NBA Player News

Powell injured his right ankle during Thursday’s loss to the Heat and did not return. His absence led to more minutes for Jalen Wilson, who is not worth the streaming risk in redraft leagues.

While Williams played 15 minutes off the bench in Tuesday’s win over the Nuggets, Christie was held out due to an illness. The latter’s return will likely result in fewer minutes for Caleb Martin, who logged 25 on Tuesday. None are worth rostering in most fantasy leagues.

Thompson is good to go after initially being probable for Thursday’s game. While Naji Marshall’s usage may decrease after receiving a bump on Tuesday, he’ll remain in the starting lineup. His fantasy value should not take a significant hit with Thompson available.

Having missed Orlando’s last three games, Suggs appears likely to miss a fourth, based on the doubtful tag. Tyus Jones has replaced him in the starting lineup, but Suggs’ absence has done more for Anthony Black’s fantasy value than Jones’.

Since returning to the bench in favor of Sam Merrill, Tyson’s productivity has actually increased. Following an 18-point effort on Tuesday, he tallied another 16 on Thursday to go along with six rebounds and two three-pointers. Tyson’s fantasy ceiling has decreased somewhat with the move to the bench, but he’s still worth holding onto in deep leagues until Max Strus is healthy enough to play. As for Merrill, he finished Thursday’s defeat with 11 points, five rebounds, one assist, two steals and two three-pointers.

Mobley made his return to action far sooner than expected, and he was brought off the bench on Thursday. The forward/center was limited to 25 minutes, and while there wasn’t any defensive production, what Mobley did provide was solid. Dean Wade, whose defending of Jalen Brunson was critical, remained in the starting lineup and finished with six points, four rebounds, two assists and one three-pointer. Wade should remain a starter until Mobley’s restriction is lifted, but his fantasy value still takes a hit.

Slowly but surely, Garland is regaining the burst that made him one of the more difficult point guards to defend before his toe injury. The Cavaliers’ point guard shot 6-of-9 from the field in the first three quarters and finished with his second 20-point double-double in three games. While his season-long fantasy value remains low, Garland has been a top-75 player over the last two weeks.

Mitchell came out hot on Christmas Day, shooting 5-of-6 from the field in the first quarter. He finished with a robust stat line, recording his third 30-point game in the last four. Unfortunately for Mitchell and the Cavaliers, they were unable to avoid losing a 17-point lead, falling to 17-15 on the season. Cleveland ends its Week 10 slate in Houston on Saturday.

Fresh off the most productive game of his NBA career, Kolek had another impactful performance on Christmas Day. The second-year guard finished one assist shy of a double-double and combined with Jordan Clarkson to score 41 points. Kolek may not be at the point where he’s a must-roster player, but Josh Hart’s fourth-quarter ankle injury may open up additional minutes for the Knicks’ reserves.

As much as Christmas Day games focus on name-brand stars, the Knicks’ bench was the difference in Thursday’s victory. Clarkson and Tyler Kolek spearheaded an 18-0 second-quarter run that erased a terrible start, and both made key plays during the second half to complete the rally. Clarkson’s 25 points are a season-high, and he’s reached double figures in four of his last five games. If Josh Hart (ankle) has to miss time, Clarkson’s opportunities will likely increase despite coming off the bench.

Towns fell into the bad habit of committing silly fouls, as two within the first two-plus minutes parked him on the bench early in the first quarter. While the scoring wasn’t there, KAT did grab a game-high 14 rebounds, including a putback of a Tyler Kolek miss with 27.3 seconds remaining that gave New York a four-point lead. Towns and Mitchell Robinson (13 rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot) combined to corral 27 of New York’s 43 rebounds on the day. The Knicks end Week 10 with a game against the Hawks on Saturday.