Hassan Whiteside played through his hip injury on Wednesday and finished with nine points and six rebounds in 16 minutes.
You couldn't really tell he was on a minutes limit tonight as he played six more minutes than he had in his previous two games and this was his third-highest minute total this season. But as long as Richaun Holmes is playing so well, Whiteside's going to have a tough time getting more than 15-20 minutes a night, making him very tough to roster in fantasy.
Darius Garland hit 6-of-11 shots Wednesday for 14 points, two rebounds, four assists, two 3-pointers, two steals and three turnovers through 31 minutes as a starter in a win over the Pistons.
Garland had been struggling with the reserves in his previous three outings as the Cavs eased him back into things following the shoulder injury, but he got things back on track today and looked much more comfortable with the first unit. He had failed to snatch away a single steal while he was running with the reserves, but he snapped the steal-less streak midway through the first quarter of today’s game. Now that the restrictions have been lifted and he’s back with the starters, he could return to flirting with early-round value.
De'Aaron Fox hit just 4-of-17 shots, one 3-pointer and 7-of-8 free throws and just missed a triple-double with 16 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists, a block and just two turnovers in Wednesday's 121-107 win over the Magic.
While the other four Kings' starters couldn't miss tonight (33-of-53 for 62%), Fox couldn't shoot his way out of a barn. But he did everything else really well, salvaged his scoring night at the free throw line and did a nice job of protecting the rock. Fox has struggled with his shot for much of the season, as well as his last two games when he hit just 11-of-37 shots, but was shooting it well over his four prior games. The 7-of-10 Kings have now won two straight games and will try to keep it going Raptors on Friday.
Collin Sexton netted a game-high 29 points in Wednesday's 122-107 win over the Pistons on Wednesday, adding five rebounds, five assists, one 3-pointer, two steals and five turnovers in 35 minutes.
Sexton had been struggling with his shot a bit in his previous two outings, connecting on just 36% of his shot attempts, but he was hot from the jump today with just one miss through the first half of action and he finished the game on 10-of-14 shooting from the field and 8-of-10 from the line. Sexton is hitting career-highs across the board in his third NBA season with averages of 25.2 points, 4.2 assists, 1.9 triples, 1.2 steals and 2.6 turnovers per game on 51.7% shooting from the field and 81.1% from the stripe, which has him flirting with top 40 value on the year.
Dorian Finney-Smith is starting for the Mavericks on Wednesday.
He's been out since Jan. 7 due to health and safety protocols and will join Josh Richardson (also out since Jan. 7), Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kristaps Porzingis in the starting unit. Maybe the return of two of Dallas' better defenders will help get the 8-9 Mavericks season jump started.
Maxi Kleber (COVID) won't play on Friday against the Jazz but could return sometime soon after.
Kleber is behind the rest of the Mavericks recovering from COVID because his episode with the virus was longer, according to head coach Rick Carlisle. He suggested Kleber could return sometime soon after Friday's game, though. The Mavericks play the Suns twice in a row on Saturday and Monday.
Joe Ingles will move into the starting lineup in place of Donovan Mitchell (concussion).
Ingles' minutes finally picked up in his last game with 27 after playing 20 or less in his previous three. His workload should be closer to 30 tonight and Mitchell's absence makes him a must-start fantasy option in all leagues. Look for Jordan Clarkson to pick up some of the slack as well.
Devin Booker got shots up on Wednesday, and his hamstring injury is getting better, according to Monty Williams.
Booker won't play on Wednesday, but there's at least a chance he could return on Thursday. If he's not ready then, the Suns play again on Saturday. Cameron Johnson and Jevon Carter should have added opportunities until Booker's back.
Raul Neto will start on Wednesday against the Pelicans in place of Russell Westbrook (rest) despite a strained left groin.
Neto played on Tuesday night, so it isn't a huge surprise that he's assuming his usual role as a part-time starter when Westbrook sits for back-to-backs. He could be a solid DFS play, as he averages 14.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game in starts.
George Hill (right thumb sprain) will not play on Wednesday vs. the Suns.
Hill will miss his second straight with his next chance to play coming on Jan. 29th. Theo Maledon will draw another start and had six points, four rebounds, four assists and two 3-pointers on 2-of-7 shooting in 22 minutes vs. the Blazers on Monday. There are much better streaming options on such a busy night.
Derrick Favors (lower back) will not play on Wednesday vs. the Mavericks.
There aren't many fantasy implications here as Favors usually only sees around 15 minutes as the backup center. Rookie Udoka Azubuike may get a handful of minutes in his absence.
Rajon Rondo won't play on Wednesday against the Nets due to an ankle sprain.
After playing just six minutes on Tuesday night, Rondo will rest his ankle for Wednesday's back-to-back. Brandon Goodwin, who scored seven points with three rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes on Tuesday, is likely to scoop up extra minutes.
Nemanja Bjelica (back) has been ruled out for Wednesday vs. the Magic.
He hasn't been in the rotation since early January and it sounds like the Kings will be moving him in the near future.
Darius Garland is back in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game vs. the Pistons.
Hopefully this will help Garland get into a rhythm. He doesn't have any restrictions and the matchup looks juicy, so we have high expectations this evening. With Larry Nance Jr. (wrist) out, Cedi Osman is expected to slide to the four with Taurean Prince moving to the bench.
Derrick Jones Jr. (quad contusion) is probable to play against the Rockets on Thursday.
Jones Jr. isn't ranked in the top-200 players in 9-cat leagues, which is disappointing considering he has opportunities with C.J. McCollum sidelined. It's OK to drop him if another free agent has a higher ceiling.
Danilo Gallinari will play against the Nets on Wednesday in a rare back-to-back appearance.
It's unclear how many minutes he'll play after logging just 14 on Tuesday night, but it's a significant step forward for Gallinari to be playing in both games of a back-to-back. Hopefully, he's more productive on Wednesday, after missing both shots from the field to score just two points on Tuesday.
Patrick Beverley (knee) will not play on Thursday vs. the Heat.
The Clippers will be shorthanded once again as they are already without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard this week due to medical protocols. Terance Mann played well on Tuesday with a 10/9/1 line to go with four steals and one triple in 34 minutes, while Luke Kennard had 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, four steals and two 3-pointers in 28 minutes. Reggie Jackson is also on the streaming radar, scoring 20 points (8-of-16 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs) with seven rebounds, eight assists, two steals, one block and two 3-pointers.
Tyler Herro will be a game-time decision for the Heat against the Nuggets.
While the Heat had updates for Goran Dragic (out) and Avery Bradley (available), there was no update for Tyler Herro, who appears to be headed for a game-time decision. Herro hasn't played since January 14th.
Avery Bradley (COVID-protocol) will play on Wednesday against the Nuggets.
Bradley hasn't played since January 9th, and it's unclear if he'll be on a minutes restriction but Miami will need him with Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic ruled out, and Tyler Herro questionable to play. He's unlikely to make much of a fantasy impact in his first game back, though.
Gabe Vincent (ankle) is available for Wednesday vs. the Nuggets.
He had a pair of 20-point games on Jan. 12th and 14th but has cooled off in a big way since. We're not trusting him as a standard-league option.