Buddy Hield used a big first half to power his way to 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals on Saturday night.
Hield did most of his damage in the first half when he scored 15 points on five-made triples and has now made at least five 3-pointers in three straight games. Oddly enough, he's shooting better from distance (40%) than he is on field goals (39%). The boards, dimes and swipes were a nice touch for the Kings' shooting guard.
De'Aaron Fox had a solid game vs the Heat on Saturday, finishing with 30 points, six boards, six assists and a steal.
We say it was just a 'solid' game because Fox didn't shoot the ball that well, going 12-of-26 from the floor, 3-of-11 from deep and 3-of-8 from the line. It wasn't terrible but it could've been better, and five missed free throws in a one-point loss has to hurt for Fox who also had five turnovers and five fouls on the night.
Zach LaVine accounted for 26 points (9-of-12 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and six 3-pointers in 35 minutes Saturday vs. Portland.
LaVine, who attempted just six shots in the first three quarters, made a couple big shots during the fourth to put Chicago in position to get the win. But Damian Lillard hit the biggest shot, with his 3-pointer giving the Blazers the one-point victory. Outside of the result, the only negative for LaVine was the turnover count as he was responsible for six of the Bulls’ 15 miscues. It’s worth noting that, even with the high turnover counts, he has been a top-10 player in 9-cat formats over the last week.
Richaun Holmes was super quiet on offense on Saturday, managing to score just four points with six rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.
Holmes has been non-existent on offense over his last two games, totaling just nine points on 3-of-8 shooting in 54 minutes. He had notched 20 points on 8-of-11 a couple of games ago, for the record. Luke Walton has to figure out a way to get him more touches on the block or in the pick-and-roll game. Fantasy managers should hang tonight for now as this Holmes will bounce back at some point.
Coby White played 34 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Blazers, posting a line of 20 points (6-of-11 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), three rebounds, six assists and three 3-pointers.
This was unquestionably one of White’s best floor games of the season, as in addition to the stats noted above he was responsible for just one turnover. The next step for the second-year point guard is producing in an efficient manner on a consistent basis. Over the last week White has failed to crack the top-150 in 9-cat, and that’s been the case for the season as a whole as well.
Daniel Gafford accounted for four points (2-o-4 FGs), five rebounds and one assist in 10 minutes Saturday vs. Portland.
Fantasy managers who may have hoped that the absence of Wendell Carter Jr. (quad) would mean a significant increase in Gafford’s workload were sorely disappointed Saturday night. But based upon coach Billy Donovan’s comments before the game, it was not a surprise. Gafford is unlikely to surpass the 20-minute mark on most nights, which isn’t good when it comes to his fantasy value. Thaddeus Young and Lauri Markkanen also saw time at the five Saturday night, and that will be the case moving forward as well.
Victor Oladipo shot 7-of-14 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line in Saturday’s win over the Pelicans, finishing with 20 points, six rebounds, seven assists, one blocked shot and four 3-pointers in 25 minutes.
Due to the nature of this game, with the Rockets holding a commanding lead heading into the fourth quarter, Oladipo and the other starters were all able to get some extra rest. He has now scored 20 points or more in five of the six games that he’s played in since being traded to Houston. And over the last two weeks, Oladipo is providing 7th-round value in 8-cat formats.
John Wall played 26 minutes in Saturday’s win over the Pelicans, accounting for 15 points (5-of-12 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), two rebounds, nine assists, one steal, one blocked shot and four 3-pointers.
Wall shot just 1-of-6 inside of the arc Saturday night, but it didn’t matter due to his work both from three and as a playmaker. While still not hitting his Yahoo ADP (56), Wall is taking steps in the right direction. For the season, he’s providing 6th-round value in 8-cat formats, and 8th-round value in 9-cat. Contrary to what some may have believed, Wall isn't "done" by any stretch of the imagination.
The Heat were waiting for Kendrick Nunn's test results and by the time they got them in the second quarter, Erik Spoelstra decided to continue with his rotation at the time.
The last time we wrote about Nunn, we predicted he would be a DNP-CD although we didn't think it would happen like this. But that's the world we live in now where teams receive a player's COVID results mid-game. But don't be so quick to drop Nunn because his test was negative, and after the game, Tyler Herro revealed that someone he lives with tested positive for COVID-19, meaning he could be forced to quarantine, opening up minutes in the rotation for K-Nunn.
