NBA Player News

Young hasn’t been on the injury report for this injury that forced him to miss their game against Boston a couple weeks ago, but Atlanta was fined $100k earlier in the day for not playing Young in an NBA Cup game. An independent physician determind that they could’ve played Trae but didn’t. The Hawks ended up winning the game. Clearly, they’re making sure to show that he is still dealing with the injury by including him here, though he should be available to play. However, if he doesn’t, Kobe Bufkin should get the start in his place.

Green was back in the Warriors’ lineup after missing three games with a foot injury. The good news for those who have him rostered is that the veteran forward put up a complete stat line. The bad news is that Green’s final line included eight turnovers, a reminder that there are some things for him to clean up. The Warriors play two games in Week 9, a Thursday/Saturday home-and-home against the Suns.

Butler did most of his damage offensively at the foul line, and he moved into 38th on the NBA’s all-time free throws made list on Sunday. Fantasy managers will be satisfied with the rebounds, assists and steals, but the scoring output was underwhelming. Butler is providing third-round value in eight-cat formats, and availability has not been a serious issue for him thus far. He’ll look to do more offensively when the Warriors visit the Suns on Thursday.

Sunday’s performance was a historic one for Curry. After scoring 39 points in Friday’s loss to the Timberwolves, he was even better in Portland, with the 48 being one point shy of his season-high. Curry made 12 three-pointers, the fifth time he’s hit that many in an NBA game, and that is a record. He’s also the all-time leader in 40-point games for a player over 30 years old, passing Michael Jordan. The Warriors play two games in Week 9, a Thursday/Saturday home-and-home against Phoenix.

Clingan was back in the Trail Blazers’ lineup after missing three games, which factored into his playing 22 minutes. The good news for those who have the 7-foot-2 center rostered is that he provided good value in rebounds and blocks, but that was about it. Robert Williams III (11/11/3/1) was more productive offensively in his 19 minutes, so there may be some value there for deep-league managers. However, Clingan should remain the priority, especially as his playing time increases.

While many expected Avdija to be a more valuable option in fantasy basketball entering this season, few believed he could be as good as he’s been. In eight-cat formats, the 6-foot-9 forward has been close to a top-25 player. While moving to point guard due to injuries to other players has raised Avdija’s ceiling, he was playing well even before the role change. The Trail Blazers play two games in Week 9, a Thursday/Saturday home-and-home against the Kings.

Grant put on a show on Sunday, with the 35 points matching his season-high. While the rebounding remains an issue, the Trail Blazers forward continues to exceed expectations in fantasy basketball. Close to a top-50 player in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks, Grant is providing seventh-round value for the season. Rostered in 43 percent of Yahoo! leagues, he’s worth a look in more 12-team leagues due to the production.

Sharpe picked a good time to have one of his best games of the season. Recording his fourth 30-point game of the season, he finished one point shy of his season-high and finished a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. Over the past two weeks, Sharpe has been close to a top-50 player in eight-cat formats, with the run pushing his season-long value into the top-100. Portland plays two games in Week 9, a Thursday/Saturday home-and-home against the Kings.

With Devin Booker returning from a groin injury, the assumption was that Gillespie would head back to the bench. Suns head coach Jordan Ott went in another direction, deciding to move Royce O’Neale (12/5/1/1 with four three-pointers) instead. Gillespie didn’t record the most impressive stat line, but sticking in the starting lineup and playing 37 minutes means that he still has life in fantasy leagues. The Suns play two games in Week 9, a Thursday/Saturday home-and-home against the Warriors.

Williams recorded his second 20-point game in three appearances and fifth of the season in Sunday’s 116-114 defeat. While the rebounding number wasn’t on par with his season average, the Suns center has been more valuable to fantasy managers than anticipated. Williams is providing top-50 value in nine-cat formats, well ahead of his Yahoo! ADP of 83. Health has been on the 7-footer’s side, much to the delight of those who were willing to take a chance on Williams in drafts.

After a four-game absence with a strained groin, Booker played 31 minutes on Sunday. The lone negative for fantasy managers was the three-point shooting, as he missed all five of his attempts on the night. However, Booker shot a good percentage from the field overall and recorded a complete stat line. The Suns play two games in Week 9, starting with the Warriors on Thursday. Hopefully, the time off means that Booker’s minutes won’t be restricted moving forward.