NBA Player News

Payton will not play after logging 25 minutes in Friday’s loss to the Pistons. LJ Cryer’s playing time may increase after he logged 16 minutes on Friday, but there is not much to gain from streaming him in this spot. Will Richard is the better streaming option, even if his playing time does not increase as much after playing 28 minutes on Friday.

Wembanyama took advantage of the mediocre Jazz defense and got whatever he wanted in this game. His defensive presence changes how offenses attack the rim. He has been exactly what you wanted if you drafted him with the first pick in redraft leagues. Its hard to complain and you hope he doesn’t get hurt if you have him.

While the Bulls await Nic Claxton’s return from a strained hamstring, Smith continues to provide reliable fantasy value. He finished Wednesday’s loss with his second double-double of the season and provided solid value in assists, blocks, and three-pointers. Smith is rostered in 46 percent of Yahoo leagues; managers needing a center for Friday’s 10-game slate should make sure he isn’t sitting on the waiver wire.

Brice Sensabaugh is a bench scorer who thrives on hitting tough shots. While Lauri and Jaren are out, Brice could be looked at as a stream option if you need some points and three pointers, but he won’t give you much more than that.

Wilson has scored 20 or more points in three of his last four games and continues to improve. The Bulls’ rookie didn’t shoot as well as he can against the Knicks, but he still made an impact on both ends of the floor. The Bulls led by as much as 19 in the third quarter before the Knicks rallied to win. Wilson will be a fun player to watch develop in the years to come, and his fantasy value should only improve.

Obviously you want Darryn to be more efficient from the field, but he got his shot attempts up which is what you want to see. He did leave the game in the first quarter with a head injury but returned. He did not close the game which is notable. He will continue to get better, and this is a good game all things considered, but the fantasy upside for this season isn’t very high.

Buzelis is shooting just 38.8 percent from the field this season, seven percentage points lower than his career number. He was 2-of-7 inside the arc on Wednesday, but the Bulls forward made half of his six three-point attempts. Add in the full stat line, and things could have gone far worse for those rostering Buzelis.

Powell finished Wednesday’s defeat with his first 30-point game of the season, shooting 66.7 percent from the field. The veteran guard began the day shooting 36.5 percent from the field, so category-league managers will be pleased with Powell’s showing against the Knicks. Things won’t get easier for Powell and the Bulls, as they visit the Celtics on Friday. Boston blew out Chicago on Friday, with Powell scoring 20 points.

Ace Bailey is the best point of attack defender the Jazz have on the roster right now. He’s also put in serious work on the offseason to get better at rebounding the ball and passing. The amount of trust the coaching staff has in him right now cannot be understated. He’s worth grabbing in redraft leagues if he’s available, and in dynasty leagues, you have to be happy if you have him on your roster.

On a night when Mikal Bridges (three points and one three-pointer) didn’t have it, Knicks head coach Mike Brown didn’t hesitate to turn to his bench. Clarkson, who didn’t play in Tuesday’s win over the Pistons, scored 12 points, grabbed two steals, and hit two three-pointers in the second half in 12 minutes. Bridges played three minutes in the second half and 13 overall. Clarkson isn’t at the point where he can be trusted in fantasy basketball, but he helped the Knicks come back from 19 down on Wednesday.

Keyonte had a lot on his shoulders with the injuries to Jaren Jackson and Lauri Markkanen. He was the go to guy and helped keep the Jazz in the game. He was one of three people on the team to play more than thirty minutes in the loss. If you have Keyonte George in redraft leagues, it will be worth paying attention to how many points he’s scoring in case there is a sell-high window due the injuries and with Darryn continuing to get better.