NBA Player News

Porzingis, Kornet and Al Horford all sat Tuesday. Horford is on track to return to the lineup, but Porzingis could miss both legs of the back-to-back set. Torrey Craig started at center on Wednesday, though he only logged 15 minutes. Neemias Queta saw 20 minutes off the bench and was the better fantasy option. If Porzingis is ultimately ruled out, expect Horford to be the biggest beneficiary, with Queta offering some deeper-league value.

Wembanyama took over as San Antonio’s primary catalyst in the second half, scoring a game-high 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting. The 22-year-old generational talent remains limited from a minutes standpoint as he works his way back from a knee issue, but he’s still delivered some monster fantasy performances off the bench. He’s averaged 22.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.7 blocks in just 24.5 minutes over his last three games since returning from a brief two-game absence. The Spurs close out the week with a road tilt against the Timberwolves before opening up a three-game week against the Thunder and Bucks before a rematch against Minnesota.

White brought a little extra against his former organization, finishing just shy of his fourth 30-point performance of the season. The 31-year-old guard provided his usual blend of scoring and defensive impact in this one, notching four stocks, while coming up just short of reaching double-digit rebounds for the first time this year. He’s been one of the hottest all-around players in the fantasy landscape of late, averaging an absurd 19.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.5 blocks in eight games over the past two weeks. The Celtics are in line for a three-game week that includes road showdowns against the Pacers, Heat and Hawks.

Fox eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the first time in three games, falling one rebound shy of his fourth double-double performance of the year. The 28-year-old facilitator hasn’t lived up to expectations from a scoring standpoint in his first full season with San Antonio, but he’s still provided fifth-round fantasy value, averaging 21.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.3 blocks through 29 games.

Brown flirted with a triple-double on the second night of a back-to-back after dropping 25 points in a win over the Raptors on Friday evening. The 29-year-old franchise cornerstone has gone up a level this season as Boston’s primary scoring option, averaging 29.5 points through 36 games.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was ejected from Saturday’s game six minutes in, and it’s fair to wonder how this may have affected Flagg. The rookie had a rough night in Chicago, committing five turnovers in his 28 minutes on the floor. The good news for fantasy managers is that Flagg has had more good nights than bad, so he should not have much difficulty bouncing back. Especially with three of Dallas’ four Week 13 games coming against Brooklyn and Utah (they play the Jazz twice).

Marshall’s final stat line was solid, even if it didn’t keep the Mavericks from being on the wrong side of a blowout loss. Unfortunately, his fantasy prospects have taken a hit recently, due to a lack of defensive production and poor foul shooting. The Mavericks’ injuries open the door for Marshall to provide greater fantasy value, so he is worth the risk in deeper leagues.

Nembhard was back in the starting lineup on Saturday, as the Mavericks were without P.J. Washington and Anthony Davis due to injury. The rookie point guard was productive, with the six assists being the most in a game for him since December 29. Nembhard’s opportunities were also boosted due to Brandon Williams being out, so fantasy managers will want to keep Saturday’s production in perspective. The Mavericks play four games in Week 13, starting with the Nets on Monday.

Smith was back in the Bulls’ rotation after a two-game absence, and the playing time wasn’t too far removed from his season average (17.7 mpg). He didn’t shoot the ball well, but the rebounds and blocks will be helpful for deep-league managers who have Smith rostered. The Bulls begin a four-game Week 13 with a back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday, so there may be some questions regarding Smith’s availability.

Matching up with Cooper Flagg for the first time this season, Buzelis had a good night. However, it could have been much better for the second-year forward, who missed all five of his three-point attempts. As a result, Buzelis failed to record his third consecutive 20-point game. The most significant issue for Buzelis in fantasy basketball recently has been the foul line, where he has made 66.7 percent of his attempts over the past two weeks. He’s shooting 77.2 percent for the season, so there shouldn’t be too much concern about a player offering top-100 fantasy value.

For the first time this season, Vučević has recorded double-doubles in three consecutive games. The Bulls spread the wealth offensively on Saturday, with seven players scoring in double figures. Vooch supplemented his double-double with a few assists and three “stocks,” the most in a game for him since December 21. Shooting 55.4 percent from the field, Vučević has been close to a top-25 player in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks.