NBA Player News

Washington joins Daniel Gafford (rest) on the injury report, and with both bigs expected to sit, Marvin Bagley III could draw a spot start, with Dwight Powell operating as Bagley III’s primary backup.

On a night when starter Collin Gillespie (0/3/7/1/1) missed all eight of his three-point attempts, Allen’s shooting off the bench was critical. He made four of his 11 three-point attempts while also recording a complete stat line in one of his better all-around performances since the All-Star break. Allen has played 23 and 21 minutes in two games since returning from a knee injury, and his minutes are likely to increase moving forward. In that scenario, Gillespie’s opportunities may take a hit.

Green was outstanding on Saturday, shooting over 50 percent from the field and committing no turnovers. Just as good for the Suns was that he only needed to play 22 minutes, as the Suns outscored Utah by 18 points in the first quarter and remained in control throughout. While his category league value has remained low since the All-Star break, Green has been a solid option in points leagues. That should not change in Week 23, with the Suns playing four games.

Booker and the Suns made short work of the Jazz, outscoring the visitors by a 39-21 margin in the first quarter and never looking back. He’s scored at least 22 points in three straight and 12 of his last 13 games, picking up the production at the right time. Since the All-Star break, Booker has been a top-50 player in eight-cat formats. The Suns hit the road for all four of their Week 23 games, starting with a back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday against the Grizzlies and the Magic.

Sexton, who has scored at least 22 points in three of his last four appearances, nearly won Saturday’s game. However, his basket came after the time expired, so the Bulls lost by a point. Given how much he has been used recently, Sexton is worth rostering in deep leagues, especially with the Bulls playing four games in Week 23. Since the All-Star break, he has provided ninth-round value in eight-cat formats.

Giddey, who has recorded at least 10 assists in five straight games, finished Saturday’s defeat with his 13th triple-double of the season. Add in the “stocks,” and this was an excellent end to Week 22 for managers rostering Giddey. Chicago plays four games in Week 23, and it’s fair to wonder how much he’ll play moving forward. Head coach Billy Donovan has said that it would take a directive from the front office to change his approach, so Giddey managers should be fine for the time being.

Jones nearly helped the Bulls snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, leading a breakaway in the final seconds while the team trailed by a point. Unfortunately, his pass to Collin Sexton and subsequent basket came after time expired, so the Bulls lost. That may not have been the best result for the players, but Bulls fans eager to strengthen the team’s lottery odds won’t feel the same. As for Jones, he’ll remain an incredibly valuable option for fantasy managers in Week 23.

Buzelis had one of his most productive nights of the season, finishing one point shy of the first 30-point double-double of his career. Add in the assists, “stocks” and three-pointers, and fantasy managers rostering the second-year forward benefited immensely. The Bulls play four games in Week 23, but three are against teams headed for the postseason (San Antonio, New York and Phoenix). It will be a challenging week for Buzelis, but playing time and usage won’t be an issue.

Burton’s first 10-day contact is winding down, so the timing couldn’t be better for him to deliver an excellent performance. The forward logged 27 minutes on Saturday and filled the stat line. Burton is not worth the risk in fantasy leagues, but there may be an opportunity to stream him for a night in Week 23 with the Grizzlies playing four games.

Jarreau had to leave Saturday’s game during the fourth quarter with a sore right elbow, but he was effective in his 19 minutes before being shut down. All that his stat line lacked was a three-pointer, but this was a solid performance for a player whose second 10-day contract is winding down.

Mashack matched his season-high in points on Saturday, and he did so while shooting 66.7 percent from the field. For category league managers, the overall stat line was somewhat lean. However, this was an impressive performance for the rookie, especially because Saturday’s game was Mashack’s first after a six-game absence. As a two-way contract player, Mashack is not a lock to be available for every game left on Memphis’ schedule, which makes it challenging to trust him in fantasy.