Darius Garland (shoulder) showed a little rust on Friday vs. the Nets, scoring 11 points (4-of-13 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs) with three assists, one triple and two turnovers.
He came off the bench and was limited to 22 minutes as the Cavs want to ramp him up slowly after eight straight games on the shelf. His fantasy managers are just thrilled to see him out there, as he was breaking out right before our eyes until his shoulder had other ideas. We have high expectations for the second-year guard going forward with averages of 16.3 points, 5.9 dimes, 1.1 steals and 2.3 triples through seven games.
Danilo Gallinari (right ankle) returned from a three-week absence on Friday, posting 10 points (3-of-8 FGs, 3-of-3 FTs) and four rebounds in 15 minutes of action.
The fact that Gallo played at all was a welcome surprise, since he came into the day listed as 'doubtful'. Atlanta kept him on a strict 15-minute limit and that number isn't likely to spike overnight, but he should reach the low-20s over the next few games vs. Milwaukee (Sunday) and the Clippers (Tuesday). Start thinking about who you'll cut to get Gallo out of your IR spot.
Andre Drummond had a dominant performance in a 125-113 win over the Nets on Friday, hitting 8-of-13 shots and 3-of-4 free throws for 19 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block in 27 minutes.
Jarrett Allen played 31 minutes in his debut on Wednesday compared to 26 for Drummond, but the needle swung back into Drummond's favor tonight with 27 minutes compared to 19 for Allen. Allen did keep the pressure on him though with 19 points of his own on 7-of-9 shooting, so this position battle is going to be tricky for their fantasy managers and there's a strong possibility that this becomes a timeshare.
Onyeka Okongwu (left foot inflammation) had two points and one rebound in four minutes of action on Friday.
Okongwu is only playing in garbage time, but it's worth mentioning that the Hawks still techincally have him on a 15-minute limit. We'll let you know if that becomes an issue.
Tony Snell finished the Hawks' 116-98 win on Friday with no stats in three minutes.
Snell reportedly was on a 25-minute limit, which is amusing since he's averaging 11.6 minutes on the season. It would take a multitude of teammate injuries to spring Snell into fantasy relevance.
De'Andre Hunter (sore right knee) scored 11 points with three rebounds, two assists, four steals and one 3-pointer in 27 minutes during Friday's easy win in Minnesota.
Hunter is in the midst of a breakout season, and his return was welcome news for fantasy managers who've come to rely on his across-the-board contributions. Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said he's been most impressed by Hunter's 'attack' mentality as a scorer. "You’re starting to see some intensity for a guy who’s pretty reserved," he said. "I like his level of engagement." He had a few buckets at the rim tonight, including an alley-oop from Trae Young, and wasn't on a minute-limit (unlike teammates Danilo Gallinari and Cam Reddish). He should be ready to roll for games Sunday (at the Bucks) and Tuesday (vs. the Clippers).
Naz Reid finished Friday's home loss with 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting, one 3-pointer, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and four blocks.
Reid also played 25 minutes without a turnover, but he had no answers for Clint Capela on the glass tonight. The Wolves are in shambles without Karl-Anthony Towns (COVID-19), having lost four straight games and 11 of their past 12. Win or lose, they don't really have any good alternatives to Reid at center -- veteran Ed Davis was scoreless in six minutes off the bench on Friday.
Ricky Rubio (health and safety protocols) returned on Friday with four points, four rebounds, five assists and three steals in 15 minutes off the Wolves' bench.
The Wolves' rotations have been in flux all season due to rampant injuries and COVID-related DNPs. That hasn't helped Rubio mesh with D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Anthony Edwards, and the awkward fit has produced muted results -- 6.3 points, 2.8 boards, 5.4 dimes and 1.4 steals in 24.4 minutes per game. The dimes and steals are nice, in categories that aren't easy to find on the waiver wire, so that alone should keep him on your fantasy rosters. He's also historically been a very slow starter, before warming up as the season progresses, giving managers cause for optimism. Rubio was limited to "shorter stints" tonight, presumably to keep him available for Saturday's game vs. New Orleans.
Josh Okogie (strained left hamstring) had three points, one rebound, one assist and two steals in 19 minutes vs. the Hawks on Friday.
Okogie may have been on a minute-limit, but it's hard to tell because none of the Wolves' starters played more than Jarred Vanderbilt's 27 minutes. Okogie brings much-needed defense to the starting unit, but his game simply isn't translating to fantasy production.
Anthony Edwards shot 2-of-12 from the field for five points on Friday, adding three rebounds, one assist, one steal and three turnovers in 24 minutes.
Edwards wasn't alone in his struggles tonight. D'Angelo Russell shot 2-of-9 from the field, Jaden McDaniels shot 2-of-9, and the Wolves as a team were 43.0%. Still, the No. 1 pick is having an absolutely brutal stretch with combined 11-of-56 shooting (19.6%) over his past five games. In that span he's collected one steal with zero blocks, and most disturbingly he's only attempted two free throws. It's becoming increasingly hard to justify stashing Edwards in most re-draft leagues.
