NBA Player News

Looney is dealing with a right heel contusion, but is available for Monday’s game against the Bulls. The 29-year-old power forward will have his usual bench role backing up Derik Queen.

Monday’s game was the first for Jones since November 21, as a strained calf had sidelined him. While he was limited to 26 minutes in his first game back, the Pelicans wing was productive. Jones is rostered in 22 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and he’s worth adding in some 12-team leagues with Zion Williamson (adductor) out. Bryce McGowens, who was starting for Jones, played 24 minutes off the bench on Monday, finishing with eight points, one rebound, two assists and one three-pointer.

Murphy has scored at least 30 points in four games this season, more than halfway to his total in 2024-25 (seven). The Pelicans forward has been the team’s most valuable fantasy option this season, and by a wide margin. Murphy is providing top-25 per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats; no other Pelicans currently ranks within the top-100 of either, according to Basketball Monster. The Pelicans play two more games in Week 8, starting with the Trail Blazers on Thursday.

While the fact that the Pelicans paid a high price for the right to draft Queen remains a talking point, on Monday night, fans saw why the front office took that plunge. The rookie center scored a career-high 33 points and recorded his first triple-double, becoming the fifth rookie in the last 30 years to record a 30-point triple-double. The other four were Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin (two times), Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Also, Queen is the eighth player to account for at least 33 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four blocked shots in a game since the league began recording blocked shots. New Orleans ran a lot of its offense through Queen, and that approach only raises his ceiling, especially with Zion Williamson (adductor) out.

Two of the three 2025 lottery picks playing in Monday’s contest came up big for their respective teams. While New Orleans’ Derik Queen recorded the more impressive stat line, Harper got the last laugh, as his shot with 9.1 seconds remaining gave San Antonio the lead for good. With Stephon Castle (hip) back in the lineup, the rookie guard still played 26 minutes, which bodes well for his opportunities moving forward. Harper remains a deep-league option at best, but he has the tools required to change that in time.

Unsurprisingly, the Spurs had Castle on a minutes restriction in his return from a hip injury that sidelined him for nine games. However, the reigning Rookie of the Year was productive in his 23 minutes on the floor. Castle’s restriction ensured Julian Champagnie of solid minutes, as he logged 29 and finished with 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and five three-pointers. We’ll see if the minutes split is similar on Wednesday when the Spurs face the Lakers, but deep-league managers who were streaming Champagnie should consider holding onto him.

While the Spurs used a balanced scoring effort to leave New Orleans with a three-point victory, there were stretches in which Barnes was asked to take the lead. The veteran forward answered the call, scoring 24 points after totaling 18 on 7-of-19 shooting in his previous two appearances. Rostered in 20 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Barnes has provided 10th-round value in eight-cat formats, exceeding his ADP (139) by a decent margin. Next up for the Spurs is an NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup with the Lakers on Wednesday.

Not only were the 14 points a season-high for Hyland, but this was his second game in double figures. While he did provide needed perimeter shooting off the bench, one game does not make the former first-round pick a viable fantasy option. Leave Bones on the waiver wire.

While Randle’s fantasy value has slipped recently, with the forward being a seventh-round player in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks, he’s scored at least 20 points in three straight games. And after averaging 18.7 points per game in his first season with the Timberwolves, Randle has pushed the number up to 22.9 this season while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. The production and efficiency have improved, making Randle a reliable player to roster, regardless of league format.

Having shot 6-of-17 from the field in his previous two outings, Edwards was a game-time decision for Monday’s game with an illness. He showed no ill effects once the contest got underway, with the Timberwolves guard recording his fifth 40-point game of the season. Even with that two-game mini-slump, Edwards is shooting 55 percent from the field and providing top-20 value in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks. Minnesota plays two more games in Week 8, starting with the Warriors on Friday.

Brooks, who was a game-time decision with a sore Achilles tendon, did not have his best night shooting the basketball. However, that should not put a damper on what has been a surprisingly productive season for the Suns’ wing. Brooks is providing top-100 value in eight-cat formats, which exceeds his Yahoo! ADP (140) by a solid margin. Whether he can keep this up for the entire season remains to be seen, but Brooks deserves consideration in more 12-team formats. He’s currently rostered in 43 percent of Yahoo! leagues.