NBA Player News

Johnson has reached double figures in scoring in six of his last seven appearances, including two of 20 points or more. Friday’s performance was one of his best this season, as the Nets guard only missed two shots from the field. In addition to the points, Johnson provided solid value in rebounds, assists and three-pointers. Going into Sunday’s season finale against the Knicks, the concern is playing time, as Johnson only logged 24 minutes. He’s played 25 minutes or less in four straight games, as players like Reece Beekman (11/2/3/3 with one three-pointer in 31 minutes) and Dariq Whitehead (6/2/2/1 with two three-pointers in 20 minutes) pick up additional playing time.

With Bradley Beal (hip) back on the sideline, Collins made his first start since joining the Clippers this offseason. While he was in the role many fantasy managers expected him to fulfill, the former Hawks forward struggled against the team that selected him in the 2017 draft. The bench role has limited Collins’ fantasy value, as he’s ranked outside the top-150 in nine-cat formats. He’s still rostered in 84 percent of Yahoo! leagues, with Beal’s injury putting some fantasy managers in a holding pattern. Collins’ production would not justify him being rostered in 12-team leagues if the Clippers were healthy.

Zubac recorded his fifth double-double in 10 games on Monday, continuing to provide solid fantasy value at the center position. Something to watch moving forward is Big Zu’s playing time, as he’s logged at least 30 minutes on five occasions. During the preseason, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said he wanted Zubac to play fewer minutes after he averaged 32 per game in 2024-25. However, offseason signing Brook Lopez (nine points, two assists, one block and two three-pointers) has not done enough to give the Clippers the two-headed monster they desired at the center position. If Zubac can consistently hit or exceed 30 minutes, his chances of making good on his Yahoo! ADP (41) increase.

While Harden’s three-point attempt with about 15 seconds remaining and the Clippers trailing by three drew some criticism, his play in the fourth was the only reason why the win was still for the taking. “The Beard” did more heavy lifting on a night when the Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard and Bradley Beal, recording his seventh triple-double in a Clipper uniform. Harden is now tied for the most triple-doubles in franchise history with Bob Kaufmann, Lamar Odom and Blake Griffin. It won’t be long until Harden occupies the top spot by himself.

With his parents sitting courtside, Johnson recorded his third double-double of the season on Monday. He has been Atlanta’s most valuable fantasy option, and Trae Young’s absence has raised Johnson’s ceiling. Interestingly, Mouhamed Gueye, who started for Johnson on Saturday, only played eight minutes off the bench. While the decrease in playing time was expected, Gueye falling out of the rotation completely was a surprise. The Hawks have a Wednesday/Thursday back-to-back, which will impact the fantasy prospects of Johnson and Gueye.

Despite being a fixture in the Hawks’ starting lineup when available, Porziņģis has just three 20-point games in eight appearances. A perfect night at the foul line gave his point total a welcome boost on Monday, but fantasy managers can also benefit from the assists and blocked shots. Porziņģis is providing fifth-round value in fantasy basketball, which aligns with his Yahoo! ADP of 53. Onyeka Okongwu returned to the bench on Monday after starting Saturday’s win over the Lakers, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes. While he remains a player worth rostering in most leagues, Okongwu’s ceiling is lowered when Porziņģis is available.

While most of the Hawks’ regulars were back in the lineup for Monday’s game, Krejčí was the standout against the Clippers. He played 30 minutes, finishing with career-highs in points and three-pointers. He has hit double digits in minutes in five straight games, and that may remain the case until Trae Young returns from his knee injury. However, Monday’s performance is not enough to make Krejčí a player worth adding anytime soon in redraft leagues.

“French Vanilla,” the nickname given to the tandem of Kornet and Victor Wembanyama, is back. The former returned to the Spurs’ rotation after missing seven games with ankle and shoulder injuries, and he looked sharp. Kornet played 20 minutes off the bench and was the only Spurs reserve to finish with a positive plus/minus. What that stat never tells the whole story of a player’s impact, the Spurs are much better when Kornet is available. His return meant less playing time for Kelly Olynyk, who accounted for two assists in four minutes of action.

Bey has reached double figures in four straight games, having started the last three. His place in the starting lineup may be secure until Zion Williamson (hamstring) returns from injury. With Williamson due to be re-evaluated this week, more will be learned about his recovery and how soon he’ll be able to play. Bey hasn’t done enough to merit being rostered in most fantasy leagues, ranking just outside the top-150 in nine-cat formats over the last week.

For any rookie, much less one being asked to master the point guard position in the NBA, there are going to be bumps in the road. Fears struggled against the Suns, shooting poorly and committing five turnovers while recording just one assist. The good news is that he did record three steals and three three-pointers, so there was some value. If anything, fantasy managers have to hope that the early struggles give way to improved play as the season wears on, especially if the Pelicans find themselves out of playoff contention in the final months.

After going off for 41 points on Saturday, Murphy was held in check by the Suns on Monday. With Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole unavailable, more of the offense will run through Murphy. And the Pelicans’ use of rookie Jeremiah Fears at the point has not negatively impacted Trey’s fantasy value. He’s providing third-round value in nine-cat formats, exceeding his Yahoo! ADP of 42. As long as he stays healthy, Murphy is more than capable of being a top-50 player in fantasy basketball at a minimum.