C.J. McCollum (left foot sprain) did not start the second half of Saturday's game against the Hawks.
Not only did McCollum not start the second half, but he remained in the locker room as Anfernee Simons moved into the starting lineup. While he injured his foot during the first quarter, as a result of Clint Capela stepping on it, McCollum managed to play 19 minutes before the intermission. He accounted for 16 points (6-of-11 FGs), one assist and four 3-pointers.
Tyus Jones played just 17 minutes on Saturday night, finishing with six points, one board, four assists and three steals.
Ja Morant was back for the Grizzlies, pushing Jones back to the bench as the secondary point guard. And though Jones had a decent game, he played less minutes than Desmond Bane (19) and Grayson Allen (26) who both provide something that Jones doesn't which is perimeter shooting. The two combined to make 5-of-7 triples while Jones went 0-of-2. It's safe to drop him and not look back.
Dwight Howard had a monster game on Saturday, scoring eight points with 18 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 34 minutes.
Howard started against the Grizzlies with Joel Embiid out and gave us a flashback of prime Dwight. He came up two rebounds short of 20 and two points short of his second double-double, but is it was good to see him contribute meaningful minutes for the Sixers despite a close 106-104 loss to the Grizzlies. He'll look to have another big game on Sunday vs the Thunder.
Ben Simmons narrowly missed his third triple-double of the season, tallying 11 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists and a block in Saturday's loss.
Simmons filled up the box score as usual, but on a night where Joel Embiid was absent, he shot just 3-of-9 from the field and air balled a wide open three down seven points with less than four minutes left in the game (video below). His scoring has dropped from 16.4 in 2020 to 12.4 this season, and we know he's a great defender, but his inability to shoot the ball is a tragedy for Sixers fans and fantasy managers alike. Philly really missed out on not getting James Harden.
Shake Milton had a team-high 28 points on Saturday night, shooting 10-of-18 with three rebounds, four assists, two steals and two 3-pointers.
Milton has been ballin' since returning from his quarantine period, totaling 59 points on 21-of-33 field goals and five triples in two games. He's notched double-digit scoring marks in all but two games this season and is averaging nearly 16 points on 50% shooting. He's the Sixers fourth highest scorer and is ahead of Ben Simmons in that category. We recommend grabbing him off of waivers ASAP as he's still available in half of Yahoo leagues.
Norman Powell had the hot hand for the Raptors on Saturday, scoring 24 points on 6-of-12 shooting in just 28 minutes off the bench.
Powell had his highest scoring game of the season which was also a team high in Toronto's win, tacking on three rebounds, two assists and a block All six of his made field goals came from beyond the arc and it was the third time he's made four threes in a game in 2020-21. Strange but true, Powell is shooting just 37% on from the floor but 38% on 3-pointers through 12 games.
Making the first start of his NBA career, KZ Okpala shot 6-of-9 from the field in Saturday’s loss to the Pistons and finished with 15 points, one rebound, one assist and four 3-pointers in 27 minutes.
While Miami welcomed back a few consistent rotation members, the absences of Jimmy Butler (health and safety protocols) and Tyler Herro (neck spasms) freed up a spot in the starting lineup for Okpala. And he was solid, shooting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. The negatives: there wasn’t much production outside of the points and 3-pointers, and Okpala also turned the ball over four times. If he gets another start, Okpala is worth a look in deeper leagues, but that’s his ceiling right now.
Goran Dragic played 31 minutes in his return Saturday night, scoring 12 points (4-of-11 FGs, 4-of-6 FTs) with three rebounds and 10 assists.
Dragic, playing for the first time in a week due to the league’s health and safety protocols, established a new season-high with the ten assists. If there’s a concern regarding the veteran guard it’s his shooting, which has been mediocre (at best) outside of his January 9 explosion against the Wizards. Remove that 7-of-10 effort, and Dragic has shot 15-of-41 from the field (2-of-15 3-pointers) in Miami’s other four games this month. He’s certainly worth rostering however, especially with Jimmy Butler (health and safety protocols) still sidelined.
Udonis Haslem did not play in Saturday's loss to the Pistons.
Haslem was one of many Heat players who were cleared to play Saturday night after sitting due to the NBA's health and safety protocols. But he didn't see any action, which comes as no surprise. Haslem will have to wait another day to make his season debut. Leave him on the waiver wire, as his value to the Heat locker room far outweighs his fantasy value.
Kendrick Nunn shot 3-of-6 from the field in Saturday’s loss to the Pistons, finishing with seven points (3-of-6 FGs), five rebounds, one assist and one 3-pointer in 27 minutes.
With Jimmy Butler (health and safety protocols) and Tyler Herro (neck spasms) both sidelined, Nunn had an opportunity to show that he’s worthy of rotation minutes once the Heat return to full strength. It’s safe to say that he didn’t take advantage, with the second-year guard racking up a team-high five turnovers on the night. Goran Dragic also turned the ball over five times, but he had 10 assists to Nunn’s one. He’ll look to redeem himself on Monday when the Heat face the Pistons again, but fantasy managers are better served leaving Nunn alone.
