Mo Bamba (health and safety protocols) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Knicks.
Bamba did not travel to Boston for the start of Orlando's road trip on Friday, so it comes as no surprise that he remains unavailable. Even when healthy, he isn't worth rostering regardless of league format.
Michael Carter-Williams (left foot) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Knicks.
Carter-Williams injured his foot in early January, and he is still in a walking boot. When he will be able to return remains unknown, and his absence has opened up backup point guard minutes for Jordan Bone. Bone isn't worth rostering, regardless of league format.
Kemba Walker (left knee) is available to play in Sunday's game against the Knicks.
Walker has yet to play in a game this season, but that appears likely to change Sunday afternoon. He was a full participant in practices on Thursday and Saturday, setting the stage for his season debut in his hometown. Walker will likely be on a minutes limit, so don't expect too much in the way of fantasy production.
Kemba Walker will play no more than 20 minutes in Sunday's game vs. the Knicks, according to Celtics coach Brad Stevens.
The minutes limit was to be expected, as Walker will be making his 2020-21 season debut Sunday afternoon. Backups Jeff Teague and Payton Pritchard will see their fantasy values take a hit, and it will only get worse for them as Walker's minutes increase moving forward.
Nerlens Noel (lower back soreness) is available to play in Sunday's game against the Celtics.
Noel had one of his best games of the season Friday night, as he rejected six shots in a loss to the Cavaliers. He will fill his usual backup center role, but his fantasy value isn't great due to starter Mitchell Robinson's improvement when it comes to avoiding foul trouble.
Alec Burks (left ankle) will not play in Sunday's game against the Celtics.
Burks will miss another game due to the ankle injury, and he is still considered to be day-to-day. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau did not rule out the possibility of Burks playing Monday afternoon against the Magic, however. New York will then have a couple days off before the start of their west coast trip on Thursday. If Burks doesn't play Monday, then he could be in line to return against the Warriors.
The Cavaliers believe that recent acquisition Taurean Prince will given them another capable 3-and-D wing, along with Isaac Okoro and Cedi Osman.
While Cleveland has a surplus of big men, the team was a bit lacking on the wings before getting involved in the four-team trade centered around James Harden. GM Koby Altman was able to add Prince and Jarrett Allen to the roster, and in the case of the former the Cavaliers believe that he can help at both the three and the four. "He’s 6-7, he’s tough, can switch multiple positions," Altman said of Prince. "But I think he’s gonna be able to be multidimensional for us on the defensive end and fit right in as a spacer on the offensive end." Prince's numbers in Brooklyn this season weren't great, but the move to Cleveland gives him a better shot at becoming a relevant fantasy option.
Tacko Fall (left ankle sprain) has been downgraded to out for Sunday's game against the Knicks.
Fall was unlikely to be a rotation player with the Celtics returning many of their key contributors, so he wasn't worth rostering if cleared to play. Leave the fan favorite on the waiver wire.
Daniel Theis (middle finger sprain) is available to play in Sunday's game against the Knicks.
Theis' injury didn't appear to be too serious, and it's likely that he will be in the starting lineup Sunday afternoon. He's worth utilizing in deeper leagues, but there isn't enough production to justify rostering Theis in standard or shallow formats.
Chris Chiozza did not play in Saturday's win over the Magic.
No surprise here, as the Nets were closer to full strength due to James Harden being eligible to play. Chiozza won't be getting minutes unless the Nets are hit hard by injuries, or the game has gotten out of hand, especially once Kyrie Irving returns.
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot played 24 minutes in Saturday's win over the Magic, accounting for three points (1-of-4 FGs), two rebounds and one 3-pointer.
Luwawu-Cabarrot remains a part of the Nets rotation, as his defense and athleticism can be useful on the wing. But it isn't enough to make him a relevant fantasy player, as he isn't going to get many scoring opportunities on most nights. At best, Luwawu-Cabarrot is worth keeping in mind if the Nets are hit hard by injuries and/or health and safety protocol absences.
Landry Shamet shot 2-of-4 from the field in Saturday's win over the Magic, tallying five points, one rebound, one steal and one 3-pointer in 17 minutes.
Shamet hasn't been a great fantasy option, as he currently ranks outside of the top-300 in both 8- and 9-cat formats. Hopefully the addition of James Harden, and the eventual return of Kyrie Irving, will result in him getting a few more clean looks. But at this rate, Shamet could be in danger of falling completely out of the Nets rotation. There's no need to pick him up.
