Gordon Hayward left Wednesday's game against the Mavericks in the third quarter with a left hip strain and will not return.
Well that's terrible news. Hayward will finish with 16 points, four rebounds, one assist, one block and three 3-pointers on 5-of-15 shooting. We didn't get a look at the injury when it happened and there are no initial reports on the severity so we're going to consider him day-to-day for now. Miles Bridges, Cody Martin and Caleb Martin would all see a boost if Hayward is going to miss time.
Terry Rozier hit 8-of-18 shots for 18 points, six rebounds, two 3-pointers, one steal and one turnover across 36 minutes in Wednesday's loss to Dallas.
Rozier led the Hornets in shot attempts in this one, and that will be a trend that will continue if Gordon Hayward (hip) needs to miss time. Devonte' Graham should also see some more opportunity on offense sans Hayward, and he finished Wednesday's game with 12 points (5-of-14 FG), two triples, seven dimes, three steals and one turnover in 36 minutes.
P.J. Washington posted a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double in Wednesday's loss to the Mavericks.
Washington had the unenviable task of matching up with Kristaps Porzingis, and he had a tough time getting his shot to drop, going 1-of-7 from the field through the first quarter of action and he finished on 6-of-17 shooting. He did add two triples, six dimes, one steal and two turnovers while he was out there, and he figures to see a bit of a usage bump if Gordon Hayward (hip) needs to miss time.
Miles Bridges was held to just four points on 2-of-9 shooting in Wednesday's loss to the Mavs, adding six rebounds, five assists, one steal and four turnovers in 29 minutes off the bench.
Bridges got off to a rough start, going scoreless through the first half of action with just three shot attempts and two turnovers, and things didn't get much better for him through the second half of action. That said, Gordon Hayward exited today's game during the third quarter with a hip injury, so if he needs to miss a couple of games, Bridges could see a big boost if he's elevated to the starting lineup. Make sure he's not floating around on your waiver wire.
Ivica Zubac (abdomen) and Lou Williams (hip) are available to play on Wednesday.
Zubac is generally overshadowed by Montrezl Harrell and tonight should be no different, while Williams offers an offensive punch off the bench.
Trey Burke had a rough game on Wednesday, going 2-of-12 from the field and 2-of-3 from the stripe for eight points over 32 minutes.
Burke erupted for 29 points with seven triples his last time out, but he couldn’t get anything going in this one, going scoreless through the first quarter of action while bricking his first five shot attempts. He added two triples, two rebounds, four assists, one steal and one turnover while he was out there, but he's just been far too inconsistent this season to warrant much attention in 12-team leagues.
T.J. McConnell (personal) is probable for Thursday after the birth of his child.
He's no longer on the injury report, but generally isn't worth targeting in fantasy.
Buddy Hield is in the starting lineup for the Kings against the Blazers on Wednesday night.
He was probable with an ankle injury and played well his last time out against the Pacers on Monday. Hopefully he's about to put his early shooting woes behind him.
Brook Lopez hit 3-of-8 shots and three 3-pointers for nine points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in 30 minutes of Wednesday's win over the Pistons.
Bro-Lo is a pretty wild fantasy player at this point in his career, more a 3-point specialist than a center. In fact, the 11 boards are his season high, as are the four blocks, while he's averaging 3.0 3-pointers per game. He's also scored in single digits in three straight games but is still good for seventh-round fantasy value.
Willie Cauley-Stein pulled down a season-high 14 rebounds on Wednesday, adding four points, two assists, one steal, three blocks and two turnovers in 30 minutes.
The minutes accounted for a season-high as well, and while he was barely used on offense with just two shot attempts (he hit them both), he did a nice job on defense and cleaning the glass. He's not the most exciting guy to roster, but he should do enough to warrant a roster spot in deep leagues while he's starting and both Maxi Kleber (COVID-protocol) and Dwight Powell (COVID-protocol) are in quarantine.
LaMelo Ball struggled in Wednesday's loss to the Mavericks, going 2-of-8 from the field for four points, seven rebounds, five assists and two turnovers across 25 minutes.
LaMelo had a tough time getting going in this one, going scoreless on 0-of-4 shooting through the first half of action, and the No. 3 pick has been in a bit of a rut over the past two games. Some inconsistency should be expected with rookies, but we think he'll have a big year overall. Head coach James Borrego said before the game that he likes Ball operating in a sixth man role with the club, and while he acknowledged that could change in the future, it seems that he’ll be coming off the bench for at least another handful of games.
J.J. Redick is playing through his hamstring injury on Wednesday night.
He'll come off the bench while the Pelicans will start a cast of characters including Sindarius Thornwell and Nickel Alexander-Walker.
Jusuf Nurkic (quad) will be a game-time call for Wednesday's matchup with the Kings.
Nurkic hurt his quad on Monday, but the fact that he's a game-time call tonight should be considered a good thing whether he suits up or not. If he is forced to the sidelines, Enes Kanter would likely get the start and there would be some additional minutes available for Carmelo Anthony.
Ivica Zubac (abdominal soreness) will be a game-time call for Wednesday's matchup with the Pelicans.
Zubac will go through his pregame routine before an official decision is made, but if he is forced to the sidelines, Marcus Morris could pick up some extra minutes. Stay tuned.
Isaiah Roby will get the fill-in start for Al Horford (rest) on Wednesday vs. the Lakers.
Roby is a fun prospect who thrived in his last start, scoring 19 points with seven rebounds, two blocks, one steal and one triple. This test will obviously be a lot tougher though, as Roby will be tasked with trying to slow down Anthony Davis.
Jake Layman won't play on Wednesday due to personal reasons.
Layman isn't a big fantasy contributor, and was playing minutes in the teens. Jarrett Culver, Juancho Hernangomez, Jared Vanderbilt and Josh Okogie should soak up his minutes.
Drew Eubanks (COVID-protocol) will not play on Thursday vs. Houston.
He's completely out of the rotation anyways.
Bobby Portis will play against the Pistons on Wednesday despite a knee injury.
Portis has caught fire lately, scoring 37 points on 16-of-24 shooting with 16 rebounds, three assists, a block and four steals across two games combined. He ranks No. 67 of all players in 9-cat leagues.
DeMar DeRozan is questionable to play on Thursday against the Rockets due to personal reasons.
DeRozan hasn't played since January 9th. In his absence, Lonnie Walker IV has stepped up, scoring 49 points on 16-of-34 shooting (six made 3-pointers) with six rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal across two games.
The Mavericks will start Trey Burke, Wesley Iwundu, Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis and Willie Cauley-Stein on Wednesday vs. Charlotte.
Burke gets a well-deserved start after going off for 29 points on 11-of-13 shooting with seven 3-pointers and four assists in just 21 minutes of his last outing. We like him as a streamer with the Mavs missing Josh Richardson and Jalen Brunson. Tim Hardaway Jr. will move to the bench to lead the second unit. Iwundu is a defensive specialist and can be ignored in fantasy.