NBA Player News

The only holdover from the lineup that started Thursday’s loss to the Mavericks is Prosper. Jerome, Spencer and Coward are back after not playing against Dallas, while Hendricks shifts from the bench to the starting lineup since GG Jackson is out.

Eubanks most recently played 15 minutes in a March 11 loss to the Hornets, and the left thumb has been an issue for most of this season. A fracture suffered in December limited the veteran backup to six appearances over a two-plus-month stretch, and a torn ulnar collateral ligament suffered recently required surgery. While the Kings have not yet provided an official timeline, Eubanks is unlikely to return in time to add value to fantasy rosters.

With Russell Westbrook (foot) sitting out Sunday’s game, Hayes will make his first start since agreeing to a standard, two-year contract earlier Sunday. While he still can’t be trusted fully in fantasy leagues, the point guard should play enough on Sunday to merit consideration from fantasy managers in dire need of an active player for the final game of Week 20.

The Jazz are without Ace Bailey and Kyle Filipowski, the former having entered concussion protocol and the latter not playing for rest reasons. They’ve been replaced in the lineup by Harkless and Garcia, with the former offering a higher short-term fantasy ceiling.

While the Warriors remain shorthanded, they may be getting healthier. Green, who was a late scratch ahead of Friday’s loss to the Timberwolves, was also ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Knicks. He could be back as soon as Monday, the first of four games the Warriors will play in Week 21. And with Al Horford (calf) out for at least one week, Green’s return would give the Warriors a needed boost.

Porziņǵis and Melton were held out of Sunday’s game after starting Friday’s loss to the Timberwolves. With the back-to-back, there was likely going to be one of the next two games that they would miss, so there was no surprise there. Will Richard and Quinten Post may head to the bench on Monday, but they’ll both be part of the rotation due to the Warriors’ many injuries.

Clingan didn’t offer a great deal as a scorer, but fantasy managers will be pleased with the rebounds, assists and blocks. Since the All-Star break, the second-year center has provided second-round value in eight-cat formats. As long as Clingan remains healthy, he’ll provide fantasy managers with excellent value the rest of this season.

While Grant provided excellent value in points and three-pointers, the overall stat line was along what many fantasy managers have grown accustomed to getting from him in recent years. Since the All-Star break, he has averaged 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocks per game, limiting Grant’s fantasy upside. The Trail Blazers play four games in Week 21, starting with the Nets on Monday.

While Avdija did not have the cleanest game on Sunday, having recorded seven turnovers while shooting 7-of-19 from the field, the points, rebounds and assists were solid. Since injuring his back on January 11, the Trail Blazers’ wing has provided sixth-round value in eight-cat formats, but Deni has been limited to 12 games. Portland plays four games in Week 21, but Avdija could be limited to three because of a wraparound back-to-back to end the week.

Edgecombe sliding over in the starting point guard role in Tyrese Maxey’s stead has not resulted in a groundswell of assists. However, he did hit double figures in rebounds for the fourth time on Sunday, and fantasy managers also benefited from the blocked shots and percentages. Even with the 76ers playing three games in Week 21, Edgecombe’s role has raised his fantasy ceiling. Whether he reaches it will depend on his progression as a playmaker for others.

Edwards has started the 76ers’ last three games, and his points tally has increased in each. He finished Sunday’s victory with his first 20-point game since November 11 and second of the season. While the overall stat line was somewhat lean, the few who streamed Edwards aren’t doing much complaining. His place in the starting lineup moving forward depends on Kelly Oubre Jr., who has been out with a sprained left elbow. The 76ers play three games in Week 21, starting with the Nuggets on Tuesday.