Grant Williams made all three 3-pointers he took on Tuesday including a step-back shot and says he's "more comfortable" from range.
Williams has never been known as a shooter, but he looked great in Tuesday's win against the Warriors, going perfect from distance. “With this team, you’ve got to take an open when it’s available, because we have a lot of talented players that get you great looks and you can’t be shy to take them,” he said. On 32 tries this year, Williams has made 15 3-pointers. That's great efficiency, and nearly as many 3-pointers as he made all of last season (24) in 53 fewer games. He's still only making 50% of his free throws, so his 3-point numbers will likely drop, but this is a nice development for a rotation player.
Ryan Saunders doesn't think Juancho Hernangomez will play on Wednesday against the Spurs.
Hernangomez was on the active roster for Monday's game but didn't play. It's unclear if the same will be true on Wednesday but regardless, it sounds like he won't see any minutes. Hernangomez hasn't played since January 13th, and with the way Jarred Vanderbilt's played in his absence, his spot in the rotation isn't guaranteed.
Bradley Beal's 16th consecutive 25-point game of the season on Tuesday tied Michael Jordan's record from 1988-89.
The Wizards are slumping, but Bradley Beal is not. The All-Star guard scored 37 points on 14-of-24 shooting in Tuesday's loss which tied Jordan's consecutive 25-point game record. He's averaging a league-leading 35 points per game and is one of the only silver linings to Washington's so-far disastrous start. Fantasy managers have to be thrilled with his production. He ranks No. 10 of all players in 9-cat leagues as a contributor in every category aside from some trouble with turnovers.
Iman Shumpert could be cleared to join the Nets by this weekend.
Shumpert, who hasn't played in an NBA game since December 2019, is working himself into shape and needs to continue posting negative COVID-19 tests to start practicing with the team. He isn't expected to be a big contributor, and shouldn't hold much fantasy value. We'll update his status if and when he enters the rotation.
Draymond Green will have to play big for longer stretches if Kevon Looney (ankle) is out for as long as Steve Kerr expects.
Looney turned his ankle early in the Warriors' loss to the Celtics on Tuesday, adding to an already extensive list of Golden State centers who've been hit by injuries. The team is without Marquese Chriss (fibula) indefinitely and James Wiseman (wrist) for at least a week. That leaves Kerr with few options including Eric Paschall, two-way 6'6 forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, and 6'6 Green. "Eric Paschall becomes a bigger part of what we're doing, and so does Juan," Kerr said. "I guess Juan sort of qualifies as a big man, kind of. Eric definitely does. So we'll be short-handed. Draymond [Green] will play a lot of 5, and Eric will get more minutes -- and we'll see what happens from there." We'll see if this makes Green a more impactful fantasy option. He scored two points on Tuesday with seven assists, 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.
Eric Paschall and Juan Toscano-Anderson will play more minutes if Kevon Looney's injury keeps him sidelined as expected.
Looney tweaked his ankle in Tuesday night's loss against the Celtics, and head coach Steve Kerr expects that he'll miss some time. In his absence, Toscano-Anderson played 27 minutes and scored 16 points with three, 3-pointers. Paschall scored just five points in 14 minutes, but Kerr expects to rely on them both a ton more. "Eric Paschall becomes a bigger part of what we're doing, and so does Juan," Kerr said. "I guess Juan sort of qualifies as a big man, kind of. Eric definitely does. So we'll be short-handed. Draymond [Green] will play a lot of 5, and Eric will get more minutes -- and we'll see what happens from there."
Jayson Tatum scored a team-high 27 points vs the Warriors on Tuesday, adding nine rebounds and three assists in the win.
Tatum had another solid game, hitting 9-of-19 from the floor, 4-of-10 from beyond the arc and 5-of-6 from the line. He's posted at least 24 points in all but one game this year and in January, he averaged 28.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, four assists and 1.1 steals in eight games. Tatum ranks 21st in 9-cat this season.
Kemba Walker played 31 minutes against the Warriors on Tuesday, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Walker had a decent game after scoring just four points on Saturday. But he shot just 6-of-18 from the floor and 3-of-9 from deep and is shooting 37% and 29%, respectively, in those two categories this season. It'll be interesting to see if Payton Pritchard's eventual return affects Walker's playing time at all. PP was playing well before going down with a minor knee injury.
Jaylen Brown recorded his third double-double of the season on Tuesday, posting 18 points, 10 boards, four assists and a block in 32 minutes.
Brown had a relatively quiet scoring night by his standards, going 8-of-20 from the floor with just one 3-pointer, snapping a 10-game streak with multiple triples. The last time he made a single three in a game was Jan. 4 which also happens to be the last time he scored less than 20 points. That's how good JB has been this season. No cause for concern. He's hooping this year and should be a first-time All-Star.
Draymond Green had a solid all-around game for the Dubs on Tuesday, posting two points, 11 boards, seven assists, two steals and two blocks.
