NBA Player News

Brown finished with 33 points and 11 rebounds in Tuesday’s win over Dallas, but he is expected to sit out the second leg of this back-to-back. Sam Hauser (thumb) is out, which means there will be two open spots in the starting unit. Payton Pritchard should be back in the starting lineup, while either Jordan Walsh or Hugo Gonzalez should fill the other spot.

Johnson played and started for the first time since December 23, with Spencer Jones moving to the bench. The 29-year-old small forward was efficient with 14 points on nine field goal attempts. Johnson will have to look to be more aggressive in the future as Julian Strawther and Tim Hardaway took more shots and outscored him on Saturday.

Murray was in visible discomfort and headed to the locker room with four minutes left in regulation with a hip injury. Nuggets coach David Adelman told reporters after the game that he checked in with Murray and the 28-year-old point guard is confident that he’s okay. That’s great news as Murray has provided second-round per game value over the last two weeks, according to Basketball Monster. The Nuggets have four games upcoming in Week 17, starting with a Monday game against the Cavaliers at home.

Available to make his Hawks debut, Hield did not play as Quin Snyder stuck to a nine-man rotation. While things could always change after the All-Star break, since the team will be able to get in some practice time, Hield wasn’t a good fantasy option with the Warriors before the trade. There’s no need to roster him in fantasy leagues.

Jokić passed the great Oscar Robertson with his 182nd triple-double, moving into second place on the all-time list. The 30-year-old center also recorded his 1,000th career steal in Saturday’s win over the Bulls. Jokić had one of the best games of the season and accomplished it while playing at seemingly less than 100 percent because of an ankle injury. Despite the injuries, Jokić has come back and provided first-round per game value over the last two weeks, according to Basketball Monster. The Nuggets have four games upcoming in Week 17, starting with a matchup against the Cavaliers on Monday.

Black struggled from behind the three-point line, going 1-of-7 from behind the arc, but was 7-of-13 otherwise and finished with 21 points in Saturday’s win over the Jazz. While the 22-year-old shooting guard could be headed back to the bench soon with Franz Wagner (ankle) close to returning, he’s delivered for fantasy managers lately. Black has provided second-round per game value over the last two weeks, according to Basketball Monster.

Wearing a facemask reminiscent of the one worn by Hannibal Lecter, Okongwu returned to the Hawks’ lineup after a four-game absence. The fact that he shot over 50 percent from the field was a positive, as was his ability to play 30 minutes. Jock Landale (five points, one assist and one three-pointer), who shone in his Hawks debut, played 17 minutes off the bench. Unfortunately, fantasy managers will be best served to move on from him with Okongwu back in the fold.

There’s never a good time to suffer an injury, but Risacher’s knee injury came on the heels of him shooting 7-of-9 from three in a January 7 win over the Pelicans. In his first three games back, the Hawks forward shot 2-of-10 from deep, so Saturday’s 4-of-4 effort was a welcome sign. For the season, Risacher is shooting 35 percent from three, making it easy to dismiss Saturday as a departure from the norm. He was also responsible for three blocks in the defeat, another statistical anomaly for the second-year wing.

Johnson, who’s headed to the All-Star Game for the first time next week, recorded another stellar stat line on Saturday. The only thing missing was a blocked shot, but he remained efficient as a scorer and playmaker. Over the past two weeks, Johnson has provided top-10 per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats, according to Basketball Monster. The Hawks open a five-game Week 17 on Monday in Minnesota, with three of the games scheduled for after the All-Star break.

Diabaté continues to shine as the Hornets’ starting center. During their nine-game win streak, the 6-foot-9 Diabaté has reached double figures in rebounds five times. While he has not been a top-100 fantasy player, the former second-round pick isn’t far off. And with the Hornets playing five games during Week 17, including three after the All-Star break, this would be a good time for some 12-team league managers to hop onto the Diabaté bandwagon.