San Antonio

Spurs

Vassell hasn’t been able to pour in the points consistently this year, but he’s still more than capable. He’s taken on more offensive responsibility lately, and he has scored at least 20 points in four of his last six games. His seven triples in this game matched his season high. Vassell’s production is down this year, but he has stepped up with Stephon Castle (hip) and Victor Wembanyama (calf) sidelined. As long as they’re out, he should continue to receive a boost in production.

Fox has been able to provide late-game magic in multiple games recently to help lead the Spurs to wins, but he wasn’t able to get it done in this one. Still, he was able to turn in a strong line. Fox has now scored at least 25 points in four straight games and in nine of his last 10 appearances. He’ll continue to keep the Spurs afloat until Victor Wembanyama (calf) returns to the lineup.

Kornet is set to miss Friday’s game against the Cavaliers with a sore left ankle. Kelly Olynyk should move into the starting lineup with Victor Wembanyama also sidelined while Jeremy Sochan also picks up additional minutes. Olynyk is worth streaming.

Kornet, who has been starting for the injured Victor Wembanyama, is dealing with a sore left ankle. If he’s unable to play on Friday, Kelly Olynyk would benefit the most in terms of playing time. While Jeremy Sochan may also pick up a few more minutes, Olynyk is the player to target as he would likely move into the starting lineup.

Since moving into the Spurs’ starting lineup on November 16 to fill the void left by Victor Wembanyama, Kornet has provided ninth-round value in eight-cat formats. The issue has been the lack of scoring, with the 7-foot-1 center averaging 6.6 points per game. However, Kornet has been a good player to roster for those needing rebounds and blocks. He was productive in those categories in Orlando, with his third block coming as time expired to preserve the victory. Kornet remains a specialist, but the opportunity to start makes him a player worth holding onto in deep leagues.

Since returning to action on November 26, Harper has reached double figures in four of five games, including each of the last four. With Stephon Castle (hip) out, the Spurs’ perimeter rotation is less crowded, which has benefitted the rookie. Harper has been most beneficial in the points, assists and steals categories, so he’s been relegated to deep-league status in redraft formats. But there is a lot to like about his skill set, and Harper has not reached his ceiling.

While Vassell’s season-long fantasy value places him outside the top-100 in eight-cat formats, he has been close to a top-50 player over the past two weeks. De’Aaron Fox has been the biggest beneficiary of the absences of Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, but Vassell isn’t far behind. And while injuries to key players are never a good thing, those absences may have given Vassell the boost he needed after a slow start to the season.

While Fox did not record any defensive stats and was responsible for seven turnovers, eight-cat managers will undoubtedly accept his stat line. The Spurs guard, whose two free throws with 1.4 seconds remaining gave his team the lead for good, recorded his second 20-point game of the season. With Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle sidelined, more of the offense runs through Fox, which raises his ceiling despite the turnover concerns.

There aren’t as many minutes for Harper as there are for other lottery picks, but he was able to make the most of his time in this game. Since returning from a 10-game absence, Harper has averaged 12.5 points, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals in just 18 minutes per game. He’ll continue to have his minutes managed for now, and when he returns to a full workload, he’ll still have De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle ahead of him in the rotation. Harper is valuable asset in dynasty leagues, but his role may not be large enough for him to truly pop this season.

Fox checked back into the game with 4:07 left in the fourth, with the Spurs down 113-110. From that point on, he had 11 points and an assist to deliver a win for San Antonio. Fox has been able to help the Spurs stay afloat with Victor Wembanyama (calf) sidelined, and he has been able to provide third-round value to this point. He is having his best season from the free throw line and the second-best field goal percentage of his career. Fox will continue to shine as the focal point of this team until Wemby returns, and he’ll have no issues still being a star after that.