NBA Player News

Achiuwa is back after sitting out Tuesday’s loss to the Hornets. His return means that Patrick Baldwin Jr. will head to the bench, and Dylan Cardwell may miss out on a few minutes.

Williams appeared to tweak something in his lower back during the second quarter of Friday’s loss to the Mavericks, and he did not play after halftime. If he can’t play on Sunday, the Trail Blazers may call on Yang Hansen to fill out the rotation since Jerami Grant (calf) has already been ruled out.

While Krejčí remaining out with a left calf contusion does not affect fantasy basketball, Grant’s calf strain does. His absence opens up a spot in the starting lineup, with Sidy Cissoko and Kris Murray being potential replacements. Also, no Grant means that the Trail Blazers will need more consistent production from Scoot Henderson off the bench.

Johnson and Sarr will sit for injury management reasons, opening up two spots in the Wizards’ starting lineup. Will Riley is Johnson’s potential replacement, while Tristan Vukčević will likely step in for Sarr at center. Even if he doesn’t start, Riley is worth rostering for the rest of the season.

Coulibaly and Black started Friday’s loss to the Warriors, but the former was limited to 19 minutes. With Tre Johnson out, Black could be asked to log heavy minutes once again if allowed to play. If both players sit, Will Riley and Justin Champagnie will receive boosts to their respective fantasy values.

Ball had an opportunity to tie Saturday’s game in the final seconds, but his three-point attempt fell short of the mark. The Hornets’ point guard did not shoot the ball well, but the good news was that he kept the turnovers in check, which was not always the case in the past. Ball committed just two turnovers against the 76ers, and the assists and three-pointers were certainly useful to fantasy managers. Ball will look to clean up the shooting when the Hornets host the Celtics on Sunday.

Diabaté has recorded a double-double in three of his last four games, with the exception being Friday’s blowout win over the Knicks. The Hornets’ center, who’s rostered in 35 percent of Yahoo! leagues, has been close to a top-75 player since the All-Star break, according to Basketball Monster. With the Hornets hosting the Celtics on Sunday and then playing four games in Week 23, managers in 12-team leagues where Diabaté is still on the waiver wire should seriously consider adding him.

While he did not record any assists or defensive stats, Miller had a nice afternoon as a scorer and rebounder. The 29 points were the most he’s scored in a game in over a month, having tallied 33 in a February 26 win over the Pacers. Since the All-Star break, Miller has provided fourth-round value in eight-cat formats. The Hornets play once more in Week 22, as they host the Celtics on Sunday.

George produced an excellent all-around stat line on Saturday, which was great news for those rostering him. In the two games he’s played since returning from his suspension, the 76ers’ forward has totaled 54 points, 19 rebounds, six assists, eight steals, two blocks and 10 three-pointers. Describing George as a “league-winner” is a bit strange given his career track record. However, the 25-game suspension has put him in that position since some managers dropped him in the immediate aftermath.

Embiid’s ability to get to the foul line was a factor in Philadelphia’s comeback victory, as he shot 10-of-13 from the stripe. Add in what the former league MVP was able to do within the flow of the offense, and this was a good end to Week 22 for those rostering Embiid. Philadelphia’s four-game Week 23 includes a back-to-back, so managers may only have Embiid for three games. That said, three games of him are better than four games of most starting centers regarding fantasy value.

Oubre did not start in his first game back from an elbow injury, but the playing time was not an issue. He logged 28 minutes while starter Dominick Barlow (three points and two rebounds) played 15. The question is, how long will 76ers head coach Nick Nurse stick with Barlow as his starter? During the preseason, the expectation was that Philadelphia would go small, with Oubre and Paul George being the starting forwards. However, the combination of injuries and Barlow’s play led to him starting. That may change ahead of the playoffs, possibly as soon as Monday in Miami.