NBA Player News

Murray and Gordon are back on the injury report, but both players are listed as probable, so they should be able to play. Gordon did not play in Thursday’s win over the Spurs, with Spencer Jones replacing him in the starting lineup. Fantasy managers should plan for Gordon and Murray to take on their usual responsibilities, which would push Jones to the bench.

Merrill returned from a two-game absence with a hamstring injury and has been on fire since then. During this four-game win streak, he has averaged 16.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 triples while shooting 50 percent from the floor. He’s not a reliable source of production in other categories, but he has shot the ball well, and he’ll look to keep it going against the Heat on Wednesday.

Harden has been on a tear during this four-game winning streak. He has averaged 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 4.3 triples over his last four games while shooting 50 percent from the floor. He’ll look to keep the hot shooting up against the Heat on Wednesday and Friday to close out the week.

Clearly, Mitchell’s eye isn’t impacting his shot anymore. He struggled with his shot in his two previous appearances and missed one game because of the left eye injury, but he was incredibly efficient in this game. He didn’t contribute much value in other categories, but the offensive explosion was enough for him to make a big impact and lead the Cavs to a fourth straight win. Mitchell will look to stay hot with the Heat in town on Wednesday and Friday.

Cain, who signed a standard contract with Orlando last week, moved into the starting unit for the first time this season. He set a new season high for scoring and assists while playing a season-high 32 minutes. Cain should continue to be a rotation piece for the Magic, but he isn’t a player to consider with a roster spot outside of the deepest leagues.

Carter came off the bench after an unproductive start on Monday. Clearly, he’s better as a reserve; he has scored in double figures in five straight games while coming off the bench, but he scored just two points on Monday. He matched his season high for scoring in this game, though it wasn’t enough to help Orlando snap this losing streak. Carter may not be a reliable fantasy option, but he should continue to play extra minutes with Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black sidelined.

Though it didn’t help Orlando snap their losing streak, Banchero remained hot for a second straight game. He has averaged 37.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.5 triples per game while shooting efficiently in both games. The turnovers have been an issue, but that is expected with this much volume. Banchero has struggled in category leagues throughout his career, but he has been much better during the second half of this season, largely because he is shooting better from the floor and free throw line.

Anunoby got off to a hot start to this game, scoring 13 points in the first quarter. That surpassed his total of nine points from Sunday’s game. He cooled off over the rest of the game, but he was still able to contribute in other categories, which included his highest steal count since March 6. Anunoby will look to stay hot in Charlotte on Thursday as the Knicks kick off a four-game road trip.

Towns didn’t see his usual minutes, but he was still productive during his time on the floor. Mitchell Robinson was playing well, but the Knicks also rolled out a smaller lineup to close the game, largely to try to slow down Jeremiah Fears. Towns shouldn’t be this limited often, but he was still able to turn in a strong line. He should be back to playing his usual minutes in Charlotte on Thursday.

Brunson had his highest-scoring game since Feb. 19, which was his first game after the All-Star break. That was enough for the Knicks to get a seventh straight win. Brunson was a little quieter in the two games before this one, which came right after a one-game absence with an ankle injury. It appears that the ankle isn’t giving him anymore trouble, and he’ll look to keep it going in Charlotte on Thursday.

Williamson was able to lead the team in scoring once again, and he has now shot at least 70 percent from the floor in six straight games. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been as productive in other categories, which has limited his impact in category leagues. Still, he continues to play games, which is a huge development for him; he has only missed one game since returning from a six-game absence on Dec. 14. He’ll continue to pour in the efficient buckets with three more games on the schedule this week.