NBA Player News

Though Gobert finished one point shy of a double-double, he was still able to have a productive fantasy night in what has been a strong season for him. Of course, Nikola Jokic’s monster night will take away from what Gobert did, but it was solid for fantasy managers before he fouled out in overtime. The former Defensive Player of the Year recorded double-digit rebounds for a seventh straight game and set a new season high for blocks.

Bitadze has missed the last two games with a left knee strain. If he’s out again Saturday, Jonathan Isaac will serve as the backup to Wendell Carter Jr. Isaac isn’t worth rostering in most fantasy leagues, though.

Suggs is trending towards missing his fifth consecutive game with a hip injury given his doubtful designation ahead of Saturday’s game against the Nuggets. We expect Tyus Jones to continue to start in his place while Anthony Black also sees a bump in usage.

Fox has been ruled out after he was initially listed as questionable with left adductor tightness. Without the 28-year-old point guard, Dyan Harper or Julian Champagnie will move into the starting lineup. Both are in play as streaming options.

Dillingham popped up on the injury report as questionable with an illness Saturday morning. He’ll have the afternoon to recover for Saturday night’s game against the Nets. Dillingham will only have a significant role if one of Mike Conley and Anthony Edwards, who are both also questionable, turn out to be unavailable.

Sharpe appeared on Friday to be on pace for a seventh straight 20-point game after tallying 12 first-half points on efficient shooting. Yet, the fourth-year guard shot only 2-of-10 from the floor after halftime and tallied four points the rest of the way. He didn’t do much on the glass and had minimal impact as a facilitator, leaving him without much fantasy production overall on Friday. Sharpe will have an opportunity to bounce back against the Celtics on Sunday.

Camara followed up a 0-of-6 shooting performance from the three-point line against the Magic by draining five against the Clippers on Friday. It marked the seventh time in December that the third-year forward has tallied at least three makes from beyond the arc. If he can remain efficient from long distance on this type of volume, he’ll have a chance to turn himself into one of the better young 3-and-D wings in the league.

Avdija flirted with a triple-double on Friday, ultimately landing one assist and one rebound shy of the feat. He dominated inside the arc and found scoring in several ways, including at the rim, in the midrange, and by working his way to the charity stripe, before finishing as Portland’s leading scorer. Avidja has had a breakout sixth NBA season and is performing like one of the most productive forwards in the league. As the clear No. 1 option, he’ll likely continue to put up big numbers for the Trail Blazers and be an impact player in fantasy leagues.

Lopez had his best game as a Clipper on Friday, setting new season-highs in points and three-pointers in his second start of the season. The veteran saw two triples drop early before following with three makes in the second quarter and four in the third. His four makes from beyond the arc in the third quarter were particularly impactful, as they helped flip the game and allowed the Clippers to come from behind and take a lead into the final period, which they would never relinquish. Lopez won’t sustain this type of production each game, but will surely have opportunities to be impactful while Ivica Zubac (ankle) is out of the lineup.

Harden was steady throughout Friday’s win. He scored 14 first-half points before scoring nine in the third quarter, and 11 more in the fourth to help him reach the 30-point mark for the eighth time this season. The former league MVP didn’t have his usual impact as a passer, but he still tied for the team lead in assists and played a major role in the Clippers earning their third straight win. He continues to play well and put up big fantasy numbers deep into his NBA career.

Leonard was active in all phases of the game on Friday. He posted an 18-point fourth quarter to total at least 20 points for the 12th straight game, and nearly reached 30 despite an inefficient shooting performance. The two-time Finals MVP also tied a team-high in assists and led the Clippers in steals and rebounds en route to Los Angeles’ third consecutive win. Leonard is averaging 33.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.0 steals during the win streak, and will have a chance to tally another big fantasy performance against the Pistons on Sunday.