until LeBron returns.

Fontecchio has missed three games with a strained groin, but he appears on track to play Tuesday night. If so, he’ll give the Heat another option to help compensate for the absences of Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jović.

Ware, who logged 26 minutes in Sunday’s win over the Pistons, is dealing with a right shoulder strain. If the second-year center can’t play against the Wizards, the Heat may give rookie Vlad Goldin a few minutes off the bench. But he would not be a player worth adding in redraft leagues.

Wiggins will remain out for a third consecutive game, the last two due to sesamoiditis in his left big toe. Myron Gardner has filled the void in the starting lineup, totaling 10 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Fantasy managers seeking a streamer are better off adding Jaime Jaquez Jr. if he’s on the waiver wire.

Less than a week after it was announced by Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez that Dëmin did not have a return timeline, the rookie has been ruled out for the rest of the season. The eighth overall pick in last summer’s draft, Dëmin has been dealing with plantar fascia issues in his left foot since the summer. While the Nets managed his workload throughout the season, with the rookie not playing back-to-backs, the issue flared up recently. The expectation is that he’ll be good to go for basketball activity early in the offseason. Dëmin appeared in 52 games, starting 45, and averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.4 three-pointers in 25.2 minutes. While perimeter shooting was believed to be a significant question mark during the pre-draft process, Dëmin shot 38.5 percent from beyond the arc. The most consistent of the Nets’ five first-round picks, he’s someone who will be worth picking in drafts next fall.

Caruso will miss a second straight game while tending to a hip injury, and guys like Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins could be in line for extra minutes against Denver. Brooks Barnhizer is also in the mix for increased playing time, but he’s not on the fantasy radar.

Robinson will get the night off to manage a nagging left ankle injury as the Knicks play the second leg of a back-to-back set. Ariel Hukporti should see additional playing time as Karl-Anthony Towns’ backup.