Raul Neto returned from a one-game absence and tallied eight points, five boards, one assist, three steals and a block on Tuesday.
Neto was back on the court after missing a game with a groin injury but hit just 3-of-10 shots and a pair of 3-pointers in 22 minutes. He can remain on waivers now that Russell Westbrook is back, too.
DeMarcus Cousins had a season-high five steals on Tuesday in addition to 19 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and a block.
Boogie recorded his second straight double-double with Christian Wood (ankle) out yet again. He hit 6-of-11 field goals and made four 3-pointers for the second consecutive game, too, and has been playing like the former All-Star we've been accustomed to seeing over the years. He should be rostered in all formats if Wood continues to miss games.
Austin Rivers finished Tuesday’s loss to the Jazz with 25 points (10-of-14 FGs), three rebounds, one assist and five 3-pointers in 27 minutes.
Rivers had it rolling during the first half, making all 10 of his field goal attempts. But Utah managed to shut him down after halftime, with Rivers going 0-of-4 from the field. Rivers fell one shot shy of the Knicks’ franchise record for most made field goals without a miss. Ranked well outside of the top-200 in 9-cat formats, Rivers is rostered in just 5% of Yahoo leagues. Even with the lack of consistent production from Knicks guards not named RJ Barrett, there’s no need to grab Rivers off of the waiver wire.
RJ Barrett shot 7-of-11 from the field in Tuesday’s loss to the Jazz, tallying 17 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and three 3-pointers in 40 minutes.
Barrett was perfect from three Tuesday night, and after a slow start to the season he has played better recently. Over the last two weeks, he has provided top-100 value in both 8- and 9-cat formats. Barrett is clearly one of the players that Tom Thibodeau trusts, as evidenced by his high minutes count, so as long as he produces in an efficient manner his fantasy value should continue to improve.
Julius Randle finished Tuesday’s loss to the Jazz with 18 points (6-of-16 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), 10 rebounds, four assists and two 3-pointers in 35 minutes.
Another game, another double-double for Randle, who has put up five in his last six games and 13 this season (ten in January). The coaching change has worked wonders for Randle when it comes to his fantasy value, as he is a top-50 player in both 8- and 9-cat formats. His Yahoo 9-cat ADP was 82, so it’s safe to say that Julius is exceeding expectations.
Anthony Gill started for the first time in his NBA career and finished with two points, eight rebounds, two assists and a steal.
The Wizards are very thin on players right now, leaving Scott Brooks to experiment with different starting lineups. Tonight, Gill got the nod vs a bigger Rockets team but was relatively quiet, shooting 1-of-4 from the field including 0-of-3 from deep in 22 minutes. He replaced Jerome Robinson who started the last game but finished this one with four points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal off the bench. Both guys can remain on the shelf.
Luke Kennard finished Tuesday’s loss to the Hawks with 13 points (5-of-13 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), three rebounds, two assists, four steals and two 3-pointers in 28 minutes.
Kennard had a career night defensively, as he tallied four steals. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both away from the team due to the league’s health and safety protocols, Kennard will have more opportunities to produce as a starter. Kennard should get at least three more starts, as the earliest that Leonard and George are expected back is February 2 (at Brooklyn). He’s currently rostered in 20% of Yahoo leagues, so fantasy managers will want to grab Kennard off of the waiver wire.
Making his first start of the season, Terance Mann finished Tuesday’s loss to the Hawks with 10 points (4-of-8 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), nine rebounds, one assist, four steals and one 3-pointer in 34 minutes.
With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both away from the team due to the league’s health and safety protocols, Mann not only made his first start of the season but also played a season-high 34 minutes. In the four games prior, he played a total of 19 minutes. Mann matched his season high with the nine rebounds, and the four steals are a career-best. He’s rostered in 1% of Yahoo leagues, and given the absences it wouldn’t be a bad idea to roll the dice on the second-year wing.
Marcus Morris shot 3-of-9 from the field and 4-of-4 from the foul line in Tuesday’s loss to the Hawks, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds and one steal in 24 minutes.
Two days after sitting out a game due to illness, Morris was able to take on his usual workload in Atlanta. The absences of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George (health and safety protocols) shouldn’t impact Morris much when it comes to his minutes, but he may get a few more opportunities to put the ball in the basket.
Russell Westbrook struggled against his former team on Tuesday, shooting 7-of-17 to finish with 19 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and six turnovers.
Before the game, Scott Brooks said he thought Russ had been deferring too much and he needs to attack more in transition after defensive rebounds. Well, he attacked more but he wasn't very effective, missing 10 shots and half of his eight free-throw attempts. Westbrook is now 10-of-28 in two games since returning from his quad injury and is shooting just 37% from the floor with five turnovers a game this season. No wonder he's referred to as 'Westbrick.'
