NBA Player News

Huerter sat out Sunday’s win over the Mavericks after initially being listed as questionable, with Chris Duarte replacing him in the starting lineup. Expect the same if Red Velvet misses a second straight game, and Duarte is worth streaming in deep leagues. He played 33 minutes in Dallas, finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, and three 3-pointers.

Mann didn’t offer much outside of the point total on Wednesday, which is a bit concerning given his role within the Clippers’ rotation. Sharing the court with three ball-dominant players in James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George, fantasy managers are likely hoping for more defensive production from Mann. The good news is that he shot the ball well on Wednesday, so all wasn’t lost. And producing more steals and blocks (combined 1.3 per game) would go a long way toward ensuring that he has value in more fantasy leagues. Currently, Mann is rostered in just 12% of Yahoo leagues.

The Clippers ran into an emotionally spent Kings team that beat Golden State in a thriller on Tuesday, and they took full advantage with Leonard leading the way. And after putting up an inefficient 31 points in Monday’s loss to the Nuggets, the Klaw was far better in Sacramento. Ranked just outside the top 25 in 9-cat per-game value over the last week, he’s ranked within the top 20 for the season. And with Leonard playing in all 17 games thus far, availability hasn’t been a concern. The hope of fantasy managers is that this continues to be the case.

James Harden looked like his old self in Wednesday’s win over the Kings. Since Russell Westbrook volunteered to come off of the bench the Clippers have slowly started to develop some chemistry. Harden delivered six dimes with pinpoint accuracy including a smooth alley-oop to Kawhi Leonard (34 points) in the 3rd quarter. Harden also swiped five steals. The Beard has been a viable fantasy option for years and fell in draft rooms due to the uncertainty surrounding his future. The managers that held on to Harden may be able to reap the rewards of their patience if he can keep this up.

Fox has exhibited a tremendous amount of poise on both ends of the floor. In Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers, he led all scorers with 40 points and fought valiantly to keep his team in the game. In the end, the Clippers proved to be too much for Sacramento. Domantas Sabonis struggled from the field shooting 3-of-12 and only managed to chip in 11 points. Fox turned the ball over four times but shouldered the scoring load and carried the Kings offensively. He’s in the top 25 and averaging a career-high 29.8 points per game. Fox is primed to continue his ascension, so managers should hold on to him and enjoy the ride.

After logging 12 minutes in Monday’s win over the Clippers, Braun was back up to 19 on Wednesday. That may be his “sweet spot,” especially once Aaron Gordon is cleared to return from his heel injury. Braun scoring 11 points after totaling 12 in the three games prior is a positive, but it will be difficult for him to provide the value needed to justify his being rostered in most leagues.

Looking to redeem himself after putting together a disappointing performance in Monday’s win over the Clippers, Porter went off against the Rockets. He put together his first game with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds this season, and he could have been even better from three. MPJ is providing close to top 50 per-game value in 9-cat formats this season, well ahead of his Yahoo ADP of 82. The return of Jamal Murray was a factor on Wednesday, with his presence leading to improved scoring opportunities for the rest of the rotation. More nights like this could be Porter’s future as Murray shakes off the rust after missing three-plus weeks with a strained hamstring.

Wednesday’s performance was one of Green’s best of the season, not just because of the numbers but also the efficiency. He committed just two turnovers on the night, falling one assist shy of his first double-double of the season. Green’s nine assists are the most he’s had in a game this season, but it happened on a night when starting point guard Fred VanVleet (thumb) didn’t play. Ranked outside the top 150 in 9-cat per-game value for the season, Green has been a 10th-round player over the last two weeks. If he can clean up the efficiency, as was the case on Wednesday, Green is capable of cracking the top 100 by season’s end, if not get close to his Yahoo ADP of 77.

Sengun isn’t the first center to have been outclassed by Nikola Jokic, and he certainly won’t be the last. The third-year center played well in his 28 minutes on the floor; it isn’t as if he was flat-out dominated. This has been an excellent season for Sengun thus far, as he’s providing top 50 per-game value in 9-cat formats, one round ahead of his Yahoo ADP of 60. Saturday brings another tough matchup for Sengun as the Rockets end their week with a road game against the Lakers and Anthony Davis.

After a 44-point loss to the Sixers on Monday, the worst loss of LeBron’s career, the Lakers looked to bounce back against the Pistons. James finished with 25 points in an impressive road win. D’Angelo Russell had a strong game and ended with 35 points. At 38 years old, LeBron is the oldest player in the NBA this season but remains in the top 20. James played an average of 52 games per season over the last three years, so managers should keep that in mind when receiving trade offers for him.

With Fred VanVleet (thumb) ruled out, Holiday made his first start of the season Wednesday night in Denver. While the overall field goal percentage could have been better, the issue was that he missed all five of his 3-point attempts. Rostered in two percent of Yahoo leagues, Holiday wasn’t widely streamed on Wednesday, but he dished out five assists without committing a turnover. VanVleet should be back for Saturday’s game against the Lakers, so fantasy managers do not need to add Holiday now.