Dray struggled to score, managing just two points on 1-of-7 shooting with no threes. But he stuffed the stat sheets in every category which also includes five giveaways. He has just 14 points over his last four games combined, but if you can look past the lack of scoring, Green is a good source for boards, dimes and defensive stats.
Stephen Curry was lethal vs the Celtics on Tuesday night, pouring in 38 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and steals in the loss.
Curry was the only Warriors player to score more than 16 points as they came up just short in 111-107 loss to Boston. But Steph had his way, going 12-of-21 from the floor with seven 3-pointers and a perfect 7-of-7 free throws. He's made at least four triples in eight straight games and 13 in his last two. He's the GOAT shooter for a reason and is a top-10 player in 9-cat right now.
Jerami Grant accounted for 27 points (9-of-18 FGs, 7-of-8 FTs), four rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two 3-pointers in 38 minutes Tuesday vs. Utah.
Grant got off to a slow start in Tuesday’s loss to the Jazz, but he ultimately managed to post his 11th game of 25 points or more this season. By comparison, he had just three games of 25 points or more in Denver last season. Of course, Grant’s role in Detroit is far different. But he bet on himself to be capable of handling an increased workload on offense, and thus far Grant has been up to the challenge. That hasn’t translated into wins, but it has translated into increased fantasy value. Grant is providing 3rd round value in both 8- and 9-cat formats, which is far better than his Yahoo ADP (104).
Mason Plumlee shot 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-3 from the foul line in Tuesday’s loss to the Jazz, tallying 17 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and one steal in 28 minutes.
Plumlee remains a starter, but his minutes have taken a slight hit due to the emergence of rookie Isaiah Stewart (four points, five rebounds and one assist in 20 minutes). After playing 30 minutes or more in four of Detroit’s first five games, Plumlee has surpassed that mark on just two other occasions. As long as Plumlee’s minutes are in the high-20s he can still be effective, as evidenced by his showing Tuesday night. But given how poor the Pistons have been, he could be in line for a major minutes hit later this season if Detroit decides that it wants to give Stewart even more playing time.
Josh Jackson played 30 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Jazz, scoring 22 points (7-of-15 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs) with eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and three 3-pointers.
Jackson hit the 20-point mark for just the second time this season on Tuesday, snapping out of a three-game slump in the process. In the three games prior he scored a total of 24 points, shooting 7-of-24 from the field, and 3-of-13 from three. Jackson isn’t a good fantasy option in either 8- or 9-cat formats, but he’s done enough to earn consistent minutes in the Pistons rotation. That isn’t a bad deal for a guy who was nearly out of the league completely following a disastrous run in Phoenix.
Rodney McGruder shot 2-of-5 from the field in Tuesday’s loss to the Jazz, finishing with five points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal and one 3-pointer in 16 minutes.
Three days removed from being on the receiving end of disrespectful postgame comments by both Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, McGruder was back in the rotation as Derrick Rose was a DNP-CD. That’s good for Rodney, but he still doesn’t offer anything when it comes to fantasy value.
Juan Toscano-Anderson scored a season-high 16 points on Tuesday vs the Celtics, adding two rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block.
After Kevon Looney (ankle) exited the game, JTA got extra time, playing a season-high 27 minutes and making 6-of-9 shots with three 3-pointers. The Dubs are already without James Wiseman (wrist) and if Looney joins him, JTA could be in store for an increased role over the next couple of games. Monitor Looney's situation before making any moves, and though Eric Paschall was quiet tonight, he could end up starting.
CJ Elleby (left foot) played just one minute in Tuesday's win over the Wizards, accounting for one turnover and one personal foul.
Elleby actually played in both ends of Portland's back-to-back, as he tallied five points, three rebounds, one steal and one 3-pointer in nine minutes Monday night against the Bucks. Prior to that appearance, the rookie had been sidelined since January 14 due to a foot injury. Elleby is too far down in the Blazers' pecking order to be considered in any fantasy league, so leave him on the waiver wire.
Domantas Sabonis dominated a young Memphis team on Tuesday, posting 32 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals in 35 minutes.
Sabonis made 13 of his 15 field goal attempts, 4-of-6 free throws and even made both of his 3-pointers. Guys like Brandon Clarke and Xavier Tillman struggled to stop the Pacers big who had 24 and 11 at halftime. Sabonis could be headed for his second All-Star Game with averages of 21/12/6 this season.
Myles Turner got back on track on Tuesday night, recording 22 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and five blocks in the Pacers 134-116 win.
Turner turned the clock from his last game to this one, hitting 9-of-13 field goals and three triples in the win. He's now blocked five shots in at least seven games this season and is averaging 3.9 blocks along with 1.3 steals and 1.5 triples which are all career-highs.
Jeremy Lamb had one of his best games of the season on Tuesday, scoring 19 points with five boards, three assists and a steal in 27 minutes.
Lamb shot 6-of-9 from the floor and made a season-high five 3-pointers vs the Grizzlies. It was his best shooting performance this year and he's scored in double-figures in all but one game since returning from an ACL injury. If Lamb is sitting on waivers in your league, he's worth rostering in standard and deep formats.