NBA Player News

The Bucks were on the wrong end of their fourth defeat in five games, with Giannis leading the way offensively. He remains under a minutes restriction, but the Bucks continue to battle inconsistency with the trade deadline two weeks away. While Giannis may not be on the move, the team around him likely needs to change if Milwaukee is to entertain any thoughts of being a factor come playoff time.

Murphy did not play in Thursday’s game against the Pistons. And with the Pelicans having a back-to-back, it was safe to assume that he would miss one of the next two games. If Murphy can play on Friday, he will likely fill the void that would be left by Dejounte Murray. Murray has not played both games of a back-to-back since returning from his Achilles tendon surgery, and he played 29 minutes against the Pistons.

Plowden has scored at least 20 points in each of his last three appearances. The 23 points he scored on Thursday represent a new career-high for the wing, who shot 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. Plowden did not provide much value beyond the points and three-pointers, but the opportunities have been there. With Nique Clifford (foot) sidelined for the rest of the week, Plowden is worth a look in deep leagues since the Kings play on Saturday and Sunday.

Back in the lineup after sitting out Tuesday’s loss to the Hornets, Achiuwa recorded the kind of stat line that has made him a popular option during the silly season. Since the All-Star break, the Kings forward has been a top-50 player in eight- and nine-cat formats. Achiuwa is rostered in 35 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so he may still be on the waiver wire in some 12-team formats. With the Kings playing on Saturday and Sunday, adding Achiuwa is worth the risk.

While DeRozan may not be labeled the Kings’ point guard, injuries at that position have led the team to ask the veteran wing to do more as a playmaker. Thursday’s game was the second in the last six in which DeRozan has recorded at least 30 points and 10 assists. He did so on excellent percentages from the field and the foul line while not committing a turnover. As long as DeRozan doesn’t see his playing time decrease, he should continue to be an excellent fantasy option for the rest of the season.

Suggs’ playing time was not restricted on Thursday, and he showed no ill effects from the two games he missed due to an illness. He did not offer much as a scorer against the Kings, but the most important thing for fantasy managers was that Suggs played 34 minutes. Orlando plays once more during Week 22, on Sunday against the Raptors, so fantasy managers will hope to get more production from Suggs there.

After scoring at least 20 points in five of his first eight games in March, Bane has recorded two such games over his last six. Against the Kings, he shot 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and 8-of-8 from the foul line. The eight free-throw attempts were the most in a game for Bane since March 11. Jalen Suggs ' return to the lineup after a two-game absence allowed Bane to focus more on scoring, and fantasy managers reaped the rewards.

Limited to four points in a March 19 blowout loss to the Hornets, da Silva has reached double figures in four straight games, scoring 18 or more in each of the last three. Against the Kings, the second-year wing shot 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and produced good percentages from the field overall and the foul line. Da Silva should be rostered in 12-team leagues through the end of the regular season, as it remains unknown when Franz Wagner or Anthony Black will return from their respective injuries.

Banchero has been on a roll recently, having scored at least 30 points in three straight and four of his last six games. Against the Kings, the Magic forward shot 50 percent from the field and also put up quality numbers in rebounds and assists. Over the past two weeks, Banchero has been a third-round player in eight-cat formats, thanks to the combination of improved raw numbers and efficiency. Orlando concludes its Week 22 slate on Sunday against the Raptors.

Hart, who made nine consecutive three-pointers before missing one during Thursday’s defeat, has upped his fantasy output recently. Over the past two weeks, the Knicks’ forward has provided second-round value in eight-cat formats. Hart’s stat line against the Hornets only lacked a blocked shot, but that doesn’t matter much when you record five steals.

Nine of Anunoby’s ten field goal attempts on Thursday came from beyond the arc, and he made five of them. Unfortunately, the final stat line had little beyond points and three-pointers, so this was not the best night for Anunoby managers competing in category leagues. He’ll look to finish Week 22 with a more robust all-around stat line when the Knicks visit the Thunder on Sunday.