NBA Player News

While Bridges did record a complete stat line in Atlanta, it had the potential to be even better. The Hornets forward shot 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. Since going on a run of six straight games with at least two three-pointers, Bridges went 1-of-10 in losses to the Clippers and Hawks. However, he’s still averaging a career-high 2.9 three-pointers per game, which is one reason Bridges has been a third-round player in nine-cat formats. The Hornets play three games during Week 6, starting with the Knicks on Wednesday.

Poole has been out since early November with a quad injury. The 26-year-old point guard is nearing a return given his questionable listing for Thursday’s game against the Blazers. Jose Alvarado will continue to serve as the backup point guard if Poole is ultimately ruled out again.

Miami only plays five games over the next two weeks, so Larsson shouldn’t miss many games. This isn’t a definitive timeline, but the expectation is that this isn’t a long-term absence. While he’s out, Dru Smith should fill extra reserve minutes in the backcourt.

Bryant is a late addition to the injury report, and if he is unavailable for the NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan would each likely take on a few extra minutes. However, that won’t make much of an impact on the Spurs’ rotation.

Lively was reportedly seeking other opinions last week, which is never a positive sign. He’s expected to make a full recovery, but after appearing in just seven games, his third year in the NBA will end up as a lost one. Anthony Davis will be asked to spend more time at center, especially when Daniel Gafford isn’t available. There will also be extra minutes for Moussa Cisse and Dwight Powell, though only as depth pieces. Lively will only be 22 years old at the start of next season and will be an enticing option in fantasy hoops. However, he can be safely dropped in redraft leagues at this point.

Brunson took over this game early, and he entered halftime with 26 points. He wasn’t as dominant in the second half, but he did enough to help the Knicks advance to the semifinals of the NBA Cup. This was Brunson’s third straight game with at least 30 points, and he’ll look to keep that going against the Magic in Las Vegas on Saturday, with a chance to advance to the NBA Cup championship on Monday.

Hart simply couldn’t miss in this game. This was just his third 20-point game of the season, and he has shot at least 60 percent from the floor in each of those. All of them have come since Nov. 24, which is when he moved into the starting lineup. Hart’s return to the starting lineup was also a return to fantasy dominance for him. As long as that doesn’t change, Hart will be a fantasy stud.

After missing Sunday’s win over the Magic with a calf injury, Towns returned to the lineup for the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup. It wasn’t a great offensive performance, but he dominated the glass in his 31 minutes. Having Towns back on the floor helped New York advance to the semifinals in Las Vegas, which will be a matchup with the Magic on Saturday.

Ingram starred for Toronto, but it wasn’t enough to get the win. This was his second straight 30-point game and his third of the season. Ingram has bounced back after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign in which he only played 18 games. His tenure in New Orleans was limited by injuries, but his start as a Raptor has them in the playoff race. He’ll remain an offensive star for them, which will continue to lead to strong fantasy contributions.

Walter had been starting with RJ Barrett (knee) sidelined, but he was replaced by Ochai Agbaji for this game. However, he fared much better as a reserve than Agbaji did as a starter. Walter still isn’t worth rostering in standard leagues, but he made his case to return to the starting lineup. It’s unclear if that will happen, and even if it does, Walter should be left on the waiver wire.

With Immanuel Quickley (illness) sidelined, Shead got the starting nod for the first time this season. In the increased opportunity, Shead was able to set a new season high for scoring and reached eight assists for the fifth time this season. Shead is more than capable of making an impact in fantasy basketball when he gets the chance to start, but it is unlikely that Quickley remains sidelined until Monday’s game against the Heat.