Playing in his first game since New Year’s Eve, Chuma Okeke (knee) tallied 10 points (4-of-5 FGs), three assists, one steal and two 3-pointers in 18 minutes Tuesday vs. Toronto.
Okeke played well given the fact that this was his first game action in over a month. He scored all 10 of his points during the first half, but he was also whistled for four fouls during that stretch. With Aaron Gordon (ankle) set to miss 4-6 weeks, there are rotation minutes available to Okeke. He isn’t worth grabbing off of the waiver wire right now, but fantasy managers would be wise to keep an eye on the rookie.
Evan Fournier accounted for 21 points (7-of-15 FGs, 6-of-8 FTs), five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one 3-pointer in 29 minutes Tuesday vs. Toronto.
Fournier had a solid night in the Magic loss, but it could have been better as he was responsible for a team-high six turnovers. That number is a season-worst for the veteran guard, who’s averaging just 1.7 per game. Fantasy managers should consider this performance an anomaly for Fournier, and it isn’t as if he failed to contribute in other areas. Rostered in 79% of Yahoo leagues, he continues to provide top-100 fantasy value.
Otto Porter (back) is listed as probable for Wednesday's game against the Knicks.
Porter was able to fill his usual role on Monday, so expect more of the same on Monday. He's providing 11th round value in 9-cat formats for the season, making Porter worth a look in deeper leagues. He is currently rostered in 53% of Yahoo leagues.
Nerlens Noel (left groin soreness) and Austin Rivers (right ankle soreness) are listed as probable for Wednesday's game against the Bulls.
Both Noel and Rivers should slot into their usual backup roles Wednesday night. In the case of Noel, he's a capable rebounder/shot-blocker, providing 12th round value in 9-cat formats. Rivers' value has taken a major hit with the return of Alec Burks, so he can be left on the waiver wire at this point.
Saben Lee (coach's decision) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Jazz.
Lee is out of the rotation on most nights, so his absence won't have an impact fantasy-wise. What is interesting is that he's listed out due to a coach's decision...before the game has even tipped off.
Cameron Payne (right foot) will not play in Wednesday's game against the Pelicans.
Payne will miss a fifth straight game due to his sprained right foot. Jevon Carter will take up all of the backup point guard minutes, while Langston Galloway and E'Twaun Moore also have a shot at rotation minutes. None are worth rostering, however.
Abdel Nader (ankle soreness) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Pelicans.
Nader was held out of Monday's game in Dallas due to the ankle issue. And with the return of Devin Booker, he stands to lose minutes as Jae Crowder has rejoined the second unit. Nader can be left on the waiver wire.
Thomas Bryant underwent successful surgery on the torn ACL in his left knee on Tuesday.
The Wizards haven't yet offered a timetable, but he's expected to miss the season. Robin Lopez has been starting in his absence, although he's not doing much, while Moe Wagner flashed his potential in 21 minutes off the bench on Monday with a 17/5/2/2 line. Wagner is worth a speculative add in deep leagues, while Bryant belongs on the waiver wire in all re-draft formats. RoLo isn't a must-roster player, despite the starter-tag.
Juancho Hernangomez (conditioning) is questionable to play on Wednesday vs. the Spurs.
Hernangomez was available on Monday, but he never left the bench. We're not so sure he has a guaranteed role in the rotation with the way Jarred Vanderbilt has been playing, so Hernangomez is safe to ignore in fantasy hoops.
Naz Reid (wrist) is probable for Wednesday's game vs. the Spurs.
He logged 13 minutes off the bench on Monday, so while he'll likely play tomorrow night, the minutes restrictions will crush his fantasy potential.
Jarrett Culver (left ankle) will not play on Wednesday in San Antonio.
It'll be his fifth straight game on the sidelines, and him getting ruled out a day in advance of tip-off tells us he's still not close. Anthony Edwards has been the primary beneficiary with Culver on the sidelines, and he's a threat to take away Culver's minutes once he is eventually cleared.
Moe Harkless (left thigh) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game vs. the Wizards.
It'll be his sixth straight game on the sidelines, and him continuing to get ruled out a day in advance suggests he's still not close. Max Strus and Andre Iguodala will pick up the slack while he's out, but they're too inconsistent to trust in most settings.
Chuma Okeke (knee) is expected to play around 12-14 minutes on Tuesday vs. the Raptors.
Okeke could eventually find his way into meaningful minutes over the next 4-6 weeks while Aaron Gordon (ankle) is out, so we'll be watching him closely tonight. He's not a viable DFS option with the minutes restrictions, but he's someone to start monitoring in deep leagues.
Jahlil Okafor (bilateral knee soreness) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game vs. Utah.
He's typically a non-factor in the rotation, anyway.
Onyeka Okongwu (left Achilles soreness) is questionable for Wednesday's game vs. Dallas.
Whether he plays or not won't matter much with Clint Capela and John Collins healthy.
David Nwaba (left ankle) will remain on the sidelines for Wednesday's game vs. the Thunder.
It'll be his second straight game on the sidelines and it's unclear how far along he is in his recovery from the sprained ankle. Danuel House and Eric Gordon will split most of Nwaba's minutes and perhaps Ben McLemore will be a little more involved in the rotation.
Abdel Nader didn't play on Monday due to ankle soreness.
Nader has given Phoenix good minutes recently, but we attributed his DNP to the return of Devin Booker. His role is minimal with Booker healthy, so the Suns can take their time while his ankle gets back to 100%. We'll list him as questionable for Wednesday's game vs. New Orleans.
Kristaps Porzingis felt he played well in the second half of Monday's game because he "played a little bit longer stretch."
Porzingis scored 14 of his 19 points after halftime in the Mavs' tough loss to Phoenix, their sixth straight defeat. “I think [playing longer stretches] gave me more time to get into a better rhythm and get better looks and not rush things – which I tend to do a lot now that I’m playing shorter minutes," he said. “That’s something maybe I can communicate [to the coaches]." He averaged 18.6 points and 8.0 boards in January, but also shot a mere 28.6% from deep. If coach Rick Carlisle agrees with KP's assessment, maybe longer stints will get him going during the Mavs' upcoming seven-game homestand.
Derrick Jones Jr. (left foot sprain) will not play Tuesday vs. the Wizards.
Fortunately, DJJ is on the mend and coach Terry Stotts said we could see him in the lineup during this road trip, which continues in Philly on Thursday and New York on Saturday. Nassir Little is questionable with his own knee injury, but if he's cleared to play he'll be a popular DFS and streaming option after erupting for 30 points in his previous start.
Terry Rozier (right ankle sprain) is questionable for Wednesday's game vs. Philly.
Rozier did work out on Tuesday and he'll be evaluated on Wednesday to determine if his ankle is sufficiently healed. If not, LaMelo Ball should earn his second career start alongside Devonte' Graham. We should have an update on Rozier following the Hornets' shootaround on Wednesday.