NBA Player News

Murphy did most of his damage in the second half of a one-sided affair, notching 14 of his team-high 25 points in the late stages of the contest, but it counts the same for fantasy managers. The 25-year-old has performed at a second-round level for fantasy purposes this season, averaging 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.2 blocks through 22 games. The Pelicans are back in action on Monday when they face the Spurs to open a three-game week that also includes matchups against the Trail Blazers and Bulls.

Horford will have missed three games as he deals with his sciatica. The Warriors could get both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green (foot) back for that game, which would likely mean fewer minutes for guys like Pat Spencer and Quinten Post. It remains to be seen when Horford will be able to return to the court.

Curry has missed the last five games with a left quad contusion/strain. In that time, Brandin Podziemski has averaged about 26 minutes per game and been a borderline top-100 player in fantasy leagues, and Pat Spencer has gotten a chance to become one of the better stories in the NBA, playing over 26 minutes per game over his last three and averaging 15.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds. Curry’s potential return could dampen the run that Spencer has been on.

The 25-year-old was signed to a standard deal back on November 20th and will now be released to make room on the roster for Garrison Mathews. Robinson-Earl was playing just 14 minutes per game over the last two weeks and had not entered either of the last two games.

Mathews had been on a 10-day contract, but he will now join the Pacers on a standard NBA deal. The 29-year-old has seen his playing time increase of late, averaging almost 18 minutes per game over his last six games. He’s scoring 7.2 points per game with 1.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists, so he remains firmly off the fantasy radar.

When asked if Wembanyama could return against the Thunder Saturday, Johnson said, “Very much so.” He added that Wembanyama had a very intense workout Wednesday and his availability will depend on how he responds. Even if the 21-year-old center isn’t able to make it back on the floor this weekend, his return doesn’t seem far off, which is great news for fantasy managers.

Dončić had another excellent game, his second since missing two games to be present for the birth of his second child. The 26-year-old point guard dropped 35 points against the Spurs after recording his second triple-double of the season against the 76ers on Sunday. He’s been an elite fantasy option in recent weeks.

James, coming off a 29-point performance in a win over the 76ers on Sunday, was just as good but in different ways against the Spurs Wednesday. The 40-year-old was just two assists shy of a triple-double with 19 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. After an eight-point performance against the Raptors last Thursday, LeBron turned back the clock as we’ve seen him do countless times over the course of his career.

Champagnie has played 29 minutes in each of the last two games since Stephon Castle returned from a hip injury. The 24-year-old small forward had played at least 35 minutes in three of the last five games before Castle returned. Castle played 27 minutes Wednesday, which will only increase with time and potentially cut into Champagnie’s minutes even more. He’s still worth holding in deeper formats for now, though.

Fox led the Spurs with a +21 in 31 minutes in the 132-119 victory over the Lakers on Wednesday. Stephon Castle, who returned from a hip injury Monday, played 27 minutes while Dylan Harper played 20 minutes off the bench. Castle’s minutes should only increase, meaning less of the offense will ultimately run through Fox, whose scoring is crucial with Victor Wembanyama (calf) still sidelined.

After playing on a minutes limit in his return from a hip injury Monday, Castle erupted with a massive game in the win over the Lakers on Wednesday. The 21-year-old shooting guard was just four assists shy of a triple-double, posting a 30/10/6 line. Castle, last year’s Rookie of the Year, still only played 27 minutes Wednesday. His minutes and fantasy value should only increase going forward.