NBA Player News

Mann did not play at all during the first three quarters of Saturday’s game. His name was called to begin the fourth, and the Hornets’ guard was not going to get cheated offensively. Mann shot 70 percent from the field and scored a team-high 20 points. The scoring outburst isn’t guaranteed to get Mann the minutes needed to affect fantasy basketball, so leave him on the waiver wire.

Johnson followed a rough game against the Lakers with another unspectacular performance against the Trail Blazers. He scored his fewest points in over a month and was limited to fewer than 10 field-goal attempts. The number that best paints the picture of his night, however, is six, which represents the turnovers Johnson committed on Thursday. He’ll have a chance to get back on track on Saturday when the Hawks return home to face the Celtics.

Santos sprained his left ankle during his first stint on the floor, and he was ruled out for the rest of the night at halftime. His absence has resulted in Will Richard seeing more minutes, but this is unlikely to affect fantasy basketball moving forward.

For the fourth time this season, Collier reached double digits in assists during Thursday’s defeat. The double-double was his fourth, but the few fantasy managers who roster Collier aren’t usually looking for points. He and Walter Clayton Jr. (15/2/8/1 with one three-pointer) played at least 29 minutes in Dallas, and that’s possible due to head coach Will Hardy’s willingness to play multiple point guards at the same time. If that continues, that’s good news for Collier, Clayton and Keyonte George.

Making his second start since returning from a hip injury, Bailey recorded a complete stat line in Thursday’s defeat. Rostered in 15 percent of Yahoo! leagues, the rookie’s fantasy value remains low. However, if fantasy managers can take the hit of Bailey’s inefficient shooting, he’s someone who will have every opportunity to change that during the second half of the season.

At this point in the season, the Jazz have already begun to give fantasy managers a preview of who stands to be most valuable during the “silly season.” George is already rostered in 85 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so he clearly isn’t a player who can be stashed. However, given his youth, the third-year point guard does not appear to be a player at risk of a late-season shutdown.

One night removed from dropping 43 points in a loss to the Bulls, Sensabaugh scored another 27 on Thursday. Despite coming off the bench, the third-year wing has been an efficient scorer, shooting 25-of-37 from the field. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Sensabaugh has serious “silly season standout” potential with the Jazz clearly prioritizing their draft lottery odds.

Thursday’s start was the first for Williams since November 24, and he took advantage of the opportunity. The Mavericks’ guard only missed one shot from the field, with the lone negative for him being three turnovers. Ryan Nembhard played 23 minutes off the bench, finishing with eight points, four rebounds and ten assists. Even when both are coming off the bench, Williams has been the favored option recently. That said, both have been challenging to trust in most fantasy leagues.

Due to injuries, Hardy has started each of the Mavericks’ last three games. While the field-goal percentage wasn’t great in Thursday’s 144-122 victory, the 19 points were four shy of Hardy’s season-high. Add in the assists and three-pointers, and there was some value to be gained from streaming Hardy. His value in the short term depends on Max Christie, who has missed the last two games due to illness.

Porter Jr. was one of several Milwaukee players to struggle against San Antonio on Thursday. However, his struggles marked a season low in points and tied season lows in assists and rebounds. The Bucks won’t take the floor again until Monday against the Hawks, so Porter Jr. will have some time to regroup and look for more production in the next outing.

Marshall has started six straight and 18 of the Mavericks’ last 22 games. On Thursday, his fantasy ceiling was raised due to the absence of Cooper Flagg and P.J. Washington, and he came through for fantasy managers. Marshall has scored at least 20 points in three consecutive games, and all that his stat line lacked on Thursday was a three-pointer. Mediocre foul shooting has limited Marshall’s fantasy ceiling, but he’s been close to a top-100 player over the past two weeks.