NBA Player News

Garland surpassed the 20-point mark for a second consecutive game, again shooting above 50% from the field. However, it’s difficult to win when players not named Garland or Donovan Mitchell combine to score 25 points. Max Strus was the only other Cavalier in double figures, and he scored 10 points while also tallying eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two 3-pointers in 39 minutes. The home team has won all six games in this series, which could bode well for Cleveland ahead of Sunday’s Game 7.

After playing eight games for the then-shorthanded Mavericks, seven of which occurred before the All-Star break, the undrafted rookie out of Oregon State was waived in early March. Kelley’s signing with the Pelicans could impact how the team utilizes Kelly Olynyk for the rest of the season, as he has been a fixture in the starting lineup for the lottery-bound team. With Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic also in the rotation, there’s no need to add Kelley in fantasy leagues.

Payton remains out for another game, but the Warriors’ guard is progressing in his recovery. The Warriors announced that he is now day-to-day moving forward. While this may not be enough to help fantasy managers, and GPII offered minimal value when healthy, getting him back in time for the postseason would benefit the Warriors.

Brunson has missed New York’s last 14 games with a sprained right ankle. Cleared to resume basketball activities on Sunday, the All-Star point guard will practice on Friday. The Knicks are hopeful that Brunson can play over the weekend, with the team visiting Atlanta on Saturday and hosting Phoenix the following day. Delon Wright and Tyler Kolek have handled the point guard responsibilities recently, but both will fall out of the rotation once Brunson, Miles McBride (groin) and Cameron Payne (ankle) return.

Robinson has missed Miami’s last five games and did not travel with the team to Boston for Wednesday’s win over the Celtics. He remained in Miami and has a chance to play on Thursday. Robinson’s availability impacts Alec Burks, who has moved into the starting lineup but has only offered minimal streaming value.

While Love’s continued absence does not significantly impact fantasy basketball or the Heat rotation, that is not true for Wiggins. His absence has resulted in more playing time for Pelle Larsson, who has started Miami’s last three games, and Haywood Highsmith. Larsson is the superior streaming option for managers seeking more offensive value.

While Rozier played 33 minutes in Monday’s win over the Wizards, he has been mainly out of the rotation the last few weeks. Scary Terry did not play in Wednesday’s win over the Celtics, and Thursday’s absence makes it seven of the last nine that he has not been available for. Pelle Larsson has recently played well as a starter and is worth streaming in deep leagues.

Beal has missed Phoenix’s last eight games, last seeing action March 16 against the Lakers. His return would coincide with Kevin Durant’s continued absence, with KD set to miss a few more games with a sprained ankle. Grayson Allen replaced Durant in the lineup for Tuesday’s loss to the Bucks and was productive, scoring 23 points. He and Collin Gillespie will see their playing time take a hit if Beal is cleared to play on Friday.

Smart did not play in Wednesday’s win over the Kings, as the Wizards relied mainly on Jordan Poole, Bub Carrington and AJ Johnson on the perimeter. Poole is unavailable for Thursday’s game, so rotation minutes will be available to Smart. However, fantasy managers should not expect to see him playing starters’ minutes; he has not surpassed 24 minutes in any of his appearances since being acquired from the Grizzlies in February.

Holmes injured his shoulder during the first half of Wednesday’s win over the Kings, with the Wizards ruling him out during the third quarter. His absence freed up additional playing time for Gill, who logged 31 minutes off the bench. If both are unable to play, JT Thor would figure more prominently in the bench rotation, but he is not worth streaming in most leagues.

Middleton and George remain out for another game, with Middleton missing a fourth straight and George’s unfortunate streak extended to six straight. Justin Champagnie and AJ Johnson should stay in the starting lineup, with Champagnie being the preferred streaming option since he has a safer fantasy floor. Also, Colby Jones should play rotation minutes after missing Wednesday’s win over the Kings.