LAC • Guard-Forward • #25
about 2 months ago
Simmons was underwhelming in his first meeting with the Lakers as a Clipper with two points, three assists, and three rebounds. Nicolas Batum will likely get a surge in minutes if Simmons can’t suit up for round two on Sunday.
ATL • Forward • #26
about 2 months ago
Barlow’s two-way contract is being converted to a two-year standard deal. He’s played sparingly this season and won’t affect fantasy basketball significantly as he tries to play his way into Atlanta’s regular rotation. The 21-year-old forward started off his career with the Spurs before joining the Hawks this offseason.
Source: Shams Charania
WAS • G-F • #9
about 2 months ago
Washington is making a long-term commitment to Champagnie, who is averaging 7.5 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 50.7 percent from the field this season. The former UDFA bounced around from the Raptors, Celtics, and Heat before catching on with the Wizards in early 2024. Champagnie maintains little fantasy value at this time, but the Wizards are hoping he can become a solid three-and-D wing as he hits his prime.
Source: Shams Charania
ORL • Guard • #4
about 2 months ago
Suggs hasn’t played since late January and it appears likely he’ll miss the rest of the season. The 23-year-old will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee. The Magic guard is expected to make a full recovery. Cole Anthony has stepped in as Orlando’s starting lead guard in Suggs’ absence and remains a solid fantasy option going forward.
Source: Shams Charania
BOS • Center-Forward • #40
about 2 months ago
Hauser has been dropped from the starting lineup for Luke Kornet. The big man shouldn’t affect fantasy basketball much, as he was scoreless without a shot attempt in 19 minutes his last time out.
DEN • Guard • #4
about 2 months ago
Westbrook will replace Aaron Gordon in the starting lineup instead of Zeke Nnaji. This will be the point guard’s first start since late January.
CHI • Guard • #2
about 2 months ago
Ball has been downgraded from probable after scoring 14 points in 34 minutes his last time out. Tre Jones could be in line for a larger role to wrap up the weekend if Ball is ruled out.
BOS • Forward-Center • #8
about 2 months ago
Porzingis and Holiday sat against the Cavaliers and both are set to miss their second consecutive games. Al Horford and Sam Hauser are the players most likely to fill in as starters against Denver.
MIN • Forward-Center • #30
about 2 months ago
Randle missed all of February with a groin injury but is targeting a Sunday return. He’ll likely bump Terrence Shannon Jr. to the bench and start alongside Naz Reid in the frontcourt.
CHI • Guard • #11
about 2 months ago
Dosunmu was having a healthy February before he suffered a shoulder injury against the Knicks. He returned from a three-game absence for one contest before shutting down for the year to undergo surgery. Lonzo Ball appears set to take on a featured role as a starter for the rest of the regular season with Dosunmu out of the picture.
NOP • • #
about 2 months ago
Quinones has averaged 23.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game with the G League’s Birmingham Squadron. He isn’t likely to impact fantasy basketball with the Pelicans, though.
DAL • F • #13
about 2 months ago
Marshall’s stat line was underwhelming on Saturday outside of the assists and steals. However, PJ Washington’s right ankle flared up, and the Mavericks’ forward was ruled out after playing for 15 minutes. While Washington was on a restriction (25-30 minutes), his premature exit meant more playing time for Marshall. He’ll likely be back in the starting lineup if Washington misses time. In 15 starts this season, Naji has averaged 11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.9 three-pointers in 26.9 minutes.
DAL • G • #31
about 2 months ago
Thompson has been effective for fantasy managers needing three-point production recently, as he’s made three or more in seven straight and nine of his last 10 games. Since the All-Star break, the veteran sharpshooter has provided seventh-round value in nine-cat formats. While that’s noticeably better than Thompson’s season-long production, his ceiling is limited, with the Mavericks being as shorthanded as they currently are. Dallas begins a four-game Week 18 on Monday against the Kings.
DAL • C • #3
about 2 months ago
After putting up a double-double in his first start as a Maverick on Thursday, Brown had another solid night on Saturday. The negative for the few who have him rostered is the lack of defensive stats, especially after Brown tallied three steals and two blocks against the Hornets two nights prior. Rostered in 11 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Brown should be rostered in deep leagues while under contract with the Mavericks. However, his 10-day contract expires on Sunday, so fantasy managers willing to take the risk should avoid rushing to use a transaction to add Brown.
PHI • Guard • #0
about 2 months ago
Maxey’s scoring production over the last few weeks has been inconsistent, which is surprising after his dominant run in January. Maxey scored an inefficient 30 points in Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks, but he tied his season-low for scoring on Saturday, which he initially set in his final appearance before the All-Star break. Maxey has been dealing with an injury to his right pinky finger which is clearly impacting his ability to shoot the ball. He has only hit one three-pointer over his last three games and has shot 30.4 percent from the floor during that stretch. Still, he was able to provide some assist value to make up for his lack of scoring on Saturday.