Devonte' Graham scored a season-high 20 points on Saturday night, hitting 7-of-15 and four triples in the loss.
Graham salvaged his scoring effort with eight points in the final few minutes including a triple with 8.4 seconds left to pull the Hornets within one. Aside from getting buckets, he had five boards, seven assists and a steal in his 38 minutes. Rozier has scored in double figures in four straight contests and seven of the last eight after scoring less than 10 in three straight games at one point. Graham will have to keep this up if in order to avoid a future benching to rookie LaMelo Ball.
Derrick Rose (knee) played 21 minutes in Saturday’s beating of the Heat, accounting for 23 points (8-of-12 FGs, 4-of-5 FTs), one rebound, four assists, four steals and three 3-pointers.
Rose played very well, and was one of the reasons why the Pistons picked up their first road win of the season. The veteran point guard remains in his usual backup role, but the injury history and resulting minutes cap makes Rose a tough sell in standard leagues. He is worth a look in deeper leagues, however.
Blake Griffin shot 6-of-13 from the field in Saturday’s win over the Heat, tallying 15 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, one blocked shot and three 3-pointers in 32 minutes.
The eight assists are a season-high for Griffin, who has tallied five or more in five straight games. He hasn’t been great thus far, and the injuries remain a concern, but Griffin is providing 11th-round value in 9-cat formats. While the veteran forward appears to be past the point where he can be the focal point offensively for the Pistons, he can be a solid supplementary playmaker. Fantasy managers who have Griffin should look to move him for a player who doesn't have as many health concerns if possible.
Delon Wright played 26 minutes in Saturday’s win over the Heat, accounting for seven points (3-of-7 FGs), four rebounds, 10 assists, one blocked shot and two 3-pointers.
With Killian Hayes (hip) out indefinitely, Wright is splitting the point guard duties with Derrick Rose. While the latter supplied the scoring punch on Saturday, with Rose scoring 23 points, Wright established a new season-high with his 10 assists. After accounting for no more than four assists in any of the Pistons’ first eight games, Wright has six or more in three of the last four. A trendy deep-round pick, Wright hasn’t lived up to those expectations just yet, but he won’t lack for chances to turn things around.
OG Anunoby played 36 minutes in the Raptors' win on Sunday, posting 18 points, five rebounds, an assists, four steals and four 3-pointers.
OG shot 7-of-13 from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc and has now made at least two triples in three consecutive games. And though he's shooting just 33% from distance this season, he's averaging 1.9 steals a night and had seven total in Toronto's two-game series with Charlotte. The forward sits just outside the top-50 in 9-cat through about a month of action.
Isaiah Stewart made the most of his 19 minutes in Saturday’s win over the Heat, finishing with 10 points (4-of-6 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), 11 rebounds, two assists and one steal before fouling out.
Stewart was the most energetic player on the court at times, with the effort expended resulting in the first double-double of his NBA career. With Blake Griffin and Mason Plumlee both ahead of him in the starting lineup, the rookie will be lucky to hit 20 minutes on most nights. But it may get tougher for Dwane Casey to keep Stewart off the court, especially if the Pistons (now 3-9 on the season) continue to trend in the wrong direction. Over the last week, he has provided 11th-round value in 9-cat formats. Stewart isn’t a must-have right now, but his name is one to keep in mind for the second half of this season.
Terry Rozier shot 9-of-19 from the floor and 6-of-12 from deep on Saturday, scoring 24 points with nine rebounds, two assists and a steal in 38 minutes.
Rozier hit back-to-back 3-pointers with less than 1:30 left in the game to push him over 20 points and help the Hornets have a chance at winning the game, although they came up short. But he's scored in double figures in all but one game this season, averaging 19.6 points on 48% shooting with 3.2 triples per game on a 44% clip. If you drafted him late like most others (123 ADP in Yahoo), you should be thrilled with the top-40 value he's providing right now.
P.J. Washington recorded his third straight double-double, finishing with 14 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two blocks on Saturday night.
P.J. kept his engine running against the Raptors, shooting 6-of-13 from the field with a 3-pointer in 34 minutes. It was his fifth game in a row scoring in double figures, which explains why he's been added in 10% of leagues over the last week, but he's still available in 23% of leagues and should be picked up with how he's been playing as of late.
Gordon Hayward finished Saturday night's game with 25 points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal in the Hornets' 116-113 loss to the Raptors.
Hayward was on pace for his second 40-point game of the season after a 21-point first half but disappeared in the final 24 minutes as Terry Rozier and DeVonte' Graham took over. Still, it was an overall good night for the first-year Hornet as he notched his seventh game with 20-plus points this season and his third game attempting and making at least 10 free throws. Was he really overpaid or paid exactly what he deserves?
Hassan Whiteside (left hip) has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday after missing the Blazer's last game.
Whiteside doesn't have any fantasy value through the first month of the season but if Marvin Bagley (left wrist) can't play on Sunday, he could get some burn behind Richaun Holmes. That's not us saying pick him up but rather just letting you know he might step onto the court. He's only played 10 minutes in each of the Kings last two games, totaling just 15 points and four rebounds.