NBA Player News

Embiid is apparently nearing a return, but it’s unclear when he’ll be back on the court. For at least one more game, Adem Bona should see plenty of extra run with Andre Drummond and Dominick Barlow picking up the slack in Philly’s frontcourt.

Barlow sprained his left ankle during the first quarter of Saturday’s game, exiting after playing just four minutes. Jabari Walker has picked up a few minutes in his absence, but Trendon Watford was the choice to replace Barlow in the lineup to begin the third quarter.

Suggs entered Saturday having recorded an average of 11.3 points on 36.5 percent shooting in his past four games. He was able to clean up the field-goal percentage against the Lakers, and the six assists were solid. Suggs has provided seventh-round value in eight-cat formats since the All-Star break, but the recent inconsistency has been frustrating for fantasy managers to deal with. The Magic play four games in Week 22, starting with the Pacers on Monday.

Seven Magic players reached double figures on Saturday, but none had more than Banchero’s 16 points. The issue for him was the poor shooting from the field, with the Magic forward making four of his 11 two-point attempts. The rebounds, assists, and steals were good in terms of category league value, but managers look for more offensive production from Banchero than they received on Saturday.

Reaves and Luka Dončić combined to score 59 of the Lakers’ 105 points in Orlando, helping extend the team’s win streak to nine games. Since the All-Star break, Reaves has provided third-round value in eight-cat formats. And his fantasy value during the Lakers’ win streak aligns with the post-break production. And despite being on the injury report with a hip injury, Reaves played 40 of a possible 48 minutes against the Magic.

While Luke Kennard (13 points, three rebounds and three three-pointers) was responsible for the biggest shot of Saturday’s win, a three-pointer with six-tenths of a second remaining, Dončić was the one who kept the Lakers within striking distance. He has been on a roll recently, having scored at least 30 points in nine straight games. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, Dončić and the Lakers play three games in Week 22, starting with the Pistons on Monday, and they’re done for the week on Friday.

Bey finished one point shy of a fourth straight with 20 or more, but most fantasy managers will take the final line that he did provide. Since the All-Star break, he has provided sixth-round value in eight-cat formats. Fantasy managers seeking scoring for Week 22 could do a lot worse than Bey, who is rostered in 44 percent of Yahoo! leagues and has four games on the schedule.

Williamson had another efficient night shooting the basketball, making over 70 percent of his attempts from the field. The rebounds and assists were solid, but fantasy managers will have hoped to get more from Zion defensively. The Pelicans play four games in Week 22, starting with the Knicks on Tuesday.

Mobley recorded a complete stat line while shooting 80 percent from the field in Saturday’s victory. While the foul line remains problematic for those needing him to be better in that category, the Cavaliers’ forward/center has provided top-20 value since the All-Star break for managers willing to punt free throw percentage.

Having scored at least 20 points in three straight games, Harden’s double-double on Saturday was his first since a March 8 loss to the Celtics. Cleveland has been down some players recently, and that certainly hasn’t helped. However, Harden has provided top-25 value in eight-cat formats since the All-Star break. Cleveland is off until Tuesday, when it opens a three-game week against the Magic.

Mitchell played through a bloodshot left eye, which may have factored into his poor shooting night. However, he still put up 27 points, and fantasy managers can also benefit from the rebounds, assists and three-pointers. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers don’t have a great Week 22 schedule, as they play three games, with the last falling on Friday. Three games of Mitchell is better than four games of most players fantasy-wise, but fantasy managers certainly hoped for a better schedule.