NBA Player News

Johnson supplied the lone Spurs highlight from the team’s first loss of the season, throwing down a dunk on Suns center Mark Williams during the fourth quarter. Fantasy-wise, the story remains the same for Johnson, as he provides scoring and little else. With his scoring average decreasing each of the last three seasons and the Spurs strengthening their roster, Johnson offers a low fantasy ceiling. Rostered in nine percent of Yahoo! leagues, he’s ranked just inside the top-150, and that’s with the Spurs being without De’Aaron Fox and Jeremy Sochan, among others.

DeRozan has scored at least 20 points in three of his last ten games, a surprising return from a player long known for his ability to put points on the board. The Kings’ lineup may be a factor, as it includes three ball-dominant players: DeRozan, Russell Westbrook, and Zach LaVine. While Domantas Sabonis (knee) being out may help alleviate some of the usage concerns, Westbrook is the only one who has benefited recently.

Add another triple-double to Westbrook’s tally, and he was excellent despite the Kings coming up short on the scoreboard. The veteran point guard recorded a complete stat line with just three turnovers; the lone negative was the foul shooting. Over the past two weeks, Westbrook has provided third-round per-game value in eight-cat formats. The combination of his play and Dennis Schröder’s hip injury has put Westbrook in a position to be rostered in 12-team leagues.

Nembhard finished Monday’s victory with a season-high 12 assists, and the double-double was his first since March 8, 2025. With Tyrese Haliburton out for the season, it has effectively been Nembhard’s show to run, but an injury kept him on the sidelines for two weeks earlier this season. Since November 8, the Pacers guard has been a seventh-round player in eight-cat formats, which aligns with his Yahoo! ADP (74). Unsurprisingly, Nembhard is rostered in 92 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Counting Monday, Siakam has scored at least 23 points in six straight and eight of his last nine games. The Pacers forward has seen his season-long fantasy value decline, mainly due to the team’s many injuries, most notably Tyrese Haliburton. While the point guard’s absence may have been viewed as an opportunity for Siakam to do more playmaking, that isn’t how things have worked out. He’s providing seventh-round value in eight-cat formats, well behind his Yahoo! ADP (30).

For the first time since the Pacers’ first two games of the season, Mathurin has scored at least 25 points in back-to-back games. He was efficient against the Kings, posting solid percentages and committing only one turnover. Over the past two weeks, Mathurin has provided seventh-round per-game game value in eight-cat formats. The good news for fantasy managers is that the Pacers still have two more games to play in Week 8, starting with the 76ers on Friday.

Achiuwa has not started a game since November 20, but the absence of Domantas Sabonis (knee) has freed up additional minutes for him, among others. The former first-round pick has reached double figures in five of his last seven appearances, but the overall production has not been good enough to merit being rostered in most leagues. Maxime Raynaud (13/9/3 in 23 minutes) made his second straight start on Monday and remains the superior streaming target while the Kings await Sabonis’ return.

Gobert was issued a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected for his hard foul on Mark Williams as the Suns’ center attempted a dunk. Gobert played 21 minutes, finishing with 15 points (7-of-9 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), eight rebounds, one assist and one steal. Naz Reid replaced Gobert and should log heavy minutes the rest of the way, with a little Joan Beringer sprinkled in.

Castle is back in the Spurs’ lineup after missing nine games, resulting in Julian Champagnie heading back to the bench. Castle’s minutes may be restricted, so Champagnie will undoubtedly play rotation minutes. Also, Kornet has been upgraded from questionable to available after missing Friday’s loss to the Cavaliers with a sprained ankle.

Jones is available to make his first appearance since November 21. His return means that Bryce McGowens will head to the bench, with Saddiq Bey continuing to start due to Zion Williamson’s absence. McGowens will not be worth rostering, even if Jones’ playing time is restricted.