Wesley Matthews (Achilles soreness) won't play on Wednesday against the Thunder.
This will be Matthews' third consecutive missed game due to the injury. Expect Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Causo and Talen Hornton-Tucker to receive additional opportunities in his absence.
Kevin Durant plans to play in his first back-to-back game of the season on Wednesday against the Knicks.
The Nets are just 6-6 to start the season after Durant was sidelined due to medical protocols, Kyrie Irving sat due to personal reasons (and may be out longer), and Spencer Dinwiddie tore his ACL. Now Durant will look to play in back-to-back nights for the first time since tearing his Achilles. He's averaging 35 points (three made 3-pointers), 10 rebounds and 8.5 assists in his last two games. There's no sign he'll slow down.
James Wiseman was limited to just 26 minutes on Tuesday due to foul trouble, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
When asked on Tuesday after practice about not closing many games, Wiseman said, "It's very difficult because I want to be out there, and I feel I can handle that....And I'm just waiting for coach to call my name." He might be right, but he didn't show that on Tuesday, picking up four first-half fouls and drawing his fifth with 6:24 left in the third quarter. Wiseman started the fourth quarter, however, but was pulled with 3:29 left in what was a close game. The frustration is understandable and it's promising that he feels he candle late-game situations. And the good thing is he's only 19 and will have plenty of chances to earn that trust from Steve Kerr.
Kelly Oubre bounced back on Tuesday against the Pacers, scoring 17 points along with five rebounds, two assists, one steal and a block.
Oubre just missed his season high scoring mark of 18 points, but he shot the ball well, making 6-of-11 shots and 3-of-7 from distance. It was just the second time he's made multiple threes in a game this season, but we think that's a step forward. He's slowly coming a long and the return of Draymond Green should help Oubre get easier baskets if he can learn to move without the ball more. 'Tsunami Papi' is rostered in 86% of Yahoo leagues, down from last week's 90%, and if he's available in your league, we recommend picking him up ASAP.
Justin Holiday had a quiet game on Tuesday night, finishing with just eight points, two rebounds, one steal and one 3-pointer.
Holiday took just four shots in 29 minutes and didn't make a three until late in the game which actually helped the Pacers hold off the Dubs. He's not going to contribute consistently aside from scoring, but when he's not doing that, he doesn't hold much fantasy value like in this game. The good news is the Pacers have three more games this week, meaning Holiday can attempt to shake this off starting with the Blazers on Thursday.
Aaron Holiday had his best game of the season, logging a season-high 16 points and 12 assists in the Pacers win on Tuesday night.
Holiday's previous season highs were 12 points and three assists and he passed both of them in a reserve role, just missing his career-high number of 13 dimes. He struggled with his shot, missing 10-of-16 field goals, but he did make a tough layup over Draymond Green with 2:36 left in the game to put the Pacers up five. Holiday was recently moved to the bench in favor of his older brother Justin Holiday, but maybe this will be better for the UCLA guard who wasn't producing much in the starting unit.
Malcolm Brogdon struggled to make shots on Tuesday, going 5-of-18 from the floor and 2-of-6 from deep en route to season-low 13 points.
Brogdon had scored over 21 points in five straight games until Tuesday against the Dubs. It was his worst game game of the season but it wasn't necessarily a bad one as he added two rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a block in 33 minutes. He's made at least two 3-pointers in all but one game and is shooting 50% on field goal attempts in what's been the best season of his career so far.
Andre Iguodala played 22 minutes in Tuesday's overtime loss to the 76ers, scoring seven points (3-of-10 FGs) with five rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one 3-pointer.
Iguodala continued his climb up the NBA's games played list, moving into a tie for 59th all-time with Detlef Schrempf (1,136 appearances). As for Iguodala's fantasy value, there isn't much to be had even with the Heat being shorthanded. He's exceeded 25 minutes just once this season (Christmas Day vs. New Orleans), and that is likely to remain the case as the Heat look to make sure that Iguodala is fresh come playoff time.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander accounted for 20 points (7-of-10 FGs, 6-of-9 FGs), nine rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes Tuesday vs. the Spurs.
The assist tally was a disappointment, as Gilgeous-Alexander had just as many turnovers on the night. But he has now scored 20 points or more in four straight, two away from the longest-such run of his career to date. Gilgeous-Alexander has been a top-50 player in both 8- and 9-cat formats this season, and he stands to move up the rankings as the season progresses.
Hamidou Diallo shot 5-of-9 from the field and 6-of-6 from the foul line in Tuesday’s loss to the Spurs, finishing with 16 points, four rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes.
Diallo’s run of games with at least 23 points came to an end, but he did manage to hit double figures for a third straight. He still isn’t a top-100 player, but Diallo has developed into a player who should be rostered in deeper leagues. He’s currently rostered in 39% of Yahoo leagues, so he’s still lurking on some waiver wires. And Oklahoma City will play three more games this week, which is all the more reason to consider (at the very least) streaming Diallo.
Al Horford played 29 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Spurs, finishing with 10 points (5-of-13 FGs), seven rebounds and three assists.
Not the most noteworthy line for Horford, who finished Sunday’s win over the Nets with 22 points, six rebound, three assists, one steal, one block and three 3-pointers. The question in the aftermath of Tuesday’s defeat was whether or not the veteran center would be available for Wednesday’s game against the Lakers. This is Oklahoma City’s second back-to-back of the season, and Horford did not play in the back end of the first (December 28-29). If he sits, Isaiah Roby, who injured his hand during Tuesday’s game but did return, could make another spot start. Roby’s first start of the season was the best game of his career to date, as he went for 19 points, seven rebounds, one steal, two blocks and one 3-pointer in the Thunder’s December 29 loss to Orlando.
