NBA Player News

While fantasy managers will likely be pleased with Dončić recording another 30-point double-double, that did not tell the whole story of his night. There were a few defensive lapses, and the Lakers’ point guard compounded those errors by committing eight turnovers. With Austin Reaves (calf) out for at least four weeks, Dončić and the Lakers have an extremely slim margin for error. They were able to hang around until the second half of the third quarter, with the Pistons’ takeover leading to Dončić and the other starters watching the final four minutes from the bench. The Lakers end Week 11 with games against the Grizzlies on Friday and Sunday.

After sitting out Wednesday’s loss to the Hawks, Queta is good to go for Friday night. Amari Williams started against Atlanta but only played 15 minutes, with Luka Garza logging 24 minutes off the bench. Williams has been sent to the G League, so he will be inactive, which bodes well for Queta’s playing time.

Brown is dealing with multiple lower-body injuries and will not play on Friday. Baylor Scheierman was the replacement the last time that Brown missed a game, playing 20 minutes in a January 12 loss to the Pacers. Scheierman is not a must-stream player in most fantasy leagues.

Friday’s game is the second in as many nights for the Wizards, who beat the Bucks on Thursday. So, it’s unsurprising that Middleton won’t be available. Will Riley was the replacement for the most recent game that the veteran forward missed, and that may also be the case on Friday. Riley isn’t a must-stream, but he is worth watching ahead of the post-trade deadline portion of the schedule.

Johnson sprained his left ankle during the second quarter of Thursday’s win over the Bucks. Bub Carrington replaced him in the lineup to begin the third quarter, potentially a sign that he’ll be the replacement on Friday. If so, Carrington is worth streaming in deep leagues.

Friday’s game will be the fifth that Bagley has missed with a thoracic strain. Alex Sarr is absent from the injury report, so he’ll log heavy minutes as the starter.

Love will miss a second consecutive game, this one due to illness after resting on Wednesday. The Jazz won’t have Jusuf Nurkić (illness) either, so expect a heavy dose of Kyle Filipowski.

Nurkić was initially questionable for Friday’s game. With Kevin Love (illness) also out, the Jazz will likely turn to Kyle Filipowski to serve as the starting center. Given the lack of depth, he would be worth rostering.

McBride is on track to miss a second consecutive game due to left ankle injury management. He sprained the ankle in early December, which cost the Knicks’ guard three weeks. Landry Shamet and Tyler Kolek can absorb some of the minutes that would have gone to McBride, with both playing at least 20 minutes in Wednesday’s win over the Raptors.

Initially questionable for Friday’s game, Hart is on track to be available. He logged 35 minutes in Wednesday’s win over the Raptors and will likely take on a similar workload against Portland.

Allen has started the last three games for the Suns, and he was able to supply some scoring. Typically, most of his production has come from beyond the arc, but he has been able to get it done at the free throw line recently. His 10 free throws in this game were the second most of his career, and four days prior to this, he hit nine shots at the charity stripe, which was the third-highest total in a game in his career. Allen should continue to start for the shorthanded Suns and should remain productive against the Cavaliers on Friday.