NBA Player News

Barrett will make his return after a 15-game absence. He will be on a minutes restriction, which will limit his production. However, his return will likely push Ochai Agbaji back to the bench. The only way it won’t is if head coach Darko Rajakovic opts to bring Barrett off the bench to ensure he’ll be available to close the game despite the restriction. That would only be temporary, and Agbaji will lose minutes regardless.

Gillespie has been an excellent fantasy option for most of this season, but his recent stretch has been one of his best this season. Over his last three games, he has averaged 19.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 5.0 three-pointers per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the floor. Gillespie is somehow available in 62 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but he should be considered a must-roster player.

Brooks kept the Suns afloat in the first half by scoring 20 points before the break. However, he wasn’t able to add to his scoring total in the third or fourth quarter. Brooks has enjoyed the best scoring season of his career this year, and this was poised to be a big night. He just wasn’t able to take advantage of the opportunity. However, he was able to contribute three steals in a game for the first time since mid-November.

It was a rough first half for Booker, but he came alive after the break. He scored 19 points in the third quarter and ended up having a big scoring night after shooting below 40 percent in the Suns’ two previous games. It wasn’t enough for Phoenix to win, and it has been a rough season overall for Booker. However, this was a strong performance for him, and he’ll look to stay hot against the Kings on Friday.

After playing a season-high 38 minutes in Tuesday’s win, Embiid is expected to be available against Dallas. He had 34 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in that game and will look to stay hot in a matchup with Anthony Davis.

After initially being listed as questionable, Castle will be good to go for the rematch of the NBA Cup Final. With Devin Vassell (adductor) sidelined for at least the next couple of games, Castle should see a boost in usage during that stretch.

Siakam’s 26 points came as the Pacers lost their 10th consecutive game. The 31-year-old power forward is making the most of what’s already a lost season for the 6-27 Pacers. Siakam scored at least 20 points in seven of his last 10 games. The beat goes on for the Pacers as they take on the Spurs Friday.

This was the third time Mathurin has attempted at least 13 free throws in a game this season. On October 23 against the Thunder, he made 15-of-17 free throws and on November 17 against the Pistons, he made 8-of-14 free throws. The 23-year-old small forward had 36 and 25 points in those games, respectively. We’ve seen these blips with Mathurin before and the scoring tends to be unsustainable. He’s averaging 18.3 points per game this year and 16.1 for his career. Mathurin remains more of a good scorer than an elite one.

Daniels hasn’t been as highly touted in fantasy basketball this season, mostly because his steals are down and his scoring has been rough. However, he has somewhat made up for it by averaging career highs in rebounds and assists, and he nearly recorded a triple-double in this game. This was a well-rounded performance for Daniels as he continues to thrive without Trae Young in the lineup.

Bitadze played just 19 minutes Wednesday, but was incredibly efficient with 14 points on seven field goal attempts and nine rebounds. The 26-year-old backup center isn’t worth rostering in most fantasy leagues without an injury to Wendell Carter Jr., but after missing some time to injury this year, Bitadze showed why he’s considered a reliable reserve.

These monster nights are becoming routine for Johnson. He missed Monday’s game with an illness, but the effects clearly didn’t linger enough to limit his production in this one. Johnson has been one of the best players in fantasy basketball this season, and while his production hasn’t been limited when Trae Young is available, he has been at his best when Young isn’t playing. He’ll look to remain hot in New York on Friday.