NBA Player News

The Hornets are without Kon Knueppel for Monday’s game, as he sprained his right ankle during Friday’s game against the Magic. Fellow rookie James moves into the starting lineup, but he’s more valuable to the Hornets defensively than he is to fantasy basketball.

Jackson is set to start in his Jazz debut against the Magic on Saturday. At the same time, George is returning from a three-game absence due to an ankle injury. The 22-year-old point guard will be limited to around 24 minutes, according to Jazz coach Will Hardy. That could mean some extra minutes for Isaiah Collier.

Like his teammates, Riley got off to a slow start on Saturday. But the Wizards were able to make Saturday’s defeat more respectable, thanks in part to their rookie wing. After scoring 20 points in a win over the Pistons on Thursday, Riley recorded a new season-high on Saturday and has reached double figures in five straight. Unlike Kyshawn George, Riley feels like a safe bet to play significant minutes the rest of the season. Don’t hesitate to pick him up if he’s sitting on the waiver wire.

Okongwu is back after missing the last four games due to undergoing dental surgery. His return will send Jock Landale to the bench, though it’s worth waiting to see how Landale is used as a reserve before dropping him in fantasy leagues.

For fantasy managers with their eyes on Champagnie as a potential “silly season standout,” Saturday’s performance was a mixed bag. The overall stat line was nice, with one exception: playing time. On a day when the Wizards were without Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr, Champagnie played 22 minutes. All three could be back for Sunday’s game against the Heat, so Saturday may represent a missed opportunity for Champagnie managers.

Two days removed from combining with Egor Dëmin to become the first Nets rookie tandem to score 20 points or more in the same game since 1982, Traoré had another solid outing. While the overall numbers were modest, the rookie point guard committed just one turnover in 24 minutes. With Dëmin (4/2/2/1/1) getting his minutes at the off-guard spot, the Nets have relied on Traoré and another rookie, Ben Saraf (10/4/4/2 with one three-pointer in 24 minutes) to run the show. Dëmin is the safest fantasy option of the three perimeter rookies, but Traoré is worth watching.

Unlike earlier this season, Wolf’s minutes weren’t wholly dependent upon Michael Porter Jr.'s workload. The rookie forward/center essentially served as Noah Clowney’s backup on Saturday, with both players producing solid stat lines. Clowney logged 27 minutes, finishing with 18 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block and four three-pointers. Wolf has “silly season standout” potential, especially if the Nets decide to cut Porter’s and Clowney’s minutes, if not sit them outright on occasion.

Sharpe continues to back up Nic Claxton (11 points, five rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes), but that didn’t prevent him from recording a solid stat line on Saturday. The 6-foot-9 forward/center finished one rebound shy of a double-double, and fantasy managers can also benefit from the assists and steals. Getting ahead of the rush and adding Sharpe now instead of waiting for the silly season would not be a bad idea, especially with the minutes he’s currently getting.

With the Nets’ decision-makers hoping to land the best draft lottery odds possible, days like Saturday may become the norm for Porter. After putting up 20 points in the first half, his playing time decreased after halftime, and the veteran forward scored just three points. As evidenced by what he was able to do in the first two quarters, Porter doesn’t need to log heavy minutes to provide value. However, the Nets’ approach to his playing time could lower his ceiling. The Nets play five games in Week 17, with two before the All-Star break.

Love was upgraded to probable early Saturday, so his availability isn’t a surprise for the game against the Magic. With the Jazz’ acquisition of Jaren Jackson Jr. and other players available, Love isn’t likely to see enough minutes to be fantasy-relevant unless something changes.