NBA Player News

Though the inefficient shooting remained, it has been a strong stretch of games for George. He is averaging 21 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.2 triples over his last five games. He ranks inside the top 100 in nine-category leagues this season, but during this stretch, he is inside the top 25. He’ll look to stay hot in Charlotte on Saturday to wrap up the week.

Flagg has been on a roll recently, scoring at least 32 points in four straight games. The Mavericks’ rookie shot over 50 percent from the field despite San Antonio’s defensive focus throughout, recording a complete stat line. With Anthony Davis no longer in the picture, Dallas’ focus for the rest of the season will be on identifying the areas they need to address to build a team around Flagg for the franchise’s next era.

After coming off the bench in Wednesday’s win over the Thunder, Barnes was back in the starting lineup Thursday night, with Stephon Castle coming off the bench. The veteran forward made the most of his opportunities, shooting 5-of-7 from three. And the 19 points were the most in a game for Barnes since he scored 20 in a December 23 win over Oklahoma City. He isn’t worth the risk in most fantasy leagues, but Barnes is still capable of coming through with a good night every so often.

After sitting out Sunday’s win over the Magic with an adductor injury, Castle played both games of the Spurs’ back-to-back. However, his minutes were limited, with the reigning Rookie of the Year coming off the bench and playing 21 on Thursday. Castle started Wednesday’s win over the Thunder and logged 26 minutes. The positive for fantasy managers was that he was highly productive in those 21 minutes, with the stat line only missing a blocked shot.

After logging 28 minutes in Wednesday’s win over the Thunder, Wembanyama played 34 on Thursday. That’s the highest minutes tally for him since returning from the knee injury that cost him two games at the start of January. Even if the Spurs look to keep Wembanyama’s minutes “in check,” he doesn’t need much time to put up a robust stat line. On Wednesday, he made his first five three-point attempts and finished with another complete stat line. The Spurs host Dallas on Saturday in both teams’ final game of Week 16.

Dončić left Thursday’s game during the second quarter, appearing to grab his left hamstring before exiting. The Lakers have officially listed the injury as left leg soreness, but more will be learned about its severity on Friday. Rui Hachimura started the third quarter, and whether he remains there if Dončić misses time will likely depend on how much longer Austin Reaves will be under a minutes restriction.

Livers injured his left shoulder during the first half of Thursday’s game and has been ruled out for the rest of the night. While the Suns lose some depth off the bench, Livers’ absence won’t affect fantasy basketball if he misses time.

Smith continues to provide consistent production, sitting within the top-50 in nine-cat formats over the past three weeks, according to Basketball Monster. As a result, his season-long value has improved, with Smith being a 10th-round player. He’s rostered in 49 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so it might be time for some managers in 10-team formats to consider adding Smith if he’s sitting on the waiver wire. The Rockets end Week 16 with a game against the Thunder on Saturday.

Limited to 15 points in Wednesday’s blowout loss to the Celtics, Durant more than doubled that number against the Hornets. However, it wasn’t enough to keep the Rockets from failing to reach 100 points for the second consecutive game. Of course, when Alperen Şengün (seven points, eight rebounds, five assists and one block) shoots 3-of-10 from the field, Durant’s output can only make so much of a difference.