Rudy Gay played 22 minutes in Saturday's win over the Rockets, posting a line of five points (2-of-6 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), eight rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Gay didn't have his best night offensively, but he eight rebounds are the most that he's had in a game this season. While his spot within the Spurs rotation makes the veteran forward a tough sell in standard leagues, Gay is providing 12th-round value in 9-cat formats. He's currently rostered in 24% of Yahoo leagues, and Gay can be a decent fill-in option for fantasy managers whose rosters are hit hard by injuries/health and safety protocol absences.
Clint Capela shot 11-of-16 from the field and 3-of-5 from the foul line in Saturday’s loss to the Blazers, finishing with 25 points, 15 rebounds, one steal and four blocks in 37 minutes.
Capela was nearly unstoppable in the first half, as he established season-highs for a game in both points (19) and blocks (four). With Portland adjusting its pick-and-roll coverage in order to keep Capela away from the basket, the big man scored just six points in the second half. Overall this was a very good night for the veteran center, who is Atlanta’s lone top-50 player in both 8- and 9-cat formats. Outperforming his Yahoo ADP (59), Capela should provide consistent top-50 value all season long, provided he stay healthy.
Filling in for the injured Cam Reddish, Kevin Huerter played 36 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Blazers and finished with 13 points (5-of-10 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one 3-pointer.
Huerter, rostered in 54% of Yahoo leagues, ranks outside of the top-100 in both 8- and 9-cat formats. Reddish should be back for Atlanta’s next game on Monday, as Saturday was the second game of a back-to-back, which would move Huerter back to the bench. He can be a solid contributor in a variety of statistical categories, and with Atlanta’s many injuries on the wing Red Velvet should be rostered in most leagues.
Anfernee Simons missed both of his shot attempts in Saturday’s win over the Hawks, finishing with zero points and two rebounds in eight minutes.
Simons started the second half in place of he injured C.J. McCollum, which was more about keeping Gary Trent Jr. in his customary reserve role. Even if Simons were to start on Monday against the Spurs, he doesn’t offer much in the way of fantasy value.
Gary Trent Jr. shot 7-of-14 from the field in Saturday’s win over the Hawks, tallying 18 points, three rebounds, one assist and four 3-pointers in 27 minutes.
Trent Jr. continues to alternate double-digit scoring efforts with those of the single-digit variety, so if the pattern holds he may be in for a tough outing Monday in San Antonio. But he won’t lack for opportunities to buck that trend, especially if C.J. McCollum (left foot sprain) is unable to play. Trent Jr. hasn’t been able to carry over his play from the bubble into the new season, but now may be a good time to get in while he’s still available. The Blazers reserve is currently rostered in just 10% of Yahoo leagues.
Robert Covington shot 1-of-13 from the field in Saturday’s win over the Hawks, accounting for three points, 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block and one 3-pointer in 28 minutes.
RoCo had a tough night, as he missed all six of his shot attempts inside the arc and wasn’t part of the closing lineup. With Covington struggling and C.J. McCollum (foot) sidelined, Terry Stotts went with Carmelo Anthony and Gary Trent Jr. to complete the Blazers’ rally. Covington was able to provide some production in non-scoring areas, but he hasn’t produced at the level that many expected before the season began. With a Yahoo ADP of 60 in 9-cat, Covington sits well outside of the top-100 presently. The absence of Jusuf Nurkic (wrist) will give RoCo more opportunities to produce offensively, but he didn’t take advantage Saturday night.
Xavier Tillman had the best game of his rookie season on Saturday, scoring 15 points with four rebounds, two assists and four steals in 28 minutes.
The points, steals and minutes were all season highs for Tillman who got the most time off the bench for the Grizzlies in their win over the Sixers. He shot 7-of-13 from the floor, made a 3-pointer and his 15 points were the second most behind just Ja Morant (17 points). Tillman isn't necessarily a must-add player, but he's worth keeping an eye on for the time being.
Brandon Clarke notched a double-double on Saturday vs the Sixers, recording 11 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals in the win.
It was a decent game for BC but he shot terribly, hitting just 4-of-14 from the floor and no 3-pointers. But the good news is he's scored in double figures in six straight and all but two games this season. Clarke is also the team's third leading scorer (13.1) and plays the third-most minutes (28.7). Ja Morant's return will benefit him too as the two sophomores have great chemistry and are constantly looking for each other in fast break scenarios. BC should be rostered in standard and deep leagues.