Rudy Gobert posted a line of 13 points (6-of-8 FGs, 1-of-6 FTs), 18 rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocked shots in 30 minutes Tuesday vs. the Pelicans.
Gobert dominated his matchup with Steven Adams, and he finished the game one rebound shy of his season-high (January 10 vs. Detroit). The negative for Gobert, both in Tuesday’s game and the season as a whole, has been his free throw shooting. He was 1-of-6 from the stripe on Tuesday, and for the season he’s making just 46.7% of his attempts. Fantasy managers who have Gobert rostered will either need to punt free throws, as he’s averaging just over five attempts per game, or hope that other players on their rosters will pick up the slack.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker played 31 minutes off the bench in Tuesday’s loss to the Jazz, finishing with nine points (4-of-13 FGs), five rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block and one 3-pointer.
With Lonzo Ball back in the starting lineup following his return from knee tendinitis, Alexander-Walker returned to the second unit. But he still surpassed the 30-minute mark, which is good news when it comes to his fantasy value in the short-term. It’s worth noting that Ball was on a minutes restriction, which meant that Alexander-Walker wasn’t going to lose much in the way of playing time Tuesday night. Rostered in 22% of Yahoo leagues, Alexander-Walker has provided sixth-round value in both 8- and 9-cat formats over the last week. He stands to lose some minutes as Ball is cleared to play more, but NAW may be in the rotation to stay.
Eric Bledsoe shot 3-of-9 from the field in Tuesday’s loss to the Jazz, posting a line of nine points, four rebounds, two assists and two 3-pointers in 24 minutes.
Bledsoe remained in the starting lineup Tuesday night, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker moving to the bench in order to free up a spot for Lonzo Ball. Neither Ball nor Bledsoe had good nights, but at least the latter was able to knock down a couple 3-pointers. Bledsoe, who had a Yahoo ADP of 78, still sits outside of the top-100 in both 8- and 9-cat formats. He’s worth hanging onto for the time being due to his being a starter, but Alexander-Walker has outplayed Bledsoe. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if Stan Van Gundy made a change to his starting five at some point.
Paul Millsap got his first double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block on Tuesday.
Millsap shot 50% from the floor and splashed in a couple of 3-pointers in the Nuggets win over the Thunder on Tuesday night. He’s scored in double figures in four of his last five games with two triples in each of those four games, too. But if you’re thinking about picking him up now, we recommend holding out until there’s an update on the status of Michael Porter Jr., who could join the Nuggets on Friday vs the Suns.
Marvin Bagley (left wrist soreness) is probable to play against the Clippers on Wednesday.
Bagley was listed as probable ahead of Sunday night's game against the Pelicans but played 36 minutes and posted 26 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. Odds are he'll suit up vs the Clippers as he aims to build off his last two games, having scored 20-plus in each outing.
Hassan Whiteside (left hip soreness) remains questionable vs the Clippers on Wednesday.
The Kings' backup center has missed the last couple of games with a hip injury, but Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley are the only two bigs on Sacramento's roster worth having right now.
Collin Sexton (left ankle sprain) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game vs the Nets.
This is the best news we've received on Sexton in a while and it's great to see. He's missed a handful of games over the past 1-2 weeks, but the postponement of the Cavs' Sunday/Monday back-to-backs with the Wizards has actually worked out in their favor. We'll have more on Sexton and Darius Garland (shoulder; questionable) on Wednesday and hopefully, it's more good news.
Frank Jackson (left ankle sprain) is listed as probable for Wednesday's game against the Hawks.
Jackson, who's on a two-way contract, will not be a rotation player whenever Delon Wright and Derrick Rose are both available to play. Leave him on the waiver wire.
Andrew Wiggins (right knee soreness) is questionable on Wednesday vs the Spurs.
The Dubs small forward is coming off one of his best shooting nights of the season in a win over the Lakers on Monday night. But with a back-to-back slate on Wednesday/Thursday, it wouldn't be surprising to see Steve Kerr play it safe and give Wiggins a night off. Eric Paschall and Kent Bazemore would likely pick up the slack if that's the case.
Gabe Vincent (right knee soreness) is listed as probable for Wednesday's game against the Raptors.
Vincent played just nine minutes in Monday's win over the Pistons, as Goran Dragic replaced him in the starting lineup and Kendrick Nunn jumped him in the rotation. Vincent's time of being a player worth considering in deeper leagues may have come to an end, especially if Tyler Herro (neck spasms; questionable) is available to play.
Josh Okogie (left hamstring strain) is listed as probable to play in Wednesday's game against the Magic.
Okogie played 22 minutes on Monday, but didn't offer much in the way of production. He's more valuable to the Timberwolves rotation as a wing defender than he is to any fantasy roster. Leave him alone.
Cameron Payne (right ankle sprain) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Rockets.
Payne played 17 minutes in Monday's loss to the Grizzlies, accounting for five points, two rebounds, four assists and one 3-pointer. He isn't worth rostering in most leagues right now, but his availability will impact Langston Galloway (nine minutes on Monday) the most. Jevon Carter should remain in the rotation no matter what, thanks to his ability as a defender.
Juwan Morgan (health and safety protocols) is inactive for Tuesday's game against the Pelicans.
Morgan wasn't a rotation player when cleared, so his absence will have no impact when it comes to fantasy basketball.
De'Anthony Melton was a DNP-CD in Monday's win over the Suns.
After playing at least 12 minutes in each of his first seven appearances of the season, Melton did not play at all Monday evening. But that doesn't mean that he's out of the rotation for good. “I just wanted to try something a little bit different," Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said on Tuesday when asked why Melton didn't play. Grayson Allen (26 minutes), Tyus Jones (22) and Desmond Bane (22) received the majority of the second-unit minutes on the perimeter, with John Konchar getting just over seven. Jenkins' tinkering with the rotation isn't great news for Melton or those who have him rostered, as he was already behind Allen and Jones in the pecking order.
Jontay Porter (right knee soreness) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Blazers.
Porter has yet to play in a game this season, so this news will have no impact fantasy-wise.
Michael Carter-Williams (foot) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves.
He was able to get through Tuesday's non-contact practice, so he's making progress, but Wednesday will mark his eighth straight game on the sidelines.
Dario Saric (COVID-protocol) is expected to miss at least the next three games for the Suns.
It's unlikely he'll clear quarantine until Phoenix's January 27 matchup with OKC, so he's safe to leave on the waiver wire in the vast majority of fantasy leagues.
Tim Hardaway Jr. (left groin strain) is being listed as probable for Wednesday's game vs. the Pacers.
Perhaps the groin strain affected THJ in his 0-of-12 shooting performance on MLK Day, but it doesn't look like it'll force him to spend any time on the sidelines. Check back for official word on his status closer to tomorrow's tip.
JaKarr Sampson (back) is being listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Mavs.
The back issue has forced Sampson to spend the past two games on the sidelines, but whether or not he's cleared for tomorrow's game won't make a bit of difference in fantasy hoops.
Vincent Poirier (COVID-protocol) will remain on the inactive list for Wednesday's game vs. Boston.
It's unclear how much longer he'll be out, but he wasn't a part of the rotation anyway. We'll be considering him out indefinitely and will not provide another update until he clears quarantine.