Nicolas Batum played 33 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Hawks, accounting for five points (2-of-7 FGs), four rebounds, five assists and one 3-pointer.
Batum didn’t have his best night shooting the basketball, as he was just 1-of-5 from beyond the arc. But he isn’t going to lack for scoring opportunities in the immediate future, as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George (health and safety protocols) aren’t expected to return until February 2 at the earliest. While Batum played the majority of his minutes at the four Tuesday night, there was a stretch during the third quarter in which he shares the court with both Marcus Morris and Serge Ibaka. Don’t be surprised if Tyronn Lue goes to that look more often, as the Clippers adjust to life without Leonard and George. Despite ranking just outside of the top-50 in 9-cat, Batum is rostered in just 56% of Yahoo leagues. That percentage is way too low given the current state of the Clippers' rotation.
Lou Williams shot 4-of-14 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line in Tuesday’s loss in Atlanta, posting a line of 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and one 3-pointer in 22 minutes.
Williams had to sit out two games earlier this month due to discomfort in his left hip, and the issue continues to linger. Following Tuesday’s defeat he said that the hip is still bothering him a “little bit,” which isn’t good news for the shorthanded Clippers. L.A. was down three starters on Tuesday, as Patrick Beverley (knee), Kawhi Leonard and Paul George (health and safety protocols) did not make the trip east. With Leonard and George expected to miss at least one week, Williams’ scoring ability is of even greater importance. The Clippers don't play again until Friday, so hopefully the extra day will benefit the veteran guard.
Ivica Zubac posted his second double-double in as many games Tuesday, registering 13 points (3-of-5 FGs, 7-of-8 FTs), 10 rebounds and one assist in 18 minutes vs. Atlanta.
Zubac has played some good basketball over the last week, tallying three double-doubles in a four-game stretch. Providing 12th-round value in 9-cat for the season, the 7-footer has been a top-75 player during this seven-day stretch. Zubac is rostered in 32% of Yahoo leagues, and with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George (health and safety protocols) both away from the team it wouldn’t be a bad idea to roll the dice on the big fella.
Danilo Gallinari (right ankle) missed both of his field goal attempts, finishing with two points and one rebound in 14 minutes.
Gallinari, who missed a lengthy stretch of time due to injury, was kept just under 15 minutes Tuesday night. With the veteran forward still on a minutes limit, starters John Collins (11/11/2/5 blocks and one 3-pointer) and De’Andre Hunter (22/3/4/1/1 with two 3-pointers) played at least 35 minutes and Solomon Hill (four rebounds, three assists, and two steals) played 23. With Gallinari's minutes limited Tuesday, that may leave the door open for him to play in Wednesday's game against the Nets.
De'Andre Hunter shot 7-of-16 from the field and 6-of-6 from the foul line in Tuesday’s win over the Clippers, tallying 22 points, three rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block and two 3-pointers in 36 minutes.
Hunter has been on a heater recently, as over the last week he’s been a top-20 player in both 8- and 9-cat formats. The second-year wing has six 20-point games this month, and he’s scored 22 or more in three of his last four. For the season Hunter is providing fifth-round value in 9-cat, exceeding his Yahoo ADP (129) by a significant margin.
Rajon Rondo played six minutes in Tuesday’s win over the Clippers, accounting for two points (1-of-1 FGs), one steal and two turnovers.
Whether or not Rondo is dealing with an injury right now is unknown, as no information was provided by the team following Tuesday’s game. But he played just six first-half minutes, with Brandon Goodwin (7/3/2 with one 3-pointer in 16 minutes) taking on the backup point guard role in the second half. Maybe this was to ensure that Rondo would be available for Wednesday’s game against the Nets, but even if that is the case he doesn’t offer much in the way of fantasy value.
George Hill (right thumb sprain) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game vs the Suns.
Hill sat out of Monday's contest vs the Blazers but has been upgraded to questionable tomorrow vs Phoenix. He'll likely go through a morning shootaround before the training staff makes a decision.
Nick Richards (left ankle sprain) is listed as probable for Wednesday's game against the Pacers.
Richards wasn't a rotation player when Cody Zeller was sidelined due to a wrist injury, and that isn't going to change now. There's no reason to roster the rookie in any fantasy league right now.
Romeo Langford (right wrist rehabilitation) is listed as out for Wednesday's game against the Spurs.
Langford, who underwent offseason surgery on his wrist, has yet to appear in a game this season. Consider him out indefinitely until the Celtics announce otherwise, and it's highly unlikely that he will offer much in the way of fantasy value once cleared.
Lamar Stevens (right abdominal strain) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Pistons.
If cleared to play Stevens may pick up a few minutes, but not enough to make him worthy of consideration in any league format. Leave him on the waiver wire.