Derrick White (rest) will not play vs. Golden State on Tuesday.
This is a simple precaution for White, who suffered a minor toe fracture in his first game back in January. His shot has been missing in action since he got back on the court in late January, including a 1-of-11 shooting mark on Monday, but he still has enough 8-cat and 9-cat appeal to stash if he's still available in your 12-team leagues.
Lonnie Walker IV (stomach illness) isn't on the Spurs' injury report for Tuesday's game vs. Golden State.
Walker missed the first half of this back-to-back set but he should be back in the starting lineup tonight. Derrick White filled in for him as a starter on Monday but for now we'll assume it's Walker's job to lose. Even if he continues starting, though, he's yet to make a sustained positive impact in typical fantasy leagues.
Bogdan Bogdanovic (right knee avulsion fracture) can move without a leg brace and he did stationary shooting after Monday's practice.
Bogdanovic recently began light running in addition to intensified core, leg and ankle exercises. He's mostly pain-free but his return date is opaque, and the Hawks' medical staff is X-raying Bogdanovic's knee each week to monitor his progress. Although he's hopeful he can play prior to the All-Star break, he added, "But I don't want to put pressure on [the decision]." With Bogdanovic and De'Andre Hunter (knee) both out of commission, Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish are both enjoying easier paths to playing time.
Nikola Jokic criticized one of Michael Porter Jr.'s shots late in Monday's loss to the Bucks, saying, "I told him after the game I think it's just a bad shot."
"It was not the [correct] timing," Jokic said. "[I]t was a contested shot. The guy was right there. I think it was just a bad shot in a bad moment." Denver has dropped three straight games to the Lakers, Kings and Bucks, with MPJ starting the most recent two alongside Will Barton and Paul Millsap. The losses have led to some frustration, obviously, but MPJ will have a chance to atone vs. the visiting Cavaliers on Wednesday and Thunder on Friday. The absence of Gary Harris (adductor strain) and P.J. Dozier (hamstring) is giving MPJ some extra leeway, and it's only a matter of time before he heats up.
Derrick Rose is with the Knicks in Miami but his availability for Tuesday's game hinges on Dennis Smith Jr. clearing his physical for the Pistons.
Teammate Immanuel Quickley said he doesn't think Rose is playing Tuesday, which makes sense if he was barred from going through shootaround with the team. We'll know more closer to tip-off, but fantasy managers should plan to be without Rose for at least one more game.
After LeBron James triple-doubled during Monday's overtime win vs. OKC, he said he's not tired despite averaging 34.5 minutes in 25 games this season.
"I could play right now," he told reporters after Monday's game. "All I need is a warm-up... and I could go right now." LBJ also said he doesn't mind the Lakers' recent stretch of close games, saying "It's always good to be tested," but he wants his team to sharpen the early-game focus. "Allowing ourselves to get down double-digits to start games is not something we want to do long-term," he said. The King continues to defy age and the Lakers have surprisingly allowed him to play through back-to-backs with lofty minute totals, to the delight of fantasy managers.
Wes Matthews credited Lakers coach Frank Vogel for initiating a conversation about Matthews' diminished role in recent games.
"I didn't love anything [Vogel] had to say, but your job is to be a professional," he said. "Those conversations need to be had." The veteran is coming off a terrific game on Monday, in which he scored 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting in 26 minutes off the bench, hitting four 3-pointers with three boards, two steals and a block. The Lakers gave him the game ball and it's great that he gets a feel-good moment, but it came without Anthony Davis (rest) and Alex Caruso (hand), and nothing suggests it's sustainable.
Victor Oladipo (rest) is scheduled to sit out Tuesday's game vs. the Pelicans in the second half of a back-to-back set.
The Rockets will continue to rest Oladipo, John Wall and Eric Gordon in back-to-back situations. “[We] try to figure out which are the better games [for players to miss]," said coach Stephen Silas. "What is the criteria for which is the better game for a guy to sit out or not? With John and Vic being primary ballhandlers, that makes it a little harder. Now, you add Eric to the mix, it makes it really hard." Houston's next back-to-back set comes Feb. 19-20, though fortunately it's a four-game week so Wall, VO and Gordon should still get three games.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr doesn't intend to increase Stephen Curry's minutes from his current "34, 35-minute mark."
“I'm into the long game,” Kerr said. “We want Steph to be playing at a high level for many years. So, we're going to stay very disciplined and try to keep him at that 34-35-minute mark." Curry seems fine with the decision. “Of course, I want to play as many minutes as possible,” he said, adding that he'll continue to "subtly" let the coaching staff know how he feels night-to-night. Fortunately for fantasy managers, a very mild minute-limit hasn't prevented Steph from destroying teams in February to maintain top-10 value on the season.
Kyrie Irving (right index finger sprain) is officially probable for Tuesday's game vs. Detroit.
