NBA Player News

The absence of several key contributors due to injuries should lead to increased touches and creation possessions for Walter moving forward, which provides an immediate boost to his fantasy profile. The 21-year-old lacks significant scoring upside on a consistent basis, but the opportunities are there on a short-term basis with RJ Barrett (ankle), Scottie Barnes (knee), Brandon Ingram (thumb) and Jakob Poeltl (back) all dealing with injuries. He’s worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper fantasy leagues.

Despite the outcome of Wednesday’s game and the five turnovers, this was an encouraging performance for Henderson. The third-year guard shot the ball well from the field and the foul line, including a 3-of-5 night from beyond the arc. Scoot’s minutes are still being limited, as he played 19 on Wednesday, but that will likely change after the All-Star break. The Trail Blazers visit Utah on Thursday, but fantasy managers should assume that Henderson will sit for injury management reasons.

Reed got the starting nod with both Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart suspended for this game. He made an immediate impact on this game, contributing 16 points and three stocks in the first quarter without missing a shot in just the first quarter. He cooled off as the game progressed, but he was still incredibly productive. Stewart has six games left on his suspension, while Duren will only be sidelined for one more, which will be on Feb. 19 against the Knicks. Reed should get one more start and then play an increased role off the bench until Stewart returns.

Traoré become a starter for the Nets in late January, and he is really starting to figure things out. Over his last four games, Traoré has averaged 17.3 points, 8.0 assists and 1.8 triples per game while shooting 59.1 percent for the floor. The turnovers have been an issue, and he doesn’t contribute much defensively, but he has shown he can be a high-level producer of assists. He’s still only 19 years old and should be a valuable asset in dynasty leagues.

With Nic Claxton (hip) sidelined for this game, Sharpe was able to start for the fourth time this season. He was able to match his season high for scoring and record a double-double while still contributing in other categories. If Claxton misses more time down the stretch, Sharpe will be a fantasy stud in an increased role. He’s currently rostered in just 15 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Krejčí is most valuable to category league managers needing points and three-pointers, and he came through on Wednesday. The 17 points and three three-pointers were the most in a game for him since arriving in Portland. However, the limited production in the other fantasy-relevant categories makes Krejčí little more than a specialist in deep leagues. Portland completes its pre-break portion of the schedule on Thursday against the Jazz.

On a night when the Timberwolves were able to frustrate Deni Avdija (11/5/3/1) and limit him to 3-of-14 shooting, Holiday did what he could to pick up the slack. He’s scored at least 20 points in three of his last four appearances, and the 23 in Wednesday’s defeat were the most in a game for the veteran guard since October 27. However, while the 23/5/5 line with five three-pointers was solid, it was accompanied by six turnovers. Holiday did play both legs of Portland’s most recent back-to-back, but he should still be considered questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Jazz.

Walker returned from a one-game absence due to an illness and was inserted into the starting unit with multiple starters sitting out. That led to his fourth 20-point outing of the season, which was enough for the Pacers to win their second straight game. Walker should continue to play a significant role down the stretch, and while there will likely be some inconsistency mixed in, he should have some big performances like this one.

Due to an illness, Edwards was initially questionable for Wednesday’s game. That may have factored into his attempting just ten shots, but he still made half of them. That included a 4-of-6 night from beyond the arc and a complete stat line. So, all wasn’t lost for those who had Edwards on their fantasy rosters. After the All-Star break, the Timberwolves play two more games to conclude Week 17.

After totaling eight points in the Timberwolves’ final two games of Week 16, losses to the Pelicans and Clippers, McDaniels has gotten back on track. He’s totaled 39 points in Minnesota’s first two games of Week 17, recording complete stat lines in both. And McDaniels has been a menace defensively, totaling three steals and six blocked shots. Despite providing top-75 fantasy value, he’s still rostered in 46 percent of Yahoo! leagues, which may be a bit low.

One game removed from dropping his third triple-double of the season, Randle exploded for a season-high 41 points. The Timberwolves forward was at his best in the fourth quarter, scoring 23 points before being subbed out. That’s an impressive way for Randle to go into the All-Star break, after which the Timberwolves will play two more games to complete Week 17.