NBA Player News

Garland was as efficient as one could be inside the arc, shooting 6-of-6 on two-point shots, but his 0-of-11 shooting from deep left him completely unimpactful from behind the line. Yet, even with the shooting struggles, Garland was one of the Cavaliers’ highest scorers on the evening and concluded with a share of the most assists. Surely, fantasy managers will want more production from Garland going forward, but they must remain patient in the early stages of the season as he continues to work his way back from offseason toe surgery.

There are two changes to the lineup that began Tuesday’s loss to the Grizzlies. Markkanen and Nurkić are back after not playing against Memphis, with Kevin Love and Kyle Filipowski heading to the bench. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Filipowski is worth rostering, and his value should only increase once the “silly season” begins.

After going from questionable to probable ahead of Friday’s game, Murray’s recent upgrade to available should come as no surprise. The fourth-year forward tied a season high in points the last time he took the floor, and will enter Friday’s contest with a bit of momentum. Despite the strong recent performance, Murray is not someone fantasy managers should consider to be rosterable at the moment. He’ll likely remain in Portland’s starting lineup against the Clippers.

Williams is good to go after sitting out Tuesday’s loss to the Magic, which was Portland’s second game in as many nights. His return means fewer minutes for Yang Hansen and Duop Reath, as the Time Lord will slot in as Donovan Clingan’s backup.