NBA Player News

Braun logged his highest scoring performance of the season on Wednesday, finishing with 10 or more made field goals for the first time. His scoring came mostly from inside the arc, although a couple of made three-pointers helped him reach his new season-high. Yet, the versatile wing did more than just score; he was one of Denver’s top rebounders against Memphis, produced one of his highest assist totals, and also set a new season-high in steals. Braun’s balanced production was not rewarded with a win. However, his production may help some fantasy managers during the fantasy playoffs.

Barrett struggled on Wednesday with his shooting, both inside and outside the arc. He failed to convert on any of his seven three-point attempts and even shot below 50.0 percent from the free-throw line. The seventh-year guard was one of Toronto’s top rebounders and facilitators on the night, but his inefficient scoring held back his production in a big way. Fantasy managers will hope he can bounce back on Friday against the Pelicans.

Despite being relatively unproductive as a scorer, Barnes offset those struggles by making plays throughout the night as a passer. He’d finish with double-digit assists for the second straight game and narrowly miss out on a triple-double for a consecutive time. Still, Barnes rebounded well, made plays on defense, and provided a balanced performance overall. He’ll have a chance to stay productive against the Pelicans on Friday.

Ingram was Toronto’s leading scorer on a night when not much went right for the team’s offense. He shot unspectacularly in his 36 minutes but failed to reach the 20-point mark. The former Most Improved Player did decent work on the glass and as a passer, as well, but his final line wasn’t one that should excite fantasy managers during the fantasy playoffs. Ingram and the Raptors will face the Pelicans on Friday and will have a chance to put forth a better performance.

Mathurin’s return from a four-game absence was a successful one, as he helped lead the Clippers to a third consecutive win. Per usual, the Clippers’ sixth man scored the ball well, with free-throw shooting being a primary reason. He also contributed as a passer and ultimately tied a team-high in assists. Mathurin’s offensive production off the bench is necessary for Los Angeles. Fantasy managers can expect him to remain in his role the rest of the way, with nightly scoring production being likely.

After a low-scoring outing in the Clippers blowout win on Monday, Garland upped his overall production in Wednesday’s blowout victory. In 30 minutes, he tallied at least five made three-pointers for the fifth time in 11 games as a Clipper, and used that three-point production to score over 20 points for the seventh time since being traded to Los Angeles. The seventh-year guard has proven to be a good fit at the guard position for the Clippers in his limited time with the team. As they fight for seeding towards the end of the regular season, likely in the Play-In Tournament, Garland should remain a focal point of the offense and a productive player in fantasy leagues.

Leonard’s streak of 20-point performances extended to 49 consecutive games on Wednesday after the Clippers defeated the Raptors by 25 points. He shot efficiently from the field, as he usually does, and found good production at the free-throw line along the way. Leonard’s defensive stats weren’t noteworthy in his 30 minutes of game action, but his impact was felt nonetheless. The two-time NBA champion hasn’t had many dominant performances lately. Yet, he’s remained a reliable contributor on a nightly basis from a fantasy basketball standpoint.

Saraf played 34 minutes on Wednesday and showcased his ability to affect the game as both a passer and scorer. He was one of Brooklyn’s top scorers on the night, as he used the three-point shot to his advantage. And not only did he lead the Nets in assists, but he also led all players in Wednesday’s contest in that category. Saraf has come on strong over the stretch of his rookie season and continues to put up quality numbers for a Nets team that is far from playoff contention.

Wilson recorded his third straight double-digit scoring performance on Wednesday, largely thanks to a combination of two-point scoring and free-throw production. As a result, he tied a season-high in points and continues to show some encouraging signs down the stretch of his third NBA season. However, he’s not someone fantasy managers should consider rostering.

Williams impressed on both ends of the floor in his 24 minutes of game action. Offensively, he shot the ball well from the field and produced at the charity stripe to end with a team-high in points. Yet, his activity on the defensive end is what really yielded some eye-popping numbers, specifically, how his disruptiveness led to him collecting over one-third of the team’s 17 steals. Williams has now tallied at least 16 points in four straight games and multiple steals in three consecutive games. He’s rarely playing more than half the game on most nights recently, but could be a useful streaming option in fantasy leagues.

Melton gave the ball away four times on Wednesday but took it back as many times, in one of his most productive defensive performances of the season. He also attacked the glass hard for a team-high in rebounds and contributed a bit as a passer to help offset some of his shooting struggles. Still, Melton produced enough as a shot-maker to score in double figures for the seventh time in March. All in all, Wednesday’s performance can be considered a nice bounce-back from Monday’s.