NBA Player News

Though availability has been an issue, Embiid has been productive when available this season. Recently, he’s been available, and the minutes have increased as well. He has played in four straight games, his longest stretch of the season. He’s also played at least 33 minutes in each, which is more than he has played in any other game this year. He played a season-high 40 minutes in this game, which led to his third double-double in four games. Don’t expect to see him play back-to-backs, but Embiid is in the midst of a strong stretch right now.

LaRavia shot the ball efficiently on Thursday en route to finishing as one of five Lakers to score in double figures. The first-year Laker also collected a couple of steals in his team-high 37 minutes and tied for the team lead in three-pointers. LaRavia scored in double figures for the sixth time in January and continues to have a really good stretch from a production standpoint. He’s rostered in only 21 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and could be a worthwhile roster addition for those managers looking for upside.

Dončić put up another high-scoring performance on Thursday, despite it coming in a lopsided defeat. Yet, the do-it-all guard struggled to make much of an impact when he wasn’t scoring. Dončić combined for just seven rebounds and assists, which marks the lowest since December 20 against the Clippers, a game in which he exited early due to injury. He limited his turnovers to just one on Thursday, a great improvement from the seven he had on Tuesday. Nonetheless, fantasy managers should expect Dončić to get back to his stat-stuffing ways fairly quickly.

James followed up his 31/9/10 outing against the Hawks with another well-rounded performance on Thursday. In his 33 minutes, he once again shot well from the floor and was efficient from the three-point line, as his impact as a rebounder and playmaker also carried over. The 41-year-old forward also gathered a few stocks before the final horn sounded, giving him lots of fantasy basketball production on the night. The Lakers will face the Trail Blazers on Saturday, where James will have a chance to log another big performance.

Miller was one of several Hornets players to have a productive night on the offensive end against the Lakers. He utilized the free-throw line and was productive both inside and outside the arc before finishing as Charlotte’s second-leading scorer for the game. Miller also tallied three stocks on defense to further boost his solid final line and provide fantasy managers with more production.

Bridges did a bit of everything in the Hornets’ victory, making contributions as a scorer, rebounder and facilitator on Thursday. The veteran forward had a great impact from beyond the arc, where he combined for more makes against the Lakers than he had total over the previous two games. His three-point outburst was part of a night in which the Hornets amassed 20 three-pointers as a team to put the Lakers’ defense in a tough spot. Bridges will have a chance to put together another strong stat line against the Warriors on Saturday.

Ball’s strong scoring performance on Thursday marked the second time in the past four games that he’s recorded at least 30 points, and the second time over the past three games he’s notched 25 or more points. The three-point shot was the focal point again on Thursday, as he set a new season-high in makes. Ball also reached double figures in assists to land his sixth double-double of the season, but the recent scoring uptick has been the real story for Ball, who began 2026 with four straight games under 20 points. He continues to play well and has brought strong fantasy production in the process.

Grant returned to the floor for the first time in nearly a month on Thursday and provided the Blazers’ bench with a nice scoring boost. In just 23 minutes, the veteran forward utilized the free-throw line to help rack up points and ultimately finish as Portland’s second-leading scorer on the night. Grant also added a pair of blocks and a few assists along the way to provide a bit more fantasy production. How his role develops as the Blazers get healthier will be noteworthy from a fantasy basketball perspective.

Holiday logged 21 minutes in his third game back from a calf injury. The veteran guard posted a balanced stat line in his limited minutes, contributing as a scorer, rebounder, and passer. And as expected, Holiday made several plays defensively to impact the game. His numbers should improve as his minutes increase, but for now, fantasy managers must be patient in his return from injury.

Anunoby has scored 20 points or more in three of his last five games, but he hasn’t produced consecutive 20-point efforts since the end of October. While he did miss nine games in November/December due to injury, he has tended to take a back seat offensively more often than not. That wasn’t the case on Thursday, as Jalen Brunson’s absence led to Anunoby having his second game with at least 20 attempts this season. If Brunson’s forced to miss multiple games, Anunoby’s fantasy value may receive the most significant boost of the Knicks’ four healthy starters.

After managing just four rebounds in Wednesday’s loss to the Kings, Towns was far more active on the glass against the Warriors. The 20 rebounds were a season-high for the Knicks’ center, who also recorded his fourth double-double in five games. Unfortunately, Towns’ tendency to pick up silly fouls was once again an issue. While he didn’t foul out, foul trouble parked KAT on the bench at suboptimal times. And the Knicks can’t afford that, especially with Jalen Brunson (ankle) out. Towns will look to end Week 13 on a positive note when the Knicks host the Suns on Saturday.