Patty Mills started the second half of Friday's game vs. Dallas and finished with 13 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one triple in 37 minutes.
Dejounte Murray (ankle) left Friday's game after just one minute, but coach Gregg Popovich said after the game that he's going to be fine. We're still putting Mills on our streaming radar for Sunday though, as the Spurs have a matchup vs. the Wizards and there's no guarantees that Murray plays with how cautious the Spurs are. And Mills has been underrated all season, averaging 14.1 points, 2.8 triples and 3.0 assists in 25.9 minutes.
Jakob Poeltl played 18 minutes vs. the Mavericks on Friday with two points (1-of-3 FGs, 0-of-2 FTs), five rebounds, one assist and two blocks.
Poeltl has been picking up some momentum in recent games, and it makes sense for the Spurs to give him more run with LaMarcus Aldridge losing his battle to Father Time. Aldridge did turn back the clock tonight with 26 points, but we're not convinced he's back just yet. Poeltl put up 11.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.0 blocks in his previous three games in 25.0 minutes on 69% from the field, so he's on our radar. We’ll warn you though that he’s absolutely awful from the free throw line, but at least it’s on low volume.
Bruce Brown got a fill-in start for Kevin Durant (rest) on Friday vs. Cleveland and fared well, scoring eight points (4-of-8 FGs) with three rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 23 minutes.
Brown was a sneaky fantasy option last season in Detroit but he's swimming against the current in Brooklyn with so many stars in town. He played just seven minutes in his last outing when the Nets had all three of their superstars playing, so he's only going to have low-end streaming value whenever the team is short handed.
Jeff Green returned to a bench role on Friday vs. Cleveland with Kevin Durant resting, scoring 13 points with two rebounds, one assist, two steals and one triple in 26 minutes.
The Nets moved Joe Harris and Bruce Brown into the starting lineup but it's just a temporary move. Green could be back with the starters on Saturday vs. Miami and has been impressive over his last five games with top-80 numbers in 9-cat with 12.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.6 triples in 34.1 minutes. He's been an underrated signing for the Nets and coach Steve Nash clearly has big plans for the veteran.
Dylan Windler (hand) returned from a month-long absence to score six points with six rebounds, one assist, one steal and two triples in 16 minutes.
The 24-year-old sharpshooter has had some awful luck with injuries but could finally carve out a decent role in Cleveland at the expense of Cedi Osman. He's not on the standard-league radar but if you're in a deep league and on the lookout for a 3-point specialist, throw Windler on your watch list.
Matisse Thybulle had nine points, four rebounds, two blocks and one 3-pointer in 21 minutes off the bench on Friday.
Thybulle's defensive stats can't be faulted and on a per-36-minute basis he's averaging 3.0 steals and 2.1 blocks. He's established himself as a constant 3-and-D presence off Doc Rivers' bench, but he remains a niche fantasy option due to a lack of supporting stats. For instance, he's yet to score double-digit points and is averaging 1.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in January. Just keep him in mind if you need steals and blocks in a hurry.
Seth Curry returned to action on Friday with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, making 3-of-5 triples with one assist and one steal in 27 minutes.
Curry hadn't played since Jan. 6 after contracting COVID-19, and he missed Philly's game on Wednesday for conditioning purposes. He's shooting the ball ridiculously well this season at 60.3% from the field, 59.5% from deep and 100.0% from the line. Even when those numbers inevitably come back to earth, Curry will still be an elite source of 3-pointers with strong contributions in points, percentages and assists (career-high 3.6 per game). Get him back in your active lineups, if you haven't already.
Javonte Green had seven points, four rebounds, one steal and one block in 20 minutes during Friday's loss to the Sixers.
Payton Pritchard exited this game with a right knee injury that could cost him time -- it's being called a sprain but further tests will likely be required. If Pritchard does miss time, it should be Jeff Teague (three points in 18 minutes) picking up the bulk of his minutes. Green is the best bet to replace Pritchard's tenacious defense, though, and he's emerged as a staple of the rotation with 21.3 minutes per game in January. It's yet to yield fantasy value, but he's at least on the radar in deeper leagues.
Aaron Nesmith (lower back spasms) was a scratch for Friday's game in Philadelphia.
Nesmith came in averaging just 13.2 minutes in five games this season, so his availability has no impact on fantasy rosters. Shooting was his calling card in college but he's a combined 5-of-23 from the field this season (3-of-16 from deep). He also has as many personal fouls (11) as combined rebounds (six), assists (three), blocks (two) and steals (zero), so there's plenty of work to be done even when he's healthy.
Kemba Walker had 19 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes during Friday's 122-110 loss in Philly.
After scoring 19 points with five 3-pointers on Wednesday, Walker said his knee has responded well to live-game action. "My movement is a lot better," he said. "I'm more comfortable just being me." That's music to the ears of Walker's fantasy managers, and it looks as though Boston's extra-cautious approach to his rehab has paid off. He'll likely need some maintenance days, which will be a headache, but it's worth it if his play through three games is any indication.