6 days agoNew Orleans Pelicans power forward/center
Derrick Favors returned to the lineup and provided a huge line against his former club, the Utah Jazz. Favors scored a season-high 22 points on an efficient 10 of 12 shooting from the floor and added 11 rebounds with three assists, and he did not stop there with defensive numbers of three blocks and two steals. Favors has been tough to own at points in the season with him missing a lot of time for various reasons, yet, it is games like this that show his excellent value.
--Gianni Costantiello - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoMilwaukee Bucks guard
Donte Divincenzo came off the bench and set a new career-high on Thursday night. In the Bucks 128-123 win over the Boston Celtics, DiVincenzo scored a career-high 19 points to go along with three rebounds, one assist, and two steals. He is having his best month of the season in January by averaging 11.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals over seven games while also shooting 49.1 percent from the floor. With Milwaukee already looking toward the playoffs, DiVincenzo could begin to see his playing time increase, and his fantasy contributions should follow. He has a long way to go before he becomes a standard league player, but smart owners should make a note in case more playing time opens up for him.
--Euan Leith - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Khris Middleton chipped in enough to help his team hold off the Boston Celtics on Thursday night. In his team's 128-13 win, Middleton had 23 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He shot 8-for-13 from the floor and 3-for-5 from three-point land. Middleton has scored at least 20 points in 10 of his previous 13 games and is enjoying life as the secondary weapon in the Bucks offense. He's shooting a career-best 48.8 percent and also above 40 percent from three. Playing next to
Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to give anyone a lot of open looks, and Middleton is knocking them down with ease and efficiency this season. Expect that to continue on Saturday as Middleton and the Bucks travel to Brooklyn to visit the Nets.
--Euan Leith - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoMilwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo had a massive night against his Eastern Conference rival, the Boston Celtics. Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks in 35 minutes on the court. He made 11 of his 22 field goal attempts, but went 0-for-5 from behind the arc and had a dismal 10-for-20 performance from the free-throw line. He is a man on a mission this season and has now scored 30 plus points in six of his eight January games. If there is one downside, it's that his FT percentage has dipped dramatically this season. He has a career average of 72.7 percent but is shooting just 62.1 percent from the charity stripe on the year. --Euan Leith - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoBoston Celtics guard Marcus Smart got the start on Thursday night against the Milwaukee Bucks and did his best to rally his team. Despite the Celtics falling short, Smart was effective in the contest. He scored 24 points to go along with four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block. The 24 points tied a season-high that Smart set just four games ago. Jaylen Brown is out for the Celtics with a thumb injury and waiting for further evaluation. If it is bad news for Brown, that would equal good news for Smart and his fantasy managers. Watch Brown's injury status before Boston's game against Phoenix. If he sits again, Marcus Smart will be a great option in DFS.--Euan Leith - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoBoston Celtics guard Kemba Walker exploded on the offensive end on Thursday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. Walker had 40 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and one block in the 128-123 loss. It was his second 40-point outing this season and his second double-double in his debut season for the Celtics. Walker had not topped the 20-point mark in his last three games, and four of his previous five before tonight. He shot 14-for-23 from the field and was 8-for-9 from the free-throw line. Jaylen Brown sat out Thursday with a thumb injury, and this gave Walker a more significant role in the offense. If Brown continues to sit with his new injury, owners can expect Walker's offensive output to rise as a result.--Euan Leith - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoOrlando Magic guard/forward
Evan Fournier (quad) will play and start Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers. Fournier missed Wednesday's game with the quad injury and was a game-time decision for Thursday. However, he went through warmups without any hiccups and is good to go.
Wesley Iwundu will move back to the bench after scoring a career-high 19 points Wednesday. His value is solely tied to the health of the starting backcourt.
--Dale Johnson - RotoBallerSource: John Denton
6 days agoDenver Nuggets guard
Jamal Murray (ankle) is expected to miss "multiple games" with an ankle injury. Murray turned his ankle on Wednesday and was in visible pain. X-Rays and an MRI both came back clean, but the Denver guard is still expected to be out for the foreseeable future.
Monte Morris is the clear-cut winner here while
P.J. Dozier will get the backup minutes at point.
--Dale Johnson - RotoBallerSource: Nick Kosmider
6 days agoNew York Knicks forward
Marcus Morris (neck) will return from a five-game absence, but guard
Reggie Bullock (neck) will not be able to go against the Phoenix Suns Thursday. Bullock was holding onto the starting spot with Morris out, so Morris will return to his normal starting role here. With Bullock out,
Kadeem Allen and
Kevin Knox will get some added minutes, but neither are recommended plays outside of very deep leagues.
--Dale Johnson - RotoBallerSource: NY Knicks PR
6 days agoBoston Celtics guard/forward
Jaylen Brown (thumb) will not play Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Brown is battling a thumb sprain and was originally listed as questionable to play. Brown's absence will leave more minutes for
Marcus Smart who could have a tall task in helping on
Giannis Antetokounmpo on defense. Brown's injury is not deemed serious and he will likely be considered questionable for their next game on Saturday.
--Dale Johnson - RotoBallerSource: A. Sherrod Blakely
6 days agoOrlando Magic guard
D.J. Augustin (knee) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Augustin had an MRI taken of his knee on Wednesday, but the results haven't been revealed yet.
Markelle Fultz will continue to see increased value and minutes with the Magic banged up. He's looking like a solid DFS choice for Thursday's slate.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
6 days agoMinnesota Timberwolves center
Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) is listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers. It's unclear when Towns is going to get back on the court. He's been sidelined since December and hasn't shown any signs of returning.
Gorgui Dieng will continue to hold reliable fantasy value until Towns is back.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
6 days agoMinnesota Timberwolves guards
Jeff Teague and
Treveon Graham have been traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for
Allen Crabbe. The change of scenery might be nice for Teague, but won't do much to help his fantasy value. He'll likely be backing up
Trae Young off the bench.
Deandre Bembry and
Kevin Huerter could lose some minutes and value with the arrival of Teague and Graham. Crabbe won't have much value in Minnesota, but
Jarrett Culver and
Shabazz Napier will gain value. Both Graham and Crabbe can be left on the waiver wire. Teague might get a slight increase in value, but this trade doesn't change too much in terms of fantasy production.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
6 days agoPhoenix Suns guard
Ricky Rubio (personal) will play in Thursday's game against the New York Knicks. He missed their last game due to the birth of his child. Rubio is back with the team and isn't expected to be limited at all.
Elie Okobo will head back to the second unit and won't have as much value on the bench.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Duane Rankin
6 days agoNew Orleans Pelicans forward
Brandon Ingram (knee) said he felt good through shootaround, but remains listed as a game-time decision for Thursday's game against the Utah Jazz. He's been dealing with right knee soreness, but appears to be getting closer to a return. Fantasy owners will have to check back closer to game time for more information. It's unclear at the moment whether or not Ingram will be limited if he does return on Thursday.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Scott Kushner
RADIO
