NBA Player News

Nurkić started his unofficial Jazz debut on Wednesday, as the Jazz were without starting center Walker Kessler. And the veteran center looked good against the Rockets, not missing a shot from the field and finishing a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. While there could be times when Nurkić is worth streaming, he isn’t a player that fantasy managers should plan on drafting. That also goes for Kevin Love, who played 20 minutes off the bench and finished with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and two three-pointers. Both veterans may be trade candidates this season, especially if Utah is in “lottery odds” mode near the February trade deadline.

Castle will likely need some time to ramp up when he returns, but his availability will eventually cut into Julian Champagnie’s and Dylan Harper’s minutes. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to Castle’s injury status moving forward.

Wemby’s participation in practice bodes well for his chances of returning this week. After Monday’s matchup with the Pels, the Spurs’ next game will be Wednesday against the Lakers in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. Until Wemby is back, the Spurs will pick up the slack with Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk and Bismack Biyombo.

Playing in his second game back from a lengthy layoff, Banchero saw his playing time rise from 20 to 24 minutes. He was an inefficient 4-of-11 from the field, and he’s 7-of-19 for 25 total points across his last two outings. Banchero still looks like he’s ramping up and shaking off the rust, so fantasy managers should be patient with him.

Robinson filled in for Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) and made the most of his opportunity. The big man led all players in rebounds and did what he normally does, providing efficient shooting with just one turnover. He corralled eight offensive boards, helping New York get some second-chance looks in the close victory. Robinson should remain a starter until KAT is cleared to return.

Curry is on track to play after sitting out Saturday’s win over the Cavaliers. Gui Santos may be the player most impacted by the expected returns of Curry, Jimmy Butler III and De’Anthony Melton, as he played 27 minutes off the bench in Cleveland. There’s no need to stream Santos in this spot.

Initially questionable for Sunday’s game, Quickley made it through his pregame routine without incident and will play. He will occupy his usual place in the starting lineup, with Jamal Shead serving as the backup.

Brunson hit 10-of-23 shots from the floor and managed to convert only one of his seven three-point attempts. His 9-of-12 mark from the charity stripe, however, buoyed his scoring. New York’s superstar guard has now scored at least 30 points in consecutive games and reached that mark 11 times in 21 outings.

Melton was held out of Saturday’s win over the Cavaliers, as it was the front end of a back-to-back for the Warriors. While he does boast a slightly higher fantasy ceiling with Stephen Curry out, the versatile guard’s playing will likely remain limited in his second game back from a torn ACL. Melton played 21 minutes in Thursday’s loss to the 76ers; expect a similar workload on Sunday.

Black shot an inefficient 6-of-16 from the floor and 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. He also committed four turnovers, but fantasy managers playing in eight-cat leagues or those not worried about FG% were surely pleased with this performance. With Franz Wagner (leg) potentially set to miss time this week, Black could see an uptick in minutes. Jalen Suggs (leg) went to the locker room in the fourth quarter, and though he was able to return, he may be banged up, which could result in even more playing time for Black. The latter is rostered in only 27% of Yahoo! leagues and should be picked up for the week ahead.

Suggs injured his leg in the fourth quarter, but he returned to the bench before the end of the game. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his status this week, especially after Franz Wagner was forced to leave this one in the first quarter. Anthony Black should be in line for increased run if Wagner is forced to miss time, but Black’s role would be even more prominent if Suggs was also sidelined.