Charlotte

Hornets

White’s continued absence protects the minutes of Tre Mann and Sion James, neither of whom is worth the risk in most redraft leagues.

McNeeley has not appeared in a game since January 28, and he isn’t in the Hornets’ rotation when healthy. The rookie’s absence does not affect fantasy basketball.

Williams did not play in Friday’s loss to the Cavaliers, as it was Charlotte’s second game in as many nights. With Miles Bridges serving the final game of his four-game suspension, Williams will likely move into the starting lineup. If so, that would bump Sion James to the bench.

Making his third consecutive start as the Hornets await Moussa Diabaté’s return from a four-game suspension, Kalkbrenner had one of his most productive nights of the season. The rookie center recorded his third double-double of the season and first since November 4, playing 36 minutes. The 13 rebounds were a season-high for Kalkbrenner, who hit double figures in that category for the fourth time. Diabaté will also be suspended for Sunday’s game against the Wizards, so don’t hesitate to add Kalkbrenner if he’s sitting on the waiver wire.

In the past, a poor shooting night would lead to Ball having a terribly inefficient night overall. He’s grown this season, and the Hornets point guard committed two turnovers in Friday’s defeat. That was one of the reasons why Charlotte was able to hang with the Cavaliers despite LaMelo struggling with his shot. Fantasy managers may not take much solace in that, but it’s a clear sign of growth for the point guard.

Knueppel entered Friday’s game trailing Donovan Mitchell by one three-pointer in the race for the most triples in the NBA. The rookie took over the top spot with a 7-of-15 effort against the surging Cavaliers. While his performance didn’t result in a victory for the Hornets, Knueppel continues to play at a high level in his debut campaign. And with the Hornets visiting the Wizards on Sunday, he could be in for another big night to end Week 17.

James will start in place of Grant Williams on the second game of a back-to-back for the Hornets. Charlotte, one of the hottest teams in basketball, will look to avoid consecutive losses, which haven’t happened since the beginning of January. The Hornets are currently 10th in the Eastern Conference standings but just a half-game behind the Hawks for 9th place.

Williams had a strong outing on Thursday as a starter, but he’ll get the night off for rest on the second leg of Charlotte’s back-to-back set. Miles Bridges is still suspended, which should mean increased playing time for Tidjane Salaün. Salaün logged 20 minutes in Thursday’s loss to Houston.

White hasn’t appeared in a game for Charlotte since being traded in early February, and fantasy managers will have to wait at least one more game for that debut. Tre Mann and Sion James will continue to handle backcourt responsibilities off the bench until White is back in action.

Kalkbrenner continues to start and dominate the center minutes for the Hornets while Moussa Diabaté is suspended. The 24-year-old center had 12 points, four rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes in the loss to the Rockets. Kalkbrenner will still be usable in deeper formats for two more games with Diabaté suspended.