NBA Player News

James did not play in Wednesday’s loss to the Spurs, which led to Jarred Vanderbilt making a spot start. Vanderbilt is more valuable as a defender than as a scorer, so he did not offer much fantasy value. James will be back in the starting lineup if he’s allowed to play on Friday.

Inserted into the starting lineup due to Aaron Wiggins being out, Mitchell played 25 minutes before exiting with a right hip contusion. The second-year guard was productive while on the floor, finishing with 18 points (8-of-12 FGs), three rebounds, two assists, two steals and two three-pointers in 25 minutes.

Given the expectations of many fantasy managers, Thompson’s season has been underwhelming in that regard. But he had a solid night in New Orleans, shooting 50 percent from the field and finishing one rebound shy of a double-double. And even with the limited scoring output, Thompson has been close to a top-75 payer over the past two weeks.

Due to Cade Cunningham being out, Jenkins made his seventh start of the season on Wednesday. As has been the case on multiple occasions this season, the second-year guard answered when his name was called. All that Jenkins’ stat line missed was a blocked shot. If Cunningham misses more time, the former St. John’s standout will be worth streaming in deep leagues.

With Cade Cunningham unavailable due to illness and a hip injury, the Pistons needed others to step up. Duren was at the top of the list, and the center was dominant in New Orleans. For the fourth time this season, Duren finished a game with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds. Add in the defensive stats and assists, and Wednesday was an excellent night for those who have Duren rostered.

Since grabbing 12 rebounds in a December 30 loss to the 76ers, Jackson has recorded six rebounds or more in three of his last nine appearances. That includes Wednesday’s six-rebound performance, one that was plagued by foul trouble. And the fouls weren’t limited to the defensive end of the floor, as there were a couple called due to illegal screens. Jackson has been a top-50 player over the past two weeks, and having Ja Morant on the floor should help, but the rebounding and fouls need to be cleaned up.

After six consecutive games of ten points or less, Wells snapped out of his slump on Wednesday. During that six-game run, the second-year guard shot 25.5 percent from the field, which obviously isn’t going to get it done for the Grizzlies or for fantasy managers. And Wednesday’s 18-point night occurred on a night when the guard shot 6-of-16 from the field. Wells is rostered in nine percent of Yahoo! leagues and with good reason, as the production has been inconsistent to put it kindly.

Playing stateside for the first time since January 2, Morant finished Wednesday’s defeat with his third double-double in as many appearances and eighth of the season. The Grizzlies’ point guard had a chance to win the game in the final seconds, but his three-point attempt missed the mark. Morant did commit five turnovers, but that was the lone negative. Overall, he’s been very good in his first two games back from injury, a positive development for those who have Morant rostered.