NBA Player News

Strus has yet to make his season debut after undergoing offseason surgery, and the latest update means he may not take the court until after the All-Star break. De’Andre Hunter, Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson should continue to pick up the slack until Strus returns.

Aldama’s looming absence should mean Jock Landale will return to the starting lineup. Landale scored 21 points off the bench in his last game out, and he’s averaged 11.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists across his last six starts.

Jones’ streak of missed games will extend to eight, which means Saddiq Bey should stick with the first unit for at least one more contest.

Cunningham is a late addition to the injury report, so fantasy managers should have a contingency plan prepared. If Detroit’s star point guard is forced to sit this one out, Daniss Jenkins and Jaden Ivey will be in line for additional minutes.

Sharpe sat out Monday’s loss to Phoenix, but he’ll be back after a one-game absence. Sharpe’s availability should mean a decrease in playing time for Nic Claxton, who logged 37 minutes against the Suns.

Zion is a late addition to the injury report, which doesn’t bode well for his chances at taking the court on Wednesday. If Williamson is ultimately sidelined, more minutes could be available for Karlo Matković and Micah Peavy, while Saddiq Bey would likely shoulder a heavier offensive responsibility.

Gordon was back in the Nuggets’ lineup after sitting out Sunday’s loss to the Hornets, pushing DaRon Holmes II (DNP-CD) out of the rotation entirely. While he didn’t record any defensive stats, Gordon’s points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers were solid. The combination of decreased defensive production and poor foul shooting has negatively affected Gordon’s fantasy value recently, pushing him outside the top-100. That said, he’ll be worth holding onto as long as the Nuggets are without Nikola Jokić.

Two nights removed from being limited to 11 points in a blowout loss to the Hornets, Watson was more productive against the Lakers. The fourth-year forward recorded a complete stat line in his 38 minutes, and he has offered consistently reliable value over the past month. Rostered in 43 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Watson has been a sixth-round player in eight-cat formats over the past month. He’s worth rostering until Christian Braun (ankle) and Cameron Johnson (knee) return from their injuries.

Like Jamal Murray, Tuesday’s game was a tale of two halves for Jones. After making all four of his three-point attempts during the first half, he was 0-of-3 from beyond the arc after halftime. Jones shot 2-of-5 from the field in the second half, and the Nuggets blew a 14-point lead. The two-way contract forward has filled in admirably over the last few weeks, but he’s barely been a top-200 player over the past month. There’s no need to add Jones, especially with Aaron Gordon back in the lineup.

DeRozan’s uptick in fantasy value lately continues. The 36-year-old small forward dropped 23 points in the loss to the Heat on Tuesday. DeRozan has been a second-round player in per game value over the last two weeks. We’ll see if he can keep it going against his former team the Raptors on the second night of a back-to-back Wednesday.

Murray’s shot from just beyond half court capped an 8-0 Nuggets run to end the first half, during which he scored 26 points. Murray appeared to be well on his way to an outstanding night. Give the Lakers credit for adjusting their defensive approach, sending more doubles Murray’s way, and he may have been a bit too deliberate with his decision-making. The Nuggets’ guard scored two points in the second half as Denver watched a 14-point lead slip away. Murray will look to bounce back on Thursday against the Wizards.