NBA Player News

No surprises here. Murphy III made his season debut Friday and provided a productive 18/3/1/1/1 line with four triples. He’ll get some rest on the second night of a back-to-back as he ramps up his conditioning. With CJ McCollum (flight restrictions) oand Matt Ryan (elbow) both out and Jose Alvarado (ankle) questionable, expect Jordan Hawkins and Dyson Daniels to handle a few extra minutes. Both are in the streaming conversation against a bottom-of-the-barrel Bulls squad.

Mbeng had two 10-day contracts with Utah, but finally has landed a full NBA deal. The contract is two-years for the 22-year-old shooting guard. Mbeng had seven points in 23 minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s loss to the Nuggets.

Cryer tied a career-high in points on Wednesday in his 23 minutes on the floor. He struggled from the three-point line but finished efficiently inside the arc and at the free-throw line, which was key to his production. The rookie guard didn’t make much of an impact elsewhere. Still, he scored well and has now reached double figures in points in five of his last seven games.

Williams made his first start of the season and made it a memorable one by nearly posting a season-high in points. The fourth-year guard played 47 of the possible 48 minutes on Wednesday and added a couple of three-pointers before the final horn sounded. Williams also chipped in on defense with a couple of steals, but didn’t post any other notable numbers. There’s a chance he remains a starter on Thursday against the Cavaliers, but regardless, he appears to be firmly in the rotation. However, fantasy managers should not count on Williams for much fantasy value.

Mbeng still has one day remaining on his second 10-day contract, so the Jazz will reportedly wait until its expiration to complete the rest-of-season deal. This move also clears the way for Mbeng to join Utah’s Summer League squad. In Wednesday’s loss to the Nuggets, he played 23 minutes, finishing with seven points, one rebound, two assists and one steal.

Spencer played 38 minutes off the bench and put up a balanced stat line. Despite shooting inefficiently, the reserve guard finished among seven Warriors in double figures; his production as a passer and rebounder also left him just shy of a triple-double. Spencer did have turnover issues, totaling five on the night. However, he played well off the bench and could potentially earn more playing time in the coming games.

Fox’s counting stats aren’t ones to brag about — he narrowly made it into double figures as a scorer and finished with fewer than five rebounds and assists. Yet he was a team-best plus-30 in his 25 minutes, reflecting the positive impact he had on Wednesday’s game. From a fantasy standpoint, however, the veteran guard’s production has slowed during Championship Week. Perhaps a more competitive game could lead to an increase in production.

Castle was effective in his 33 minutes on Wednesday. He didn’t take many shots, but still impacted the game well as a passer. The second-year guard dished out double-digit assists to land another double-double, and his four offensive boards were arguably as impressive. Nonetheless, the Spurs are one of the hottest teams in the league, and Castle has been a reason why. He’ll remain a nightly double-double threat down the stretch of the fantasy playoffs.

Wembanyama was extremely productive in just under 30 minutes of game action. Efficient shooting was key to his second consecutive 40-point performance, which was his fourth of the season. And when he wasn’t scoring, the versatile center was either rebounding shots or blocking them. Wemby has performed as well as any player in the league this season, especially when considering team success. He’ll match up with Nikola Jokić on Saturday with a chance to record a third straight 40-point double-double.

Konchar was one of two Jazz players to record double-doubles against the Nuggets. His stats were produced off the bench, as he shot efficiently, competed on the defensive end, and made a notable impact with his facilitating. Konchar did a little bit of everything in Wednesday’s game, which led to some quality fantasy production. He’s nothing more than a last-resort streaming option during Championship Week.