Lonnie Walker played 36 minutes in Tuesday’s win over the Thunder, posting a line of 24 points (7-of-15 FGs, 7-of-7 FTs), three rebounds, two assists, one block and three 3-pointers.
After scoring 11 points or more in each of San Antonio’s first four games, Walker went into a bit of a slump during the five games that followed. After alternating single and double-digit scoring efforts during that stretch, he has scored a total of 49 points in the last two games. Derrick White (left foot) isn’t expected back until some point in February, so Walker shouldn’t feel as if he has to look over his shoulder. Over the last week he’s been a top-100 player in both 8- and 9-cat formats, but is still rostered in just 22% of Yahoo leagues. Now would be a good time to buy in, especially with the Spurs having four games on the schedule for next week.
LaMarcus Aldridge shot 6-of-16 from the field in Tuesday’s win over the Thunder, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, one steal, two blocks and one 3-pointer in 32 minutes.
Aldridge hasn’t been as productive as we’ve come to expect this far, entering Tuesday’s action with averages of 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.6 steals per game. The rebounding average is Aldridge’s lowest since his rookie season, and he hasn’t accounted for less than one blocked shot per game since the 2011-12 campaign. But he’s grabbed a total of 19 rebounds in San Antonio’s last two games, and over the last week he’s been a top-100 player in 9-cat formats. Things may be looking up for Aldridge, which is a good sign for the fantasy managers who are still holding out hope.
Keldon Johnson finished Tuesday’s win over the Thunder with 18 points (6-of-11 FGs, 6-of-7 FTs), seven rebounds, one assist and two steals in 39 minutes.
Two days removed from scoring just three points in a loss to the Timberwolves, Johnson got back on track Tuesday night. He’s been one of the biggest surprises in fantasy basketball thus far, providing sixth-round value in both 8- and 9-cat formats. The Spurs have four games on the schedule for next week, so this would be a good time to pick up Johnson (currently rostered in 73% of Yahoo leagues) if he’s still available.
Dejounte Murray put up a line of 16 points (6-of-13 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), five rebounds and seven assists in 31 minutes Tuesday vs. the Thunder.
Murray’s field goal percentage isn’t always the best, and he isn’t particularly productive as a 3-point shooter, but he is still a top-75 player in both 8- and 9-cat formats. Also, he has now scored 16 points or more in four of his last five games, his best such run of the season to date. Murray is currently rostered in 94% of Yahoo leagues, so fantasy managers who missed out are unlikely to have a shot at picking him up.
DeMarcus Cousins had his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds on Tuesday in the Rockets loss to the Lakers.
When Cousins isn't getting tossed from games, he's still a very effective player. He mad 5-of-9 shots and two triples in 18 minutes, adding three assists and a steal, too. Christian Wood is clearly Houston's second best player behind James Harden, but Cousins still contributes meaningful minutes and is good player to have on the bench for both the Rockets and those in standard and deep leagues.
Bol Bol posted a line of five points, two rebounds, one assist and one 3-pointer in 16 minutes Tuesday vs. the Nets.
Bol was a surprising addition to the starting lineup, as he was tabbed by Michael Malone to fill in for Gary Harris (personal reasons). He’s an incredibly raw talent, and asking him to (at times) defend Kevin Durant was a tough ask. Bol isn’t worth rostering right now, regardless of format, even if he gets another start Thursday night.
Monte Morris shot 6-of-7 from the field in Tuesday’s loss to the Nets, finishing the game with 14 points, one rebound, two assists, one steal and two 3-pointers in 24 minutes.
Plus/minus isn’t an eligible statistical category in fantasy basketball, but it does explain why Morris remains a valued member of the Nuggets rotation. He finished Tuesday’s game with a rating of plus-1, making this the first game that Denver has lost this season when Morris has a positive rating (5-1). Morris is “a guy that’s going to run the second unit,” Malone said prior to Tuesday’s game. So even with the Nuggets having two other playmakers with that second unit in Facundo Campazzo and P.J. Dozier, Morris is the biggest reason why that group has played so well. “We share the ball and we’re not turning down shots …,” Morris said prior to Tuesday’s game. “[Coaches] keep preaching to us: ‘If you’re open, let it fly.’ We’re playing with great effort on offense. But on defense, we’re flying around, talking more, and trusting our schemes.”
Will Barton shot 6-of-8 from beyond the arc in Tuesday’s loss to the Nets, finishing the game with 22 points (8-of-14 FGs), two rebounds, one assist, three steals and one blocked shot in 38 minutes.
After getting off to a slow start, Barton had his best offensive game of the season Tuesday night. The three steals were a nice bonus, as he more than doubled his average (1.2). When Michael Porter Jr. (health and safety protocols) will be cleared to return is unknown, and when at time comes Michael Malone will have a decision to make with regard to the starting small forward job. Barton should be rostered in all formats, but he’s been on a bit of a roller coaster when it comes to the production. Hopefully fantasy managers don’t get burned by “Will the Thrill” Thursday night when Denver hosts the Warriors.
Jamal Murray shot just 9-of-20 from the field in Tuesday’s loss to the Nets, accounting for 20 points, four assists, one steal and two 3-pointers in 35 minutes.
This wasn’t a great night for Murray, who failed to make a free throw for the third straight game. He attempted two, which is two more than his total in the two prior games combined. Add in the lack of any rebounds (his second straight zero-board effort), and Murray’s production isn’t matching the preseason expectations (Yahoo ADP: 31). He’s still a top-100 player in both 8- and 9-cat formats, but Murray capable of bringing more to the table. Hopefully having to face Stephen Curry Thursday night will light a fire under him.