NBA Player News

Warren will operate as a microwave scorer off the bench for Minnesota, but he’s not worth a look in the realm of fantasy hoops.

Leonard, who has been playing through a lingering ankle issue, was the primary reason the Clippers were able to erase a near 20-point deficit after stumbling out of the gate on the second night of a back-to-back. Los Angeles got off to a sluggish start, scoring just 14 points in the opening quarter, but it was Leonard who led the way in the second half, scoring 14 of his 26 points in the final two quarters. The 34-year-old superstar has provided first-round value on a per-game basis this season, averaging 27.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.2 steals and 0.7 blocks through 28 games. The Clippers have three games on tap next week including matchups against the Hornets, Wizards and Raptors.

As a team, the Heat shot 4-of-30 from beyond the arc in Saturday’s 123-99 loss. Powell was part of the problem, as he shot 1-of-7 from deep while Tyler Herro was 1-of-8. Fantasy managers can take solace in the fact that Powell has been highly productive on most nights, which should be an indicator of his ability to bounce back. He’ll look to do so in Miami’s final game of Week 12 on Sunday against the Thunder.

As much as a player can in a game his team lost by a 123-99 final score, Jaquez had a good night. He finished a blocked shot and a three-pointer shy of a complete stat line while shooting 50 percent from the field. That said, Jaquez is ranked outside the top-150 in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks. With the Heat now close to full strength, his production off the bench is something to watch, as Jaquez has been good enough to offer standard-league value thus far. Hopefully, that doesn’t change.

Saturday night was rough for Adebayo and the Heat, who never led against the Pacers. While effective as a rebounder, the Heat captain didn’t offer much value otherwise. This season hasn’t been what many fantasy managers hoped it would be for Bam, as he’s ranked outside the top-50 in per-game value. Adebayo and the Heat will look to redeem themselves on Sunday against the Thunder.

After coming off the bench in his first game back from a toe injury, Herro was back in the starting lineup on Saturday. He finished with a complete stat line, but the Heat were blown out and the other starters struggled. Where Herro is within the lineup doesn’t matter much, as he’ll provide solid fantasy value wherever. But it does affect Kel’el Ware, who tallied two points and three rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench. Ware can still offer reliable fantasy value, but he’s someone to watch with Herro back in the fold. The Heat visit Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Siakam had a rough night shooting the basketball, but he still managed to avoid missing double figures for the first time this season. While category league managers took a beating in the field-goal percentage category, Siakam did offer value in the rebound and assist categories. The Pacers open a four-game Week 13 on Monday against the Celtics.