NBA Player News

Jokić logged another impressive stat line in Thursday’s loss, impacting the game as a scorer, facilitator, and rebounder. He shot the ball efficiently overall despite not finding his touch from beyond the arc. Yet, his contributions weren’t enough to keep Denver from another early playoff exit. The Nuggets have not been back to the Western Conference Finals since their championship-winning 2021-22 season. Regardless of what roster construction occurs over the offseason, Jokić should be back and will have a chance to finish as one of the best fantasy players.

Huerter has missed the last two games with a strained left adductor. The Pistons have leaned on Cade Cunningham, who saw his highest minute totals of the series in the last two games, without Huerter. That figures to be the case once again in Game 7 on Sunday.

Edwards suffered a bone bruise and hyperextension in his left knee last week and was expected to miss multiple weeks. While the 24-year-old shooting guard took shots after practice on Saturday, that timeline doesn’t seem to have changed. The Timberwolves are going to start their second round series without Edwards and it’s still unclear when exactly he’ll be back.

Tatum was added to the injury report Saturday afternoon as questionable with left knee stiffness. It’s not a good sign for the 28-year-old power forward. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters on Friday that Tatum would play. Now his superstar’s status is legitimately up in the air on the afternoon of Game 7.

George was added to the injury report Saturday afternoon with an illness. While it’s not a great sign that the 36-year-old small forward woke up sick on the day of Game 7, he’s still listed as probable. Still likely to play, George had 23 points in the 76ers’ win in Game 6 on Thursday.

While Sheppard scored in double figures in five of the six games in this series, his second NBA season ended with a whimper on Friday. The Rockets guard shot 1-of-10 from beyond the arc and converted just three of his nine two-point attempts. And with Kevin Durant (ankle) still out, the Rockets could ill afford to have Sheppard shoot as poorly as he did in Game 6. Fantasy-wise, while Fred VanVleet’s absence did open things up for Sheppard, few managers expected him to provide top-100 value during the regular season. With a healthy VanVleet and Durant in the fold, Sheppard’s ADP (113 this season) is unlikely to receive a boost ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Eason recorded a complete stat line in his final game of the 2025-26, and potentially his last as a Houston Rocket. The fourth-year forward will be a restricted free agent this summer, and there should be some options for him to choose from. However, availability has capped his fantasy ceiling in recent seasons, and that may also affect his market in free agency. After appearing in all 82 games as a rookie, Eason has played in 60 regular-season games or fewer in each of the last three.

Smith did his best to shoulder a heavier workload in the aftermath of Kevin Durant’s ankle injury, but the fourth-year forward’s efficiency slipped against the Lakers. Shooting 3-of-11 from the field in Game 6, Smith had just one game in which he shot 50 percent or better from the field. He did grab 12 rebounds on Friday, recording his second double-double of the series, but this was a disappointing end to the 2025-26 season. Regarding Smith’s fantasy prospects for next season, he has top-100 potential, but the ceiling is somewhat limited with Kevin Durant in the fold.

Thompson, who led the Rockets in scoring in Game 6, had two 20-point games in this series. While a highly valuable fantasy option, especially for managers punting three-pointers, the Rockets’ wing needs to improve his perimeter shot heading into the 2026-27 campaign. Thompson does not need to turn into the second coming of Stephen Curry, but a respectable jump shot could go a long way toward unlocking even more of his potential on the offensive end of the floor. Using a top-25 pick on Thompson in drafts next fall would not be that big of a reach in category league formats, while managers in points leagues can afford to wait a little bit.

After going off for 33 points in Game 3, Şengün scored 19 points or less in each of the final three games of the series. While the Rockets got away with that in Games 4 and 5, that was not the case in Game 6. Only having Kevin Durant for one game certainly didn’t help matters, nor did Houston’s failure to address the point guard position in Fred VanVleet’s absence. Şengün did not provide the second-round value that many fantasy managers expected before the season began, but he was not far off in eight-cat formats. He won’t last long on draft boards next fall, even with a healthy Durant and VanVleet in the starting lineup.

While he did not offer much production as a scorer, Ayton more than held his own on the glass in Game 6. The Lakers center grabbed at least 10 rebounds in each of the final three games of the series, totaling 33 in Games 5 and 6. While the Lakers will need more offense from Ayton in the second round against Oklahoma City, at a minimum, he’ll need to be dominant on the glass for them to have any chance of pulling off what would be a major upset.