Nassir Little played five minutes in Saturday’s win over the Kings, finishing with three points (1-of-2 FTs), two rebounds and one 3-pointer.
Little has appeared in each of the Blazers’ last two games, but he’s playing sparingly. The second-year forward is still working his way back after missing time due to COVID-19, so he’s unlikely to crack the rotation any time soon. Leave Little on the waiver wire.
Hassan Whiteside played 24 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Blazers, finishing with 11 points (3-of-7 FGs, 5-of-9 FTs), eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and one blocked shot.
With Richaun Holmes (ankle) being a late scratch, Whiteside was back in the rotation after picking up a DNP-CD in the game prior. It’s amazing that a player who provided first-round value prior to the bubble in 2019-20 is barely on the radar in most leagues this season, but here we are. One area where Whiteside can help Sacramento is on defense, and after Saturday's loss he said that guys need to take being scored on personally. Fantasy managers that currently have Whiteside rostered might as well hang onto him, just in case Walton actually makes changes to the rotation once everyone is healthy.
Marvin Bagley shot 5-of-14 from the field and 4-of-6 from the foul line in Saturday’s loss to the Blazers, finishing with 15 points, eight rebounds and one 3-pointer.
With De’Aaron Fox on a minutes limit, Saturday’s game was an opportunities for Bagley to do more offensively. He did lead the Kings in field goal attempts, but the third-year forward didn’t do much with his chances. Shooting a little under 42% from the field, Bagley is still ranked well outside of the top-200 in both 8- and 9-cat formats. In addition to the offensive struggles he’s being targeted by opposing teams on the other end, and Bagley hasn’t risen to that challenge. “A lot of teams are doing that, but I talk to him. ... I want him to get mad about that,” Hassan Whiteside said after Saturday’s game. “You want to take that personal. You don’t want them to target you on defense and feel like you’re a liability out there.”
De'Aaron Fox (right hamstring tightness) played just 25 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Blazers, tallying 10 points (3-of-9 FGs, 4-of-6 FTs), two rebounds, two assists and three turnovers.
Fox was on a minutes restriction for the second straight game, as he played in both ends of a back-to-back despite dealing with tightness in his hamstring. He’ll have a day off before the Kings return to action Monday night against the Pacers, so hopefully Fox can do a bit more. Because when he isn’t able to unleash his speed on opponents, Fox doesn’t offer a great deal in the way of fantasy value.
Tyrese Haliburton started Saturday's loss to the Blazers and accounted for 12 points (5-of-8 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), two rebounds, eight assists, one steal and one 3-pointer in 31 minutes.
Haliburton wasn’t on a minutes restriction, but Luke Walton wanted to keep an eye on the rookie guard as he only recently returned from a wrist injury. Haliburton has been one of the best rookies with regard to fantasy value, as he’s providing top-50 value in both 8- and 9-cat formats. As long as he can stay healthy, those who have Haliburton rostered will reap the rewards.
Trey Burke rose from the trenches on Saturday, scoring a season-high 29 points while hitting 11-of-13 shots and seven 3-pointers with four assists in just 21 minutes.
Burke was listed as probable with an illness coming into the game, suited up and got buckets. Can we call this his 'Flu Game'? His previous season high was 17 and he topped that by a dozen, splashing seven 3-pointers in the process. Burke got meaningful minutes with Josh Richardson (health and safety protocols) and Jalen Brunson (health and safety protocols) sidelined and he made the most of it. We wouldn't consider this a reason to grab him off waivers, but he's a solid streaming option if JR and JB miss more time.
Nikola Vucevic was the lone bright spot for the Magic on Saturday, scoring 30 points and grabbing 15 boards in a losing effort.
Vuc shot 14-of-24 from the floor and made two 3-pointers, tacking on a pair of assists and steals in 33 minutes. It was his second 30-point game this season and his sixth with more than 22. His ADP was 30 in Yahoo leagues but he ranks 16th in 9-cat through the first few weeks of the NBA season. Vucevic is surely one of the most underrated centers, if not players, in the league.
LaMarcus Aldridge played 33 minutes in Saturday's win over the Timberwolves, tallying 10 points (4-of-11 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), three rebounds, one assist, two steals, one block and one 3-pointer.
Two nights after he lit up Marc Gasol, Aldridge ran into a tougher matchup in the form of Karl-Anthony Towns. He's still capable of big scoring nights, as the Lakers found out, but Aldridge's scoring average is nearly four points per game lower than his number of a season ago. We'll see if he can put up better numbers in the second game of the back-to-back in Minneapolis on Sunday.
Aaron Gordon had an off shooting night on Saturday, going 6-of-16 from the floor and 1-of-7 from deep in the Magic's loss to the Mavs.
It was a rough return for Gordon who missed one game because of a hamstring injury, but he salvaged his fantasy night by adding four rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. So while it wasn't a great night for AG, it was completely terrible either. But with Markelle Fultz (ACL) out for the season, Gordon will have create for himself, and hopefully for his teammates, more this season. Perhaps that would increase his usage rate and value in 9-cat which is currently 160th.
Anthony Edwards shot 5-of-11 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line in 30 minutes Saturday, tallying 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and one 3-pointer.
Coming off of his best game as a pro, Edwards was solid Saturday night. But there is still a lot for him to learn, as evidenced by his passing up a layup that would have pulled the Timberwolves to within a point late in overtime. San Antonio picked off the pass and then ran out the clock to preserve the three-point victory. Even though he’s scored 13 points or more in four of Minnesota’s five games this month, Edwards’ lack of efficiency as a scorer has limited his fantasy value. He’s averaging just over three turnovers per game, and that combined with poor 3-point shooting has the rookie well outside of the top-200 in 9-cat.
