NBA Player News

Already struggling with injuries and poor play, the Pelicans will be without their best defender for the foreseeable future. Jones’ absence will result in more playing time for Javonte Green, who is only worth a look in deep leagues. With Zion Williamson available for Friday’s game against the 76ers, Green may start at small forward, with Zion replacing Jeremiah Robinson-Earl in the lineup. Brandon Boston Jr. is another player in line for more minutes, offering a higher fantasy ceiling than Green.

With Wednesday’s game requiring overtime, Tatum played 43 minutes ahead of Thursday’s matchup with the Lakers. Given how shorthanded the Clippers were, Boston was likely hoping to take care of business early and get their stars added rest. That not happening was good news for fantasy managers, who received solid value from Tatum outside of the percentages and turnovers (five). A top 30 player in 9-cat formats over the past three weeks, the Celtics star continues to be a top-10 player for the season in 8- and 9-cat.

Boston’s available stars likely played longer than they hoped, as the Celtics could not put away a Clippers team that was even more shorthanded than the champs. The time on the court allowed Brown to record a complete stat line, minimizing the impact of his five turnovers. He shot better than 50% from the field, and the 25 points are the most he’s scored in a game since January 10 (28 vs. Sacramento). Brown’s decreased scoring is why he has only been a 9th-round player over the past three weeks, so Wednesday’s effort represents a step in the right direction.

With Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford all out due to injury, Hauser was moved into the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game. He provided what fantasy managers hoped he would: points and 3-pointers. The four rebounds and one steal were nice bonuses, but Hauser is effectively a deep-league specialist. Holiday, Porzingis, and Horford should be available for Thursday’s game against the Lakers, so there’s no need to hold onto Hauser.

Bamba has started the Clippers’ last two games, as Ivica Zubac has been out with an eye injury. After putting up 10 points, seven rebounds, and two 3-pointers in Monday’s loss to the Bulls, he offered minimal value against the Celtics. Kobe Brown played 38 minutes off the bench, finishing with four points, 11 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocked shots. He proved more valuable than Bamba in this matchup but is rostered in even fewer Yahoo leagues. Zubac is expected to be available for Thursday’s game against the Bulls, likely playing while wearing protective glasses. There’s no need to consider streaming Bamba or Brown, even if Zubac cannot play.

With Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford out, Kornet received the starting nod for Wednesday’s game. While he did record one steal and one blocked shot, the lack of rebounding production was the most significant issue for the few who streamed Kornet. Porzingis and Horford should be available for Thursday’s game against the Lakers, so there’s no need to consider adding (or holding onto) Kornet.

Curry didn’t have a big scoring night Wednesday. He only took 11 shots as Andrew Wiggins and Buddy Hield attempted more shots and each made five 3-pointers. Curry was content to help create for his teammates as he dished out 12 assists on his way to a double-double. The 36-year-old point guard hasn’t been available for both legs of a back-to-back since November, making it likely that he’ll miss Thursday’s game against the Bulls.

Wiggins led the Warriors in shot attempts and scoring Wednesday. He was hot from behind the 3-point line as he made 5-of-11 3-point attempts. The 29-year-old small forward got to the free throw line five times and made four of his attempts. Wiggins could be in for another heavy workload Thursday against the Bulls with Stephen Curry unlikely to play the second game of a back-to-back.

Monk’s most noteworthy play of the entire game was when he had a breakaway dunk that didn’t stay down through the net because it bounced off his head. Otherwise, the 26-year-old point guard had a solid performance with 20 points and nine assists. Monk also contributed on the defensive end as he totaled three steals and a block. He’s performed as a top-50 fantasy player over the last two months.

Sabonis didn’t have a big assist total, but he was just two rebounds shy of a 20-20 game. The 28-year-old power forward has scored at least 20 points in seven of his last eight games and has had at least 18 rebounds four times in that stretch. Sabonis is simply one of the elite players in fantasy and that was on display again Wednesday.

DeRozan’s 32 points were a game-high. The 35-year-old small forward has now scored at least 32 points in two of his last three games. He’s provided sixth round fantasy value overall on the season, but fantasy managers have to be happy that he’s seen his production increase since the Kings made a coaching change.