DAL • G • #11
about 2 months ago
Saturday was supposed to be when Irving received additional help offensively as PJ Washington returned from an ankle injury. Unfortunately, he only played 15 minutes due to his ankle flaring up. Irving was once again left to shoulder a significant amount of the offensive workload, and he has now scored 30 points or more in five of his last seven games. Since the All-Star break, Irving has provided top-10 value in eight- and nine-cat formats and can sustain that production level. However, the Mavericks must get healthy as they slip down the Western Conference standings.
MIL • Guard • #5
about 2 months ago
Trent hasn’t been consistently productive since the Bucks lost Bobby Portis to a 25-game suspension, but he does have added importance. Saturday night, he recorded his first 20-point game since February 12 (21 vs. Minnesota), the Bucks’ final game before the All-Star break. Rostered in 10 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Trent hasn’t been a top 200 player in eight- or nine-cat formats. However, with the Bucks playing two back-to-backs during Week 18, he may be worth the streaming risk in extremely deep leagues.
PHI • Center • #1
about 2 months ago
Drummond remained in the starting lineup for Philadelphia just one day after it was announced that Joel Embiid (knee) would miss the rest of the season. Drummond is currently rostered in 27 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but that will likely change quickly. He only needed 21 minutes to record a double-double and lead both teams in rebounding. Guerschon Yabusele filled out the other 27 minutes at center and contributed 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and five three-pointers. Both should be considered must-roster players for the rest of the season.
GSW • Guard • #0
about 2 months ago
GP2’s impact usually doesn’t show up in the box score, but he played well against Philadelphia. He tied his season-high for points and contributed solid value in rebounds and assists in just 23 minutes. Six of his 15 points came in the final seven minutes of the game to help Golden State keep the game close in the fourth quarter, though they weren’t able to secure the win. This was a strong performance from Payton II, but he isn’t a player to consider rostering in standard leagues.
MIL • Guard • #0
about 2 months ago
Lillard has only been a fourth-round player in nine-cat formats since the All-Star break, and field goal percentage has been a factor. He’s shooting just 40.3 percent from the field, four-plus points lower than his mark for the season (44.7). Lillard has been hit-or-miss since the break, alternating solid (or better) shooting nights with clunkers against the Clippers (February 20) and Rockets (February 25). However, the upcoming schedule may be more concerning for fantasy managers, as Milwaukee’s Week 18 consists of two back-to-backs.
MIL • Forward • #34
about 2 months ago
Antetokounmpo was again limited to 32 minutes, but that was all he needed to have a devastating effect on both ends of the floor. The Bucks’ superstar forward recorded excellent percentages and finished one rebound and one assist from a triple-double. Since the All-Star break, Giannis has provided top-30 value in eight-cat formats, two rounds better than his production for the season. Of course, it helps when a 58.9 percent foul shooter makes 69.4 percent of his attempts, as Antetokounmpo has since the break.
GSW • Guard • #30
about 2 months ago
The encore to Curry’s 56-point explosion on Thursday was a strong double-double, though it wasn’t enough to extend Golden State’s winning streak with Jimmy Butler (back) out of the lineup. Still, Curry was able to set a new season-high for assists and record his seventh double-double of the season and his first since January. Curry has provided top five value in nine-cat leagues over the past two weeks and will look to keep that going into their upcoming four-game week, which will begin in Charlotte on Monday.
GSW • Center • #21
about 2 months ago
After replacing Moses Moody in the starting lineup in the second half on Thursday, Post got the starting nod on Saturday, though it was in place of Jimmy Butler, who was sidelined with a back injury. Post took advantage of the opportunity and was Golden State’s second-leading scorer for a second straight game. It’s unclear if he’ll remain in the starting lineup when Butler returns, but he ranks just outside the top-100 in nine-cat leagues over the last two weeks and would have some streaming upside if he remains in that role.
MEM • Forward-Center • #13
about 2 months ago
With Ja Morant and Desmond Bane unavailable due to injury, everyone inside FedEx Forum knew the Grizzlies’ offense would run through Jackson. And the Spurs had no answer for him, as he shot 60 percent from the field and recorded his first 40-point game of the season (sixth of his career). Since the All-Star break, Jackson has provided top 25 per-game value in nine-cat formats, slightly better than his season-long production. He’ll look to build on Saturday’s performance when the Grizzlies begin a four-game Week 18 on Monday against the Hawks.
PHI • Guard • #5
about 2 months ago
With Philadelphia’s stars struggling, Grimes stepped up and had the best game of his career. He entered halftime with 20 points while making eight of his nine shot attempts, and he was able to maintain a high level of efficiency after the break. Unfortunately, his success from the floor wasn’t replicated at the foul line, even though that is supposed to be the easier shot. Grimes is coming off scoring just three points in a loss to the Knicks, so this was an incredibly bounce back performance. Grimes should remain an important part of Philadelphia’s rotation for the rest of the season, making him an excellent option in fantasy basketball.
MEM • Forward-Center • #7
about 2 months ago
Not only did Aldama record his 10th double-double of the season, but he finished two assists shy of his first career triple-double. Replacing Zach Edey in the starting lineup, the Grizzlies forward proved a capable sidekick for Jaren Jackson Jr. on a night when Ja Morant and Desmond Bane were out. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Aldama has provided reliable fantasy value this season. Rostered in 52 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Santi is worth adding, especially if he remains in the starting lineup.