D'Angelo Russell shot just 7-of-22 from the field in Saturday’s loss to the Spurs, finishing with 16 points, three rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block and one 3-pointer in 38 minutes.
The return of Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t limit Russell’s scoring opportunities, as his 22 field goal attempts are the most that he’s registered in a game this season. But he made just 31.8% of those shots, Russell’s second-worst percentage in a game this season (2-of-7 vs. the Lakers on December 27). How Russell works with Towns will go a long way towards determining when Minnesota snaps out of his current funk (they’ve lost seven straight). Russell currently ranks outside of the top-100 in 9-cat, but that will hopefully improve with KAT back in the fold.
Naz Reid played 16 minutes off the bench in Saturday’s loss to the Spurs, finishing with 16 points (6-of-8 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), seven rebounds, one assist, three blocks and three 3-pointers.
As many expected, the return of Karl-Anthony Towns meant that Reid remained in the rotation as the backup center while Ed Davis was a DNP-CD. Interestingly enough, the second-year center has played some of the best basketball of his career in the midst of Minnesota’s seven-game losing streak. Reid has now scored 11 points or more in six of the last seven games, which essentially coincides with Towns’ time on the sideline due to a wrist injury. Reid’s fantasy value isn’t great with KAT back in the lineup, but it hasn’t completely disappeared either. Fantasy managers who can afford to hang onto Reid for the time being should do that.
Khris Middleton had an all-around good game on Saturday, posting 27 points, five rebounds, six assists, one steal and a block in the Bucks win over the Cavs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (back spasms) didn't play on Saturday but it didn't matter as Middleton led the Bucks to a win. He made 10-of-16 shots, three 3-pointers and all four of his freebies. The two-time All-Star is averaging 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists with three triples a game in just 32 minutes. Ridiculous numbers for Middleton who's top-20 value in 9-cat cannot go unnoticed.
Dejounte Murray shot 7-of-18 from the field and 5-of-6 from the foul line in Saturday’s win over the Timberwolves, finishing with 22 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block and three 3-pointers in 41 minutes.
Field goal percentage aside, Murray had an outstanding night as the Spurs outlasted Minnesota in overtime. He’s currently just outside of the top-60 in both 8- and 9-cat formats, and he ranks among the best rebounding guards in the league. What really helps fantasy managers is Murray's willingness to take more 3-pointers, and his improved accuracy in recent games. He was 3-of-6 from deep Saturday night, and he's now 7-of-15 over San Antonio's last three games. After a slow start, Murray is starting to get going.
Patty Mills shot 5-of-8 from three in Saturday’s win over the Timberwolves, scoring 21 points (8-of-14 FGs) with one assist in 30 minutes.
Mills once again came through from beyond the arc, as his marksmanship helped propel San Antonio to the road win. He usually provides a little more in the way of assists, as Mills entered the game averaging three per night. But that’s OK, especially when Mills shoots the ball as well as he has thus far. The veteran guard is providing top-100 value in 9-cat formats, and his rostered percentage has jumped considerably in recent days (from 11% to 31%). Grab him off of the waiver wire while you still can.
Keldon Johnson shot 6-of-12 from the field and 3-of-4 from the foul line in Saturday’s win over the Timberwolves, posting a line of 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists, one steal and two 3-pointers in 42 minutes.
Johnson has managed to carry over his play in the bubble into the new season, providing sixth-round value in both 8- and 9-cat formats. While the second-year small forward was well off the radar in most standard drafts, many fantasy managers wasted no time picking him up. Johnson’s rostered in 73% of Yahoo leagues, and that number feels a bit low given how well he’s played.
Damyean Dotson had his best game of the season, netting 21 points, eight assists, two rebounds, a steal and a block in 41 minutes.
Dotson got another start with Collin Sexton (ankle) and Darius Garland (shoulder) out again, and this time, he made it count. Dotson hit 8-of-17 field goals attempts including two 3-pointers, finishing as the team's second-leading scorer in the game behind Andre Drummond. His 21 points topped his previous season high of 16, and he now has 14 assists over the last two contests. The Cavs could use some consistent bench production, and if Dotson can keep this up after 'Sexland' returns, he could earn himself a more prominent role in the rotation.
Larry Nance had a nice game on Saturday despite the loss, finishing with 17 points, three rebounds, two assists, four steals and a block.
Nance hit 6-of-11 shots, 3-of-6 from distance and both of his free throws against the Bucks. It was an efficient shooting night for the forward, but his rebounds have been lacking lately, as Nance has grabbed just three boards in each of the Cavs last four straight games. He makes up for it with 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals a night, but we'd like to see him crash the glass a bit harder.
Troy Brown Jr. played 22 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Heat, finishing with seven points (3-of-6 FGs), six rebounds, one assist, one steal and one 3-pointer.
This was Brown’s first action since New Year’s Day, and all things considered he was solid. There may be a few more minutes available to him if Russell Westbrook (quad) and Bradley Beal (health and safety protocols) remain sidelined, but that won’t enough to make Brown a player worth rostering in any format.
In 23 minutes off the bench, Garrison Mathews accounted for 22 points (6-of-12 FGs, 6-of-7 FTs), two rebounds, one assist, two steals and four 3-pointers Saturday vs. Miami.
After essentially being out of the rotation, Mathews’ minutes have increased in each of Washington’s last three games. And the second-year wing may not be leaving the rotation anytime soon, either. "We needed a spark... he’s gonna compete. He’s hungry. I probably should have played him earlier in the season,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said of Mathews before Saturday’s game. Mathews isn’t worth grabbing off of the waiver wire right now, but fantasy managers should keep an eye on him especially with Bradley Beal (health and safety protocols) sidelined.