NBA Player News

After missing out on his second All-Star Game appearance last season, Barnes is putting together a good argument to make that happen this winter. He recorded his 14th double-double of the season on Thursday, and the final line included three defensive contributions. That said, Barnes’ fantasy value has slipped recently, due mainly to poor foul shooting. Over the last two weeks, he’s made 61.5 percent of his attempts, including a 2-of-5 night in Milwaukee.

With Zach Edey on the shelf, the Grizzlies have relied on Santi Aldama and Jock Landale to hold things down at center. Koloko will provide depth at a position of need, but he’s unlikely to see enough run to merit an add in standard fantasy leagues.

Brown sat out Saturday against Toronto, but he’ll return following a one-game absence. Brown’s return should send Sam Hauser back to the bench after Hauser filled in for Brown on Saturday.

Reunited with “Terror Twin” Tari Eason, Thompson finished a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line on Sunday. If there’s something to watch, especially as Eason’s minutes increase, it’s how his return will affect Thompson defensively. Combined, those two can wreak havoc defensively, which may boost the fantasy values of both if it leads to increased steals and blocks. Over the last two weeks, Thompson has been a third-round player in eight-cat formats, so it isn’t like he was struggling with Eason on the sidelines.

One day removed from scoring eight points in his least productive game of the season, Şengün got back on track in Sacramento. He’s now scored at least 28 points in eight games, one more than his tally during the entire 2024-25 campaign. Over the last two weeks, Şengün has been a top-25 player in eight-cat formats, which aligns with his season-long value. The Rockets open a three-game Week 10 on Tuesday against the Clippers.

Making his first appearance since November 14, Eason was under a minutes restriction on Sunday. However, the production in limited time on the floor was highly encouraging. Eason shot 75 percent from the field and made all three of his three-point attempts. For the season, he’s making nearly 51 percent of his 4.8 three-point attempts. That’s a far cry from Eason’s career percentage (36.4), so it’s fair to question if he can continue to shoot the ball that well. However, there’s no denying that Eason has improved in that area, and it raises his fantasy ceiling once his minutes increase. He’s rostered in 26 percent of Yahoo! leagues; it won’t be long until Eason is once again trustworthy in 12-team formats.

While Sunday’s result was disappointing for Durant and the Rockets, as they appeared to hold a commanding fourth-quarter lead, he did make some history. Not only did he move into tenth place on the career made field goals list, passing Hakeem Olajuwon, but KD became the sixth player to record at least 30,000 points and 6,000 assists in a career. Durant finished Sunday’s loss two assists shy of a triple-double, and he has been a top-10 player in eight-cat formats over the last two weeks. Houston plays three games in Week 10, starting with the Clippers on Tuesday.

Make it three double-doubles in as many games for Raynaud, whose 14 boards were a season-high. While the rookie has not been a top-100 player since moving into the starting lineup, he’s been productive enough to merit consideration in some 12-team leagues. Domantas Sabonis (knee) won’t be back until sometime in January, and Drew Eubanks (thumb) is also out. That effectively leaves Raynaud, Precious Achiuwa and Dylan Cardwell to hold down the fort, so there’s no reason not to consider adding the former.

Since returning from an ankle injury, Schröder has scored at least 17 points in three of his four appearances. He’s still coming off the bench, but Kings head coach Doug Christie has not hesitated to play Schröder and Russell Westbrook together. While he still hasn’t reached the point where he should be rostered in standard leagues, Schröder remains a player worth holding onto in deeper formats.

Westbrook recorded his 11th double-double of the season on Sunday, but the percentages left much to be desired. But that isn’t a major surprise to fantasy managers, as those are the categories where most expect to take a hit. Despite shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 68.2 percent from the foul line, Westbrook has still been close to a top-50 player in eight-cat formats over the last two weeks.

While Murray has reached double figures in five straight and six of his last seven games, 20-point efforts have been few and far between. Sunday’s was his first since November 28, and the Kings forward is up to three on the season. Of course, Murray did not make his first appearance until November 20. However, the number of scorers within the Kings’ rotation has limited his ceiling as a scorer, so it was encouraging to see Murray be as productive as he was on Sunday. Already closing in on top-50 fantasy value, it’s enticing to wonder what he could be if the Kings were to move a veteran (or more) before the trade deadline.