NBA Player News

Ayton played 23 minutes before exiting, finishing with six points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Walker only played 14 minutes, tallying nine points, five rebounds, and one blocked shot. If Ayton and Walker aren’t available for Sunday’s season finale, Duop Reath, Dalano Banton, and Kris Murray are three players who could be asked to shoulder heavy workloads.

While Terry should play rotation minutes with Ayo Dosunmu (thumb) unavailable, his opportunities remain limited due to Kevin Huerter’s return. There’s no need to consider streaming Terry.

Bagley had little trouble handling Indiana’s overmatched frontcourt as he recorded his second consecutive double-double, attempting double-digit free throws for the third time in his last six contests since the start of December. The 26-year-old former lottery pick is averaging 14 points and 8.7 rebounds during that span, offering some appeal in deeper fantasy formats. The Wizards return to action on Thursday with a road tilt against the Spurs before weekend contests against the Grizzlies and Spurs.

Mathurin was one of the few bright spots in a low-scoring showdown against the cellar-dwelling Wizards as the Pacers mustered just 89 points in a losing effort. He hit just three of nine from the floor but managed to salvage the effort by getting to the charity stripe for eight free throws. The 23-year-old scoring machine has delivered eight-round value over the past two weeks, averaging 16.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.3 blocks over 30 minutes during that six-game sample. The Pacers are off until Thursday when they square off against the Knicks before closing out the week with a road tilt against the Pelicans.

Carrington was ice-cold from the floor — draining just 4-of-11 shots, including 2-of-7 from three-point range — on the heels of a stellar all-around performance during Friday’s loss to the Cavaliers where he delivered 27 points, six rebounds and eight assists. The 20-year-old upstart has emerged as a viable option in deeper fantasy leagues over the past week, averaging 19 points, 6.5 rebounds and one steal over his past two games. He’s taken advantage of an uptick in scoring opportunities with several of Washington’s key contributors sidelined due to injury. He’ll attempt to keep the momentum going when the Wizards face the Spurs on Thursday in a road matchup.

Champagnie pulled down 11 defensive rebounds to notch his first double-double of the young season. The 24-year-old guard has delivered fourth-round fantasy value over the past two weeks, averaging 10.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks over his last six games dating back to the start of December. He’s a decent pickup for fantasy managers in deeper mixed leagues as he should continue to get opportunities for the rebuilding Wizards as they deal with a plethora of injuries to key contributors.

Initially probable for Sunday’s game, White is good to go and will take on his usual role as part of Chicago’s starting lineup. He played 30 minutes in Friday’s win over the Hornets; expect a similar workload on Sunday.

Huerter is available after a four-game absence with a strained left adductor. With Ayo Dosunmu (thumb) unavailable, Huerter is one of the players who can help absorb those minutes. However, the combination of a potential minutes restriction and the presence of Isaac Okoro and Patrick Williams makes Huerter a challenging player to rely on in fantasy basketball.

Dosunmu will miss a second straight game with a sprained right thumb, leaving the Bulls down an option on the perimeter. Isaac Okoro, who is starting after returning from a lumbar injury, and Patrick Williams will absorb the minutes that would have gone to Dosunmu. Neither player should be considered a must-roster in most fantasy leagues.

For the first time this season, Embiid will play in a game on one day’s rest, a notable occurrence given his persistent knee issues. While he did play 32 minutes in Friday’s win over the Pacers, don’t be surprised if the 76ers look to keep Embiid away from that number. Regardless of how much he plays, fantasy managers must ensure that Embiid is in their active lineups.

Eason has been inactive since he suffered a strained oblique during a November 14 game against the Trail Blazers. Getting him back would help the Rockets defensively and on the glass, and he’s capable of offering reliable category league value once the minutes are there.