NBA Player News

After enjoying a run of at least 15 points in three straight games, Watson’s offensive production tailed off a bit ahead of Thursday’s game. The fourth-year forward surpassed the 20-point mark for the third time this season, somewhat compensating for the lack of defensive production. Over the past month, Watson has been ranked just outside the top-100 in eight- and nine-cat formats. While the absences of Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon have freed up opportunities for Watson, he’s still available in over 70 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Booker’s participation in practice means he’s got a chance to take the court Sunday against the Lakers after four straight absences. Booker’s return should mean less opportunities for Collin Gillespie, but Gillespie still has standalone value. Fantasy managers should hang onto Gillespie until further notice.

Wembanyama will be a welcomed site on the court, as the Spurs will try to take down the red-hot Thunder, winners of 16 straight games. Wemby may face restrictions in his first game back as he works his way back into game shape. His return should mean fewer minutes for Luke Kornet and Julian Champagnie. Bismack Biyombo may fall completely out of the rotation.

A sprained right thumb will keep Branham sidelined against Cleveland, but his absence shouldn’t cause much of a stir in the realm of fantasy hoops. He logged 14 minutes off the bench on Saturday, but that was due to multiple injuries ahead of him on the depth chart. He’s logged just eight minutes per game this season.

D’Lo is a late addition to the injury report, which doesn’t bode well for his chances of taking the court on Friday. He has averaged just 15.5 minutes across his last four outings, and if he is unable to go, Ryan Nembhard and Brandon Williams would presumably absorb his vacated minutes.

Diabaté sat out Sunday’s matchup with Denver, which allowed Mason Plumlee to join the rotation. With Diabaté expected to play, he could reclaim his role as Charlotte’s primary backup center, leaving fewer minutes available for Plumlee.

Morant is on track to return from a 10-game absence, but it’s unclear if he’ll face any restrictions after such a long time on the sideline. His return should mean fewer minutes for Vince Williams Jr. and Cam Spencer, but both players should be held until Morant’s health and usage are clarified.

Maxey was listed as probable on Friday, so his downgraded status suggests he’s in danger of sitting out against Indiana. If Maxey is unable to go, Jared McCain, VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes could pick up the slack using a committee approach.

Making his third straight start in place of the injured Domantas Sabonis (knee), Raynaud took on a challenging matchup in the form of Denver’s Nikola Jokić. He finished one rebound shy of a double-double and has reached double figures in scoring in four straight games. With Drew Eubanks exiting Thursday’s game with a right thumb injury, the Kings will likely need more production from Raynaud as they await Sabonis’ return. He’s rostered in 23 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and that number may increase ahead of Sunday’s game against the Timberwolves.

With Zach LaVine (thumb) unavailable, Clifford made his third start and first since November 5. Unfortunately, things did not go well for the rookie first-round pick, as he missed all six of his three-point attempts. Even though he wasn’t the choice to step in for LaVine, Malik Monk (18/4/5/1 with three three-pointers) is the safer option for fantasy managers needing a streamer, even though he committed five turnovers. There will be better days for Clifford, but he isn’t ready to impact fantasy basketball at this point in his career.

Murray recorded a solid stat line on Thursday, including four “stocks.” And increased defensive production has been critical for the Kings forward, as he exits within an offense that has other options who are more ball-dominant than him. Over the past month, Murray has provided third-round per-game value in nine-cat formats. He and the Kings will look to bounce back when they visit the Timberwolves on Sunday in their final game of Week 8.