Josh Jackson (right ankle) limped off the floor during the third quarter of Sunday's game and did not return, finishing with 13 points, one rebound, two triples, two assists and one steal in 14 minutes.
Dwane Casey did not provide an update on Jackson after the game, but with the Pistons scheduled to play on Monday in Milwaukee, we'd say there's a decent chance Jackson will need to skip that one. If he is forced to the sidelines, Delon Wright could return to the starting unit and there will be more minutes available for guys like Sekou Doumbouya, Svi Mykhailiuk and Saddiq Bey. Stay tuned.
DeAndre Ayton hit 9-of-12 FGs and 6-of-7 free throws for a season-high 24 points, eight rebounds, two assists and one steal with one turnover in a loss to the Clippers on Sunday.
Ayton was active on the interior, and efficient, as he's been since the new year began. In his last two games, he's scored 46 points on 19-of-25 shooting (76%). Ayton's offensive rebound and put-back of a missed Devin Booker 3-pointer with a minute and 37 seconds to play cut what was once a 31-point lead to just three on Sunday, but it wasn't enough. While the Suns are disappointed, Ayton's fantasy managers should be thrilled with his hot streak.
Dario Saric hit 6-of-9 FGs, 2-of-5 3-pointers and 1-of-2 free throws for 15 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal with two turnovers in a loss to the Clippers.
Saric has been in and out of the lineup with a quad injury that occurred before the start of the regular season, most recently missing Friday's game. But he looked sharp on Sunday. For fantasy purposes, he's probably only worth taking a look at in deeper leagues, though, considering the forward depth Phoenix has with Jae Crowder and Cameron Johnson.
Andrew Wiggins hit 8-of-16 FGs, 1-of-5 3-pointers and 4-of-7 free throws for 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks with two turnovers in a win over the Blazers on Sunday.
Wiggins has put together a respectable stretch after two dud games to start the year. In four games since, he's scored 82 points on 28-of-62 shooting, including nine makes from 3-point range. He's had 10 steals and eight blocks, too. Wiggins is far from a stud fantasy player, but he's starting to get acclimated to the Warriors' offense and has flashed his defensive potential, too.
Draymond Green made neither of his two shots, and just 1-of-2 free throws for one point, eight assists, three rebounds, one steal and one block in a win over the Blazers on Sunday.
In his second game back, Green played 10 more minutes than he did in his debut, and that might be more important than his so-so output. Green sat out of the Warriors' first four games this season with a foot injury, and fantasy managers were eager for his return. He's only scored one point combined in the two showings on five total attempts, but he's dished 12 assists in 46 minutes with only two turnovers. Patience will be key until Green's his full self again.
Damian Lillard hit 10-of-24 FGs, 6-of-15 3-pointers and 6-of-7 free throws for 32 points, four rebounds and four assists with five turnovers in a loss to the Warriors on Sunday.
Lillard was outplayed by Steph Curry, who scored a ridiculous 62 points in 36 minutes, crushing any Blazers comeback chance one try after the next. Lillard played fine for his high standards, but there was concern in the final seconds of the game as he grimaced while holding his finger. It didn't look too serious, but fantasy managers should check back on Monday for answers.
Malik Beasley hit 10-of-16 shots and three 3-pointers for a season-high 25 points, seven rebounds, five assists, a steal and two blocks in Sunday's loss to the Nuggets.
Beasley is quietly having a really fine season and it was nice to see the steals and blocks tonight. He's still not passing the ball to his teammates and racking up many assists, but the potential for the steals, blocks and threes is always going to be there, even though he'd been stingy with the steals and blocks until tonight. He's got a huge legal issue stemming from a threat of violence hanging over his head and a potentially lengthy suspension is coming at some point, but until then just plan on riding Beasley until the wheels fall off. Given that he's scored at least 18 points in five of his six games also makes him a value play in DFS.
Enes Kanter hit 8-of-12 FGs, 8-of-10 free throws for a season-high 24 points, 12 rebounds, one assist and one steal with no turnovers in a loss to the Warriors.
Kanter got to the free throw line more times on Sunday than he did in his first five games combined, and it paid off for his best scoring night of the year. It was night-and-day between Kanter's first showing against the Warriors on Friday, when he scored just five points with two boards, and how he performed in the second game. Kanter ranks No. 100 of all player in 9-cat leagues because of his high field goal percentage, and ability to grab boards. Harry Giles, who's threatening his minutes this year, didn't play — coach's decision.
C.J. McCollum hit 10-of-23 FGs, 2-of-8 3-pointers and 6-of-8 free throws for 28 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals with one turnover in a loss to the Warriors on Sunday.
McCollum and Damian Lillard combined for 60 points on Sunday, and that was still less than Steph Curry's 62. Curry also reached that mark on 13 less field goal attempts and just four more free throw tries. This one will be remembered as Curry's night, but McCollum had a nice all-around game with a season-high nine rebounds, and he's having a tremendous season. If Lillard has to miss any time with the finger he injured at the end of this game, McCollum's numbers could sky-rocket further.
Troy Brown Jr. fell out of the rotation vs. Brooklyn on Sunday.
The writing was on the wall here, with Brown averaging a mere 4.2 points on 35.7% shooting in six appearances to begin the season. The former lottery pick has obviously failed to build on an already-disappointing 2019-20 season, and it's hard to see him bouncing back while Deni Avdija and Bradley Beal are healthy.
