NBA Player News

For the fourth time this season, Horford reached double figures in points. He only played 16 minutes on Friday, and he hasn’t hit or exceeded 20 since mid-November. Between the minutes restriction and the limited availability, with Horford not playing both games of back-to-backs, he’s a challenging player to trust in fantasy basketball, even as a streamer. The Warriors host the Jazz on Saturday, and Horford will not be available.

Dosunmu continues to be instant offense off the bench for the Bulls. The 25-year-old point guard only played 20 minutes against the Nets, but had 18 points in a relatively low-scoring game. Dosunmu had only one assists, but he’d had at least five assists in six of his last nine games entering play Friday. He’s provided third-round per game value over the last two weeks with Josh Giddey (hamstring) out.

Vučević and the Bulls were in a letdown spot against the Nets after the 35-year-old center dropped 35 points and made a game-winning shot against the Jazz on Wednesday. While he was 9-of-14 from the field, Vučević probably should’ve taken more shots as he finished with just 19 points in Friday’s loss. He’s still provided first-round per game value over the last two weeks. The Bulls have a rematch with the Nets on Sunday.

Clowney had just six points in 31 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Pelicans, but bounced back in a big way against the Bulls on Friday. The 21-year-old power forward got off to a great start with 12 points and seven rebounds in the first half. He finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds to secure his first double-double this season. Clowney has provided 10th-round per game value over the last two weeks, but it’s games like Friday where he flashes high-ceiling potential that make him a more interesting player in dynasty formats.

Porter drove the lane and scored with five seconds left in regulation to give the Nets the lead. The victory was sealed as Chicago failed to score again in the final seconds. Porter continues to play at a high level amid trade rumors, which will likely only ramp up until the trade deadline. He’s provided second-round per game value over the last two weeks. The Nets improved to just 12-27 on the season with the win, so a trade to a contender might be necessary to avoid Porter being shutdown by the Nets later in the season.

This was Embiid’s fifth 30-point game of the season, but it wasn’t enough for the 76ers to get the win. His lack of contributions in categories other than scoring have limited his impact in category leagues; his 6.9 rebounds per game are the fewest of his career. Still, he’s played 22 games now this season, which surpassed his total of 19 games last year. As long as he’s out on the floor for Philadelphia, he’ll continue to pour in the points.

Bey remained in the starting lineup with Herb Jones (ankle) still out. The 26-year-old shooting guard had 20 points on 10 attempts with two three-pointers. Bey continues to be worth streaming when Jones is out. The Pelicans are off until Sunday’s game against the Rockets.

Maxey didn’t do as much as a scorer, but he was able to contribute value across the board. He matched his career high for steals, which he has set two other times this season already. This game came after he was held to 14 points against the Cavs on Wednesday, so while it was a rough two-game series as a scorer, he was able to contribute in a bunch of other categories in this game. He’ll look to get back on track against the Pacers on Monday.

Murphy cooled off finally after dropping at least 31 points in four of his last five games entering play Friday. The 25-year-old small forward wasn’t very efficient with 22 points on 21 field goal attempts. His five three-pointers came on 14 three-point attempts. Murphy has still provided first-round per game value over the last two weeks. The Pelicans will close out the week Sunday against the Rockets on the road.

Mitchell didn’t do as much scoring as he typically does, but he made up for it with production in other categories. He nearly finished with a triple-double despite an inefficient night. This came after seven straight games with at least 20 points, and he scored at least 30 points in five of those. The new season high for assists will help make up for the lack of points, but he’ll look to get back on track as a scorer against the Thunder on Monday.

On one hard, Williamson’s last two games have been remarkable. He’s 21-of-26 from the field with 52 points in his last two games. On the other hard, he was also 10-of-15 from the free throw line with seven turnovers, which can torpedo fantasy value in certain formats. Williamson is still a fantasy mainstay when healthy and has displayed elite athleticism on a nightly basis this season.