Luke

Kornet

Wembanyama has been ruled out for the last game of the regular season with a rib injury. The Spurs are already locked into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and Wembanyama has already played enough to qualify for awards. Luke Kornet should start and play plenty of minutes against the Nuggets on Sunday.

Kornet won’t be available for the Spurs’ final game of the regular season, which may free up minutes for Mason Plumlee, Kelly Olynyk and even Bismack Biyombo. Victor Wembanyama is considered questionable, but he guaranteed that he’ll be eligible for postseason awards by logging 26 minutes in Friday’s win over the Mavericks, so the MVP candidate may not play much on Sunday.

Wembanyama is back after a one-game absence, but fantasy managers in active leagues should not expect to see him take on a full workload. He needs to play at least 20 minutes in either of the Spurs’ final two games to become eligible for postseason awards, and San Antonio is locked into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Luke Kornet heads to the bench, but his playing time may not take a significant hit.

Wembanyama will be a game-time decision for Friday’s game. With the Spurs locked into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, Wemby and the Spurs’ sole motivation for him to play may be to ensure he’s eligible for postseason awards. He needs to play at least 20 minutes in one of San Antonio’s final two games to be eligible. Expect to see plenty of Luke Kornet on Friday.

Harper was one of two replacements in the Spurs’ starting lineup for Wednesday’s game, filling the void left by Stephon Castle (knee). And the rookie had a solid night overall, recording a complete stat line in 33 minutes. The lone negative was the turnover count, as Harper was responsible for five. That said, young players are going to have nights like that on occasion. Luke Kornet, who started for Victor Wembanyama, tallied 10 points, five rebounds, six assists, two steals and one three-pointer in 26 minutes.

The Spurs are without Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama, opening up two spots in the starting five. As expected, Harper and Kornet will fill the resulting voids. For those in active fantasy leagues, Harper and Kornet are worth slotting into lineups.

No surprises here, as Castle and Wemby were listed as doubtful on Tuesday. San Antonio is locked into the No. 2 seed in the West, so absences or limited playing time could be the norm for the Spurs’ starters over the final week of the season. Dylan Harper and Luke Kornet should see additional run against Portland.

Wembanyama suffered a left rib contusion during Monday’s win over the 76ers, playing 16 minutes. With the Spurs locked into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, the team may look to limit Wembanyama’s minutes in their remaining regular-season games. Luke Kornet is the likely next man up in the starting lineup.

Wembanyama did not play in Thursday’s win over the Clippers, as it was San Antonio’s second game in as many nights. His return means that Luke Kornet will return to the bench, where he offers limited fantasy value.

Kornet is back after sitting out Wednesday’s win over the Warriors, and he’s likely to be the starting center for the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama (ankle) is out, opening up a spot in the starting lineup, with Kornet being the prime option to fill the void.