In his third game of the season, Rui Hachimura posted 15 points (6-of-11 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), three assists, two rebounds, one steal and one turnover in 33 minutes.
Hachimura scored 17 points in his season debut, then followed it up with 11 points in a blowout win vs. the Wolves on Friday. This was the first time he'd attempted more than eight shots or played more than 25 minutes in a game, so it was an encouraging performance on multiple levels. Eleven shot attempts still isn't abundant and his usage is worth monitoring. With Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook dominating the action, and Thomas Bryant scoring with extreme efficiency, Hachimura's offensive looks aren't a given. He's still worth grabbing if your waiver wire is sparse in 9-cat.
Wizards rookie Deni Avdija was held to a season-low three points in 16 minutes on Sunday, making one 3-pointer with one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block.
Steals have been a constant for Avdija this season, and he picked up just his second block of the season to stave off total disaster for fantasy purposes. His low playing time was the direct result of Davis Bertans logging a season-high 31 minutes, which isn't ideal -- if it becomes an either/or position battle, the Wizards will likely feed time to the guy they just paid $80 million over five years. Avdija will be better most nights, though, so cut him some slack in 12-team and deeper leagues.
DeAndre Jordan posted just four points, five rebounds and two turnovers in 15 minutes vs. the Wizards on Sunday.
Jordan is in an odd situation as a veteran who continues to start ahead of a superior, younger backup in Jarrett Allen. Nets coach Steve Nash basically said last week that Allen is the better player, but that he doesn't want to rock the boat. "I want to be very careful not to make it like a mini-drama because it’s not," he said. "JA has been outstanding and will play plenty, if not the bulk of the minutes." Jordan is just a fringe fantasy option at this stage of his career, a situation that won't improve while Allen is healthy.
Jeff Green finished Sunday's tough home loss with two points and three rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.
Green had stitches over his eye a week ago, and the Nets keep putting him on the injury report for some reason. The 34-year-old journeyman is healthy but doesn't have fantasy value in his current role for the Nets.
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot shot 5-of-7 from the field with a 4-of-5 mark from deep on Sunday, scoring 14 points with four rebounds and one assist.
He didn't do much else during his 24 minutes of action, picking up four personal fouls with one assist and no defensive stats to his credit. The good news is that it sounds like his starting job is safe in the absence of Spencer Dinwiddie (knee surgery). "You get caught in this pressurized situation of wanting everything now, now, now," coach Steve Nash said, when asked about TLC's recent struggles. "We’ve got to be careful and not overreact to some of the struggles we’ve had." Even as a starter, though, he's only worth a look in deep leagues.
Will Barton had another rough shooting night on Sunday, going 3-of-11 from the field on his way to eight points, two triples, six rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one turnover in 22 minutes.
Barton saw a season-high 36 minutes as a starter sans Michael Porter Jr. (COVID-protocol) on New Year’s Day, but he finished with a season-low two points on 1-of-7 shooting. His peripheral stats were better tonight, but the shot remained an issue. His numbers have been trending in the wrong direction since his 16-point season opener, but it’s important to note that he’s likely still working himself into playing shape after missing a majority of training camp and the preseason as he worked his way back from the knee injury. We'd give him a long leash.
JaMychal Green looked good in 27 minutes off the bench on Sunday, recording 14 points, three triples, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and four turnovers in a win over the Timberwolves.
Green recently spoke about how the Nuggets still need to gel after such a short turnaround from the 2020-21 season, and while the second unit has been an issue over the past few games, everyone was clicking tonight with all the reserves finishing with a positive plus/minus rating. This was just Green's second game of the season, but it looks like he'll have a sizeable role in the rotation until Michael Porter Jr. (COVID-protocol) gets back, which puts him on the radar in deep leagues.
Royce O’Neale hit 3-of-4 shots (all 3-pointers) and 2-of-4 free throws for 11 points, five assists and 11 rebounds with no turnovers in a win over the Spurs.
O'Neale put together a great game despite playing through a right knee bruise. His fantasy value isn't consistent, but he's worth a look in deeper leagues as a guy who can knock down a couple 3-point shots, dish a handful of assists and take care of the ball in heavy rotation minutes.
Ricky Rubio saw just 18 minutes off the bench in Sunday's blowout loss to the Nuggets, going 3-of-7 from the floor on his way to six points, four assists, two rebounds and one turnover.
Rubio has gotten off to an awful start this season and we’re not incredibly confident that he’ll eventually “figure it out,” given Minnesota’s record (2-4) and how much depth they have at the guard position. Anthony Edwards saw 23 minutes off the bench in the loss but finished with just five points, four assists, one steal and three turnovers.
Keldon Johnson hit 10-of-16 shots and 2-of-2 free throws for 22 points, two assists, seven rebounds and two steals with three turnovers in a loss to the Jazz on Sunday.
Johnson's breakout year continued with his second straight 20-point performance. "I think he's been extraordinary," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said after the game. "He's 100% aggressive and physical... He's got a great motor. He's willing to learn. He's been our brightest spot in that regard." After falling outside the top-180 of all players in 9-at leagues as a rookie, the 21-year-old ranks No. 52 early in his sophomore year. We're nowhere close to Johnson's fantasy or real-world potential.