NBA Player News

Back in action after missing Thursday’s win over the Bucks with a sprained left ankle, DeRozan played 40 minutes without issue. And the stat line was a good one, with Deebo hitting double figures in assists for the first time this season. He’s still ranked outside the top 50 in 9-cat per-game value, but putting together more nights like Saturday can change that. Ayo Dosunmu, who started Thursday’s game for DeRozan, played 32 minutes off the bench against the Pelicans and finished with 15 points, three assists, two steals, and one 3-pointer. That was a good performance for any managers who may have forgotten to drop Dosunmu once DeRozan was cleared to play.

Like Julius Randle, Reid has seen his fantasy value decrease since the All-Star break. In eight games, he’s averaged 11.5 points while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from the foul line. Reid was solid against the Lakers, shooting just over 50 percent from the field, and he remains a valuable option in 12-team leagues. However, his value has taken a hit at the worst possible time, with some leagues already in their playoffs.

After going off for 41 points in the Timberwolves’ final game before the All-Star break, Randle has seemingly lost his mojo. With just one 20-point game to his credit since then, he’s averaged 14.4 points per game while shooting 40.2 percent from the field. And with Randle not bringing as much to the table in some of the other major statistical categories, his fantasy value has taken a significant hit. And with the Timberwolves falling to fifth in the West, they’d like to see Randle turn things around as well.

Edwards had a brutal night against the Lakers. The Timberwolves star shot 1-of-10 from beyond the arc, and his accuracy wasn’t much better inside of it, either. He did record a complete stat line in the defeat, but category league managers took a beating in the field-goal percentage category. Edwards will look to bounce back on Wednesday when the Timberwolves visit the Clippers.

Ayton did most of his damage before halftime of Tuesday’s victory, putting up 12 points and 11 rebounds. While fantasy managers will have wanted to see more production from the 7-footer in the second half, this was still one of Ayton’s best performances since the All-Star break. His status as a starter makes Ayton a must-roster player, but it would be nice if he were to be a more consistent force in the middle for the Lakers.

Despite dealing with a right wrist injury that appeared to give him trouble throughout the night, Reaves recorded his second 30-point stat line since making his return from a strained calf back in early November. With LeBron James (foot) unavailable, Reaves moves up in the offensive pecking order, raising his fantasy ceiling even higher than it already was. The Lakers play two more games in Week 20, starting with the Bulls on Thursday.

The Lakers have been without LeBron James for the last three games, and it hasn’t mattered much thanks to Dončić. After putting up 44 and 35 points in wins over the Pacers and Knicks, he recorded his seventh triple-double of the season on Tuesday. The victory moved the Lakers into a tie with the Timberwolves in the Western Conference standings, with the Lakers in fourth for tiebreaker reasons. Dončić has two more games to play in Week 20, starting with the Bulls on Thursday.

The Warriors received solid contributions from their bench on Tuesday, with Spencer and LJ Cryer (17/1/2 with three three-pointers) scoring 17 points apiece. The former also provided solid value in the assist category, with his six helpers being the most in a game for Spencer since February 25 against the Grizzlies (nine). More should be learned about Stephen Curry’s progress on Wednesday as he continues to recover from a knee injury. His availability affects the fantasy values of the entire perimeter rotation, including Spencer and Cryer.

Having hit double digits in rebounds in two of his last three appearances, Payton recorded his second double-double of the season on Tuesday. The few who have him on their fantasy rosters also received good value in the steals category. Payton is not a must-roster player, but his fantasy value increases on nights when the Warriors don’t have De’Anthony Melton, as was the case against the Bulls.

Back in the lineup after sitting out Monday’s loss to the Jazz, Horford played a season-high 34 minutes against the Bulls. While he shot the ball poorly, including a 2-of-8 night from inside the three-point line, the veteran center did finish with a complete stat line. The Warriors end Week 20 with games on Friday and Sunday, with the second being part of a back-to-back.

Tuesday was a reminder that Porziņǵis does not need to log heavy minutes to have an impact. He played 20 minutes against the Bulls, producing solid numbers in points, rebounds and blocked shots. The Warriors have two more games in Week 20, but the last, Sunday against the Knicks, is the first of a back-to-back. Given the recent health struggles, Porziņǵis isn’t guaranteed to be available for any game, but the remaining schedule may work in his favor for this week.