San Antonio

Spurs

Inactive since December 29 due to a strained adductor, Vassell was used in a reserve role on Sunday. While there was some rust to shake off, the Spurs’ wing playing 25 minutes without issue is the most important takeaway. Julian Champagnie (13 points, four rebounds, one assist and one three-pointer) remained in the starting lineup, but he played 26 minutes after logging 34 in each of the prior two games. There will likely come a point when Vassell returns to the starting lineup, with Champagnie heading to the bench.

San Antonio’s starting backcourt of Fox and Stephon Castle (five points, four rebounds, five assists and one steal) combined to shoot 5-of-14 from the field on Sunday. While that wasn’t the only reason for the loss, it certainly didn’t help the Spurs’ cause. Over the past two weeks, Fox has been close to a top-50 player in eight-cat formats, with the foul line (63.3 percent) being his issue. Given the season-long value, Fox should be fine moving forward.

Wembanyama and the Spurs struggled to knock down shots on Sunday, making 40 percent of their attempts from the field and shooting 12-of-44 from beyond the arc. Wemby’s line included a poor effort from the foul line, with the 7-foot-4 sensation making two of his six attempts. All wasn’t lost for fantasy managers due to the rebounds and blocks, but overall, this was an underwhelming end to Week 14 for Wembanyama. The Spurs begin a three-game Week 15 in Houston on Wednesday.

McLaughlin is available, but he’s unlikely to get the minutes needed to be a factor in fantasy basketball. Leave him on the waiver wire.

Kornet is good to go after missing Thursday’s win over the Jazz. His return means that the Spurs won’t have to go small when Victor Wembanyama rests. Kornet’s fantasy ceiling isn’t great, but he is worth rostering in deep leagues.

McLaughlin’s availability does not affect fantasy basketball, as he is not in the Spurs’ rotation on most nights.

Kornet did not play in Thursday’s win over the Jazz. The Spurs went small for most of the minutes Victor Wembanyama wasn’t on the floor; expect a similar approach if Kornet can’t play against New Orleans.

Vassell has been out since December 29, which has resulted in Julian Champagnie moving into the starting lineup. Depending on how the Spurs handle Vassell’s workload, Champagnie may get another start. He’s worth holding onto until Vassell plays without restrictions, given his three-point production.

Johnson’s inconsistent scoring recently has negatively affected his fantasy value, especially given his limited defensive production. He’s reached double figures in three of his last six games, but Thursday’s stat line was solid. While there have been more opportunities with Devin Vassell out of the lineup, Johnson’s game will not have a significant impact in category leagues. There’s no need to consider streaming him in 12-team leagues.

While De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama combined to score 57 points, Castle had one of his best games of the season from a distribution standpoint. In addition to eight assists, the second-year guard recorded just one turnover in 37 minutes. Castle didn’t have a great night shooting the basketball, but the efficiency as a playmaker was of far greater importance.