This confirms what Steve Nash said on Monday, when he referred to Kyrie's pain level as "manageable." Without Kevin Durant (health and safety protocols) for the Nets' current back-to-back set, Irving and James Harden will have more touches at their disposal, so hopefully Kyrie can put them to good use despite his shooting-hand injury.
Malik Beasley was sentenced on Tuesday to 120 days with work release and a home confinement option, to be served following the Wolves' season.
Wesley Matthews played 26 minutes off the bench and hit 5-of-7 shots and four 3-pointers on his way to 16 points, three rebounds, one assist, two steals and a block on Monday.
Anthony Davis and Alex Caruso sat this one out so Matthews got some nice run off the bench and made the most of it. Matthews hadn't scored more than six points since getting loose for 14 points way back on Jan. 8, so there's no reason to think he's suddenly going to be a fantasy factor going forward. This was a fluke.
Talen Horton-Tucker came off the bench for eight points, five rebounds, one assist, two steals and two blocks on 4-of-8 shooting in 27 minutes on Monday.
THT has been fun over his last three games, averaging 11.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks. He was helped by the absence of Anthony Davis and Alex Caruso tonight and while he's worth keeping an eye on, he's still not someone you should be using in most fantasy formats. But he is an important bench player for the Lakers this season.
Michael Porter Jr. started again and hit 3-of-9 shots and two 3-pointers for eight points, seven rebounds, two assists, a steal, a block and two 3-pointers in 27 minutes of Monday's loss to the Bucks.
It's a real shame that a nearly month-long health and safety protocols set MPJ back in a big way and the 27 minutes were disappointing, as every other Nuggets starter played at least 30 minutes tonight. That makes three straight games with eight points for MPJ and he's hit just 9-of-30 shots over that stretch. The shots will start falling and the production will eventually round back into form, but it's tough to have to rely on Porter for fantasy production right now. But it wasn't that long ago (Jan. 25) that he scored 30 points with eight boards, two steals and six 3-pointers, and brighter days are coming for MPJ and his fantasy managers. If you're interested in getting him, now's a great time to make a low offer to his fantasy manager.
Will Barton hit 9-of-16 shots and three 3-pointers for a season-high 24 points, one rebound, four assists and two steals in 39 minutes of Monday's loss to the Bucks.
The nine makes and 16 attempts were also season highs for Barton and he got hot early and never let off the gas. You have to think Michael Porter Jr. is going to eventually heat up and put a damper on Barton's usage, but it hasn't happened just yet. Barton has posted some duds this season but has played at least 30 minutes in five straight games, meaning he should be in your lineup until those minutes start drying up. And the way things are going, he may keep playing 30 minutes for the rest of the season, despite the presence of MPJ.
Jamal Murray played through a sore left knee on Monday but hit just 4-of-17 shots and 1-of-7 3-pointers for 11 points, three rebounds, four assists and a steal in Monday's loss to the Bucks.
Props to Murray for playing through the injury, but it was a rough night if you had him in your lineup. The 11 points were his lowest total since he scored five points on 2-of-10 shooting back on Jan. 19 and he'll look to get back on track against the Cavaliers on Wednesday. Murray's appearance hurt managers that rolled with Monte Morris on Monday and Morris 12 points and three assists in 30 minutes off the bench tonight.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit 10-of-25 shots and four 3-pointers for 29 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists and a block in 42 minutes of Monday's overtime loss to the Lakers.
SGA missed games last Wednesday and Friday but has been playing very well, averaging 26 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.0 blocks and 2.7 3-pointers in his three February games. His minor knee injury appears to be behind him and he was even better tonight with Theo Maledon sidelined due to health and safety protocols. SGA is living up to the hype this season, although his shot was slightly off tonight.
Bryn Forbes joined the first five on Monday vs the Nuggets, scoring 15 points with five rebounds and an assist in the win.
Forbes was a late addition to the starting unit as Jrue Holiday (health and safety) was a late scratch. We're not sure how long Holiday will be out just yet, but if he's set to miss a few games, Forbes is a good streaming option. He shot 6-of-9 from the floor and made three triples in just 26 minutes. Monitor the status of Holiday on Tuesday before grabbing the Bucks back-up guard off waivers.
Kenrich Williams played 30 minutes off the bench and hit 3-of-6 shots and a 3-pointer for seven points, eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in Monday's loss to the Lakers.
He's getting extra burn right now with George Hill, Isaiah Roby, Theo Maledon and Mike Muscala all out, but Williams is still a risky fantasy play in any format, despite the nice minutes and occasional big stat line.
Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 30 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in the Bucks' 125-112 win over the Nuggets.
Giannis had a stellar game, making 11-of-23 field goals, 2-of-5 threes and 6-of-8 free throws in just 34 minutes. He did fail to record an assist for the first time this season, even with Jrue Holiday (health and safety) sidelined. But it was still a big game for the Greek Freak who recorded his ninth 30-point game of the year.