11 new players have tested positive for COVID-19 since Jan. 13th, the NBA announced.
January has been a tough month around the NBA but this number indicates that the league still has a firm handle on things. The NBA has postponed a total of 16 games so far with more bound to happen, but the games will be made up at a later date and there's no indication that a pause will happen.
Austin Rivers is doubtful for Thursday vs. the Warriors with a sore right Achilles.
This is a new injury for Rivers and it looks like he's going to miss some action here. Luckily for New York, Alec Burks (ankle) is due back Thursday, so Rivers' window for fantasy value has closed anyways.
Dylan Windler won't play on Wednesday against the Nets due to a clerical error, but his hand is healed and he'll play on Friday.
Windler's played in just one game this season, suffering a fracture in his hand during the Cavaliers' debut. Now he's ready to go but can't play on Wednesday due to a "clerical" error after the Cavs asked the league for injury relief. J.B. Bickerstaff said Windler will return on Friday for the Cavs second game against the Nets in three days. Windler is unlikely to make a big fantasy impact.
Robert Williams will return from health and safety protocols to play 10-to-15 minutes against the Sixers on Wednesday.
Williams hasn't played in a game since January 6th, so the Celtics will slowly work him back to full strength. He only averaged 16.4 minutes per game, so he won't be playing for off his normal time. Williams is ranked No. 66 in 9-cat leagues as a shot-blocking threat, but it's unclear how game-ready he is just yet.
Anthony Davis (right ankle) is probable for Thursday vs. the Bucks.
Either the Lakers are bubble-wrapping him for every practice or they are being a little dramatic with their injury reporting. The day that Davis or LeBron James isn't on the injury report will be a sight for sore eyes.
Kyrie Irving will start next to James Harden and Kevin Durant on Wednesday against the Cavaliers.
We'll get our first look at the Nets' Big 3 on Wednesday as Irving, Durant, and Harden share the floor for the first time together. And for fantasy managers, they'll get their first look at just Irving, playing for the first time since January 5th. Brooklyn has a tough test throwing together three new players together on the fly. Remember, Irving and Durant have only played six games together before factoring in Harden. It'll be a tough test against a good defensive Cavs team.
Jared Dudley (calf) has been ruled out for Thursday vs. the Bucks.
We're marking him as out indefinitely. The Bucks can rest easy on Wednesday night knowing that they will not have to game-plan for Dudley.
Tim Hardaway Jr. (left groin strain) is good to go for Wednesday vs. the Pacers.
No surprise here as THJ was initially listed as probable. THJ is coming off a 0-of-12 shooting performance so he has nowhere to go but up this evening.
Patrick Williams ran but did not practice on Wednesday, just two days after being ruled out of a game due to hip stiffness.
It's unclear if Williams will play in the Bulls' next game on Friday, but Chicago could have both Tomas Satoransky and Chandler Hutchison (COVID-19) back in the lineup for the first time in 2021. Check back closer to game-time, as we wait to see if either will have a minutes-restriction and if Otto Porter (back strain) will play. Wendell Carter Jr. also left practice on Wednesday with a thigh bruise, and his availability is in question.
Chandler Hutchison expects to be available on Friday for his first game of 2021 after recovering from COVID-19.
Hutchison and Tomas Satoransky both haven't played yet in the new year since testing positive for the virus. Hutchison compared his bout to a "rough flu." It's unclear if either of the players will be on any type of minutes restriction, but the Bulls could need them on Friday with Otto Porter Jr. (back), Patrick Williams (hip), and Wendell Carter Jr.'s (thigh) statuses all up in the air.
Hassan Whiteside's injury is a strained left hip flexor, and he's considered day-to-day.
An MRI confirmed Whiteside's injury wasn't more serious than anticipated, and he should return soon, which is great news. Still, Marvin Bagley and Richaun Holmes are the only Sacramento bigs worth rostering for now.
Sterling Brown (leg) is available to play on Wednesday against the Suns.
