NBA Player News

Garland appeared to injure his left big toe late in the second quarter of Monday’s game. He did return to begin the third quarter but would eventually give a foul and then head back to the locker room. The concern is that this is the same toe he injured in March, ultimately requiring surgery at the end of Cleveland’s playoff run. If he misses time, the Cavaliers will likely turn to Donovan Mitchell to run the point, with Sam Merrill re-entering the starting lineup.

It was a bit of a mixed bag from George against the Magic. He wasn’t particularly efficient with 18 points on 21 shots and missed all seven of his three-point attempts. George was a force on the defensive end with three steals and two blocks. He’s averaging 15.8 points per game as his shooting woes continue, but he’s provided fifth-round per game value on the season.

Embiid has progressed to the point where he’s played for three weeks in a row now without missing time due to injury. The 31-year-old center has mostly played over 30 minutes in those games, as well. That translated into good production Friday as Embiid had at least 22 points and at least nine rebounds for the third time in his last four games. He’s provided fifth-round value over the last two weeks in per game value. Embiid is in line for his fourth game this week against the Raptors Sunday.

After starting Sacramento’s last 11 games, Precious Achiuwa has been moved to the bench. He’s been replaced in the lineup by Ellis, who should get the minutes needed to achieve fantasy relevance. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, there’s no need to roster Achiuwa in most fantasy leagues.

Caldwell-Pope injured his jaw during the second quarter of Friday’s game, exiting with just over four minutes remaining in the period. Due to injuries, the Grizzlies will go with a nine-man rotation for the rest of the game.

Maxey has scored at least 27 points in seven of his last eight games. The 25-year-old point guard had a highlight layup late in the third quarter where he displayed perfect footwork as he broke down the defender for the easy bucket. It was truly a Maxey masterclass. He’s fourth overall in all of fantasy basketball in per game value this season. The 76ers close out the week Sunday against the Raptors.

It’s not hyperbolic to suggest that Brown has morphed into a legitimate MVP candidate this season as he’s topped 25 points in 13 of 15 games since the start of December while propelling the Celtics towards the apex of the Eastern Conference without Jayson Tatum. The 29-year-old franchise cornerstone contributed 13 early points as the Celtics shot 61 percent from the floor in the opening half and wound up pulling away in the late stages. He got to the charity stripe a whopping 13 times and knocked down his final 12 attempts from the line. The Celtics have been one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference, winning 13 of their last 17 game. They’ll close out a back-to-back on Saturday evening when they host the Spurs at TG Garden.

Quickley has shouldered more of the offensive workload for the injury-plagued Raptors, who were without a trio of key contributors in this one with Scottie Barnes (knee), Brandon Ingram (thumb) and Jakob Poeltl (back) all on the shelf. They also lost RJ Barrett to an apparent left ankle injury during the late stages of the fourth quarter. The speedy 26-year-old guard dished out a season-high 13 helpers but it still wasn’t enough. He should see an uptick in creation opportunities and three-point attempts with Barnes, Ingram and Barret out of the mix, which provides a short-term boost to his fantasy appeal.

Pritchard showcases his signature skillset in this one, consistently driving to the basket and creating shot opportunities beyond the arc, parachuting in whenever the Celtics needed to create something out of nothing on a possession. The 27-year-old sharp-shooting facilitator dished out eight assists while scoring 16 of his 27 points in the second half to help Boston pull away for a relatively easy win. He’s been a phenomenal fantasy contributor over the past two weeks, averaging 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks across seven games during that span.

The absence of several key contributors due to injuries should lead to increased touches and creation possessions for Walter moving forward, which provides an immediate boost to his fantasy profile. The 21-year-old lacks significant scoring upside on a consistent basis, but the opportunities are there on a short-term basis with RJ Barrett (ankle), Scottie Barnes (knee), Brandon Ingram (thumb) and Jakob Poeltl (back) all dealing with injuries. He’s worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper fantasy leagues.

Hauser was feeling it in the early stages of the contest, hitting four three-pointers in the opening stanza as the Celtics built an early advantage. The 28-year-old sharpshooter doesn’t offer a ton of fantasy value as he’s prone to the typical ebbs and flows that a hot-and-cold three-point specialist typically deals with on a night-to-night basis. This was just his ninth double-digit scoring performance of the season.