Jae'Sean Tate shot 6-of-8 from the field in Saturday’s win over the Pelicans, posting a line of 13 points, nine rebounds, three steals and one 3-pointer in 24 minutes.
Thrust into the rotation at the beginning of the season due to COVID-related absences, Tate had the look of a player who would be stuck on the bench once everyone was cleared. That hasn’t been the case, with the rookie establishing himself as a consistent option for coach Stephen Silas. Rostered in 3% of Yahoo leagues, Tate is definitely worth a look in deeper formats. Over the last two weeks, he has provided 11th-round value in 8-cat formats, and 12th-round value in 9-cat.
Robert Covington started Saturday’s win over the Bulls, playing 34 minutes and posting a line of nine points (3-of-5 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), two rebounds, four assists, four steals and one 3-pointer.
Making his return after missing one game due to a concussion, Covington had to wear a protective mask. A bit disappointing this season when it comes to the defensive production, RoCo was responsible for a season-high four steals Saturday night. While he still sits well outside of the top-100 in 9-cat, Covington is still a player worth rostering due to the 3-and-D potential.
Making his first career start, Nassir Little finished Saturday’s win over the Bulls with five points (1-of-1 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), three rebounds, one steal and one 3-pointer in 14 minutes.
Little started in place of the injured Derrick Jones Jr., but the lineup change did nothing to improve his fantasy value. Anfernee Simons (eight points, four rebounds, one assist and two 3-pointers in 27 minutes) and Rodney Hood (six points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal in 27 minutes) are both better fantasy options than Little, even if he makes another start.
Gary Trent Jr. shot 4-of-10 from three in Saturday’s win over the Bulls, finishing with 18 points (6-of-14 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), one rebound, two assists, four steals and one blocked shot in 37 minutes.
For those who hoped that Trent Jr. would build on his play in the bubble, his start to the season was a disappointment. But he has played better basketball of late, and over the last week he has been a top-100 player in 9-cat formats. Trent Jr. is currently rostered in 27% of Yahoo leagues, and it would be a good idea to grab him off the waiver wire with C.J. McCollum (foot) not expected back until late-February.
The January 15 game between the Suns and Warriors that was postponed has been rescheduled for March 4.
The January 15 meeting between the two teams was postponed due to health and safety protocol issues within the Suns roster. This will now be Phoenix's final game in the first "half" of its 2020-21 regular season schedule.
Jarrett Culver (left ankle sprain) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Cavaliers.
Culver will miss a third straight game due to the ankle injury, and his absence frees up additional bench minutes for rookie Anthony Edwards. Edwards is providing top-100 value in both 8- and 9-cat formats over the last week, and is an attractive DFS play for Sunday's slate.
Derrick Favors (lower back) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Nuggets.
Favors has missed each of Utah's last two games, which freed up rotation minutes for the seldom-used Juwan Morgan. There's no need to grab Morgan off of the waiver wire, as he will play 15 minutes at the most.
Maxi Kleber (health and safety protocols) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Suns.
Kleber will miss yet another game due to COVID-19, as his recovery has taken a bit longer than that of some of his teammates. We'll have to wait and see if he's cleared to play in Monday's game against the Suns.
Dario Saric (health and safety protocols) will miss at least three more games.
Saric did not travel with the Suns on their three-game road trip, which begins Saturday night in Dallas. With the Suns ramping up his workouts, the hope is that he will be available when Phoenix hosts Detroit February 5.
Iman Shumpert is finalizing a deal with the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
Shumpert hasn't played a game in the NBA since January 6th, 2020, but he'll be welcomed back to a much different looking Nets team than the one he left. He'll likely be used in a small role off the bench. The 30-year-old averaged 4.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 0.9 steals last season in 18.5 minutes. He's best kept on the waiver wire.
Doug McDermott is questionable to play on Sunday against the Wizards with a lower back contusion.
McDermott left Friday night's game with the injury and didn't return. He also bruised his right thumb in the same game. If he doesn't play, Jeremy Lamb and JaKarr Sampson could see more playing time. Lamb is currently the No. 67 player in 9-cat leagues.