Brown's missed the last two games with the injury, but he'll return to a much different Rockets team. His spot in the rotation is a lot less clear with Victor Oladipo playing the same position.
Terence Davis is probable to play through a right hip contusion on Wednesday against the Heat.
Davis is a deep rotation contributor for the Raptors, averaging 7.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.1 made 3-pointers in 12.1 minutes per game. He's not a top fantasy player and can be left on the waiver wire.
P.J. Washington will play on Friday against the Bulls despite tweaking his ankle in practice on Tuesday.
Washington ranks just inside the top-100 players in 9-cat leagues and is having a strong season for the Hornets. He's averaging 12.9 points, 1.2 3-pointers, 7.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game.
Seth Curry won't play on Wednesday after being cleared from health and safety protocol due to reconditioning.
Curry was cleared after testing positive for COVID-19 and wasn't originally listed on the injury report, leading us to believe he'd play, but that's changed. The team wants to condition him so he's game-ready again after not playing for two weeks.
Will Barton was solid in the Nuggets 119-101 win over the Thunder, netting 13 points, three rebounds, six assists and a steal.
Barton knocked down 5-of-7 field goals including three triples in 25 minutes, although the four giveaways were tied for a game-high. But he's played well in the absence of Michael Porter Jr., who could return Friday, totaling 54 points and 12 3-pointers in his last four games. If MPJ does suit up this weekend, Barton's fantasy value will take a dip and it might be safe to drop him after that. We'd wait for an update on MPJ before making any moves.
Lu Dort scored 20 points in 25 minutes on Tuesday, making 8-of-11 shots with three 3-pointers, five boards, three assists and a steal.
It was Dort's second game in a row notching at least 20 points and his third time doing so this season. What's more impressive is his 3-point shooting, however. In 2019-20, he went 30-of-101 (29.7%) from 3-point range and this year, he's already at 31-of-71 (43.6%) with 2.3 makes per game. Dort was picked up in 17% of Yahoo leagues last week and is still available in 55% of leagues. Pick him up if he's sitting on waivers.
Isaiah Roby had a decent showing on Tuesday, posting 10 points, nine rebounds, three assists and four steals in 26 minutes.
Roby had a decent game despite shooting 3-of-9, but Nikola Jokic was feasting on him and head coach Mark Daigneault commented on the matchup after the game, "It's just another really good experience for him. Obviously, it's a tough cover right now, but I don't think it's a long-term tough cover for him... I was pleased with how he played." The nine rebounds matched a season-high for Roby and the four steals were the most he's had through 13 games as he filled in nicely for Al Horford (personal) who was out again.
In his first game back from a sore right Achilles, Joe Ingles played 19 minutes and finished with 15 points (5-of-6 FGs), three rebounds, two assists, one block and five 3-pointers.
All six of Ingles’ field goal attempts were 3-pointers, and he managed to make a season-high five on the night. In six games this month he’s shooting 15-of-31 from three, and Ingles has scored 11 points or more in four of those outings. "We’ve been pretty open in saying it's the way we always want to play,” Ingles said when asked about his and Utah’s 3-point shooting (the Jazz made 21 3-pointers) on Tuesday. “… It was fun to be back out there, and I'm just glad we won, to be honest.” Rostered in 27% of Yahoo leagues, Ingles isn’t a great fantasy option, but he can change that with more performances like the one he put forth Tuesday night.
Jordan Clarkson played 29 minutes in Tuesday’s win over the Pelicans, tallying 18 points (6-of-15 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), six rebounds, six assists and four 3-pointers.
The return of Joe Ingles didn’t have much of an impact on Clarkson’s opportunities; he’s going to get his looks no matter who’s on the court with him. He has now scored 16 points or more in seven of ten games this month, and over the last two weeks Clarkson has rested safely within the top-50 in both 8- and 9-cat formats. Yet he’s rostered in 73% of Yahoo leagues. If he is somehow available in your league, do not hesitate to pick him up.