NBA Player News

Washington is back with the team after missing the last two games for personal reasons. His return likely means that Caleb Martin will head to the bench, where he offers minimal fantasy value.

The Lakers have been without LeBron James for the last three games, and it hasn’t mattered much thanks to Dončić. After putting up 44 and 35 points in wins over the Pacers and Knicks, he recorded his seventh triple-double of the season on Tuesday. The victory moved the Lakers into a tie with the Timberwolves in the Western Conference standings, with the Lakers in fourth for tiebreaker reasons. Dončić has two more games to play in Week 20, starting with the Bulls on Thursday.

The Warriors received solid contributions from their bench on Tuesday, with Spencer and LJ Cryer (17/1/2 with three three-pointers) scoring 17 points apiece. The former also provided solid value in the assist category, with his six helpers being the most in a game for Spencer since February 25 against the Grizzlies (nine). More should be learned about Stephen Curry’s progress on Wednesday as he continues to recover from a knee injury. His availability affects the fantasy values of the entire perimeter rotation, including Spencer and Cryer.

Having hit double digits in rebounds in two of his last three appearances, Payton recorded his second double-double of the season on Tuesday. The few who have him on their fantasy rosters also received good value in the steals category. Payton is not a must-roster player, but his fantasy value increases on nights when the Warriors don’t have De’Anthony Melton, as was the case against the Bulls.

Back in the lineup after sitting out Monday’s loss to the Jazz, Horford played a season-high 34 minutes against the Bulls. While he shot the ball poorly, including a 2-of-8 night from inside the three-point line, the veteran center did finish with a complete stat line. The Warriors end Week 20 with games on Friday and Sunday, with the second being part of a back-to-back.

Tuesday was a reminder that Porziņǵis does not need to log heavy minutes to have an impact. He played 20 minutes against the Bulls, producing solid numbers in points, rebounds and blocked shots. The Warriors have two more games in Week 20, but the last, Sunday against the Knicks, is the first of a back-to-back. Given the recent health struggles, Porziņǵis isn’t guaranteed to be available for any game, but the remaining schedule may work in his favor for this week.