4 weeks agoCharlotte Hornets center
Mark Williams (back), while taking questions from the media on Monday, stated he does not need surgery. He also said "he's definitely feeling better" and plans to play every game next season. While Williams' proclamation regarding his availability throughout the 2024-25 campaign could be a stretch, fantasy managers are still glad to hear things are moving in the right direction. The 22-year-old averaged a career-high 12.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks this season. However, Williams was limited to only 19 games because of a back injury. With that said, he's not worth reaching for in fantasy drafts, but he could easily surpass his ADP expectations if he stays healthy.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Rod Boone
4 weeks agoToronto Raptors guard
Immanuel Quickley, while speaking at his exit interview on Monday, expressed his desire to remain with the organization. The 24-year-old, who was traded to Toronto in the deal that sent
OG Anunoby to the Knicks, averaged a career-high 18.6 points, 6.8 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in 38 games with the Raptors. But he will be a restricted free agent this offseason, so there should be interest from multiple clubs around the National Basketball Association. With that said, Quickley is figured to earn over $25 million on his next contract, although the Raptors will likely be more than happy to match any offers he'll garner as a restricted free agent.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Josh Lewenberg
4 weeks agoPhiladelphia 76ers guard
De'Anthony Melton (back) didn't practice on Monday. The 25-year-old has been bothered by a back injury for most of the season. He's appeared in only seven games since the start of 2024, and he combined for only 21 minutes in the previous two contests before sitting out for Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Brooklyn Nets. It appears Melton is still having issues, so there's a good chance he won't be on the floor for Wednesday's Play-In battle with Miami. If that's the case,
Cameron Payne would be a viable DFS value option for the limited two-game slate.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Kyle Neubeck
4 weeks agoPhiladelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (knee) practiced on Monday. The reigning MVP logged 32 minutes in Friday's win over the Orlando Magic, finishing with 32 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, and one block. However, he briefly exited the contest after tweaking his knee, although he returned to finish the game. Embiid wasn't available for Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Brooklyn Nets, so there is some concern about his health. Yet, head coach Nick Nurse indicated the 30-year-old was held out for precautionary reasons. With that said, it would be surprising if Embiid weren't available for Wednesday's Play-In battle with the Miami Heat. But if he can't suit up,
Paul Reed would see a surge in interest from DFS managers.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Kyle Neubeck
4 weeks agoDetroit Pistons guard
Cade Cunningham is coming off his best season since entering the league as the No. 1 overall pick in 2021. He appeared in 62 games, averaging 22.7 points and 7.5 assists. But the 22-year-old still has things he'd like to improve throughout the offseason, specifically his conditioning. His ballhandling is also something he vowed to focus on. Cunningham has averaged 3.5 turnovers during his career, so fantasy managers would undoubtedly appreciate an improvement in that area. In addition, while his 62 appearances were an upgrade from the 2022-23 campaign, his inability to stay healthy over the years will negatively impact his fantasy stock until he proves he can stay on the floor.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Omari Sankofa II
4 weeks agoGolden State Warriors guard
Gary Payton II (calf) won't suit up for Tuesday's Play-In meeting with the Sacramento Kings. The 31-year-old missed the final three contests of the regular season because of a strained calf. With that in mind, Payton only averaged 5.5 points and 2.6 rebounds throughout the 2023-24 campaign, so his absence won't have much of an impact on DFS managers.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoLos Angeles Lakers forward
LeBron James (ankle) is probable for Tuesday's Play-In meeting with the New Orleans Pelicans. James has battled a left ankle injury for months. However, he should be ready to roll for the pivotal contest. These clubs met on Sunday for the regular-season finale, with James finishing with a 28-point, 17-assist, 11-rebound triple-double. He also had five steals and a block. Of course, the 39-year-old will receive plenty of attention from DFS managers. Yet, James will receive more if
Anthony Davis (back) can't suit up.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoLos Angeles Lakers forward/center
Anthony Davis (back) is questionable for Tuesday's Play-In matchup with New Orleans. These clubs met on Sunday for the regular-season finale. AD logged 33 minutes in that one, finishing with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and two steals. Unfortunately, his day ended after experiencing back spasms. As a result, Davis is now on the injury report, although he's adamant he will be out there for the pivotal contest. If he's not,
Jaxson Hayes will presumably take his spot in the rotation. Hayes has averaged 11.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in five starts during the 2023-24 campaign, giving him plenty of value potential for DFS managers.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
4 weeks agoBaylor freshman guard Ja'Kobe Walter, a potential top-10 pick, is declaring for the 2024 NBA draft. "I think I'm the best shooter in the draft," Walter believes, and he modeled his all-around scoring ability after the likes of
Kevin Durant,
Anthony Edwards, and
Kawhi Leonard. The 19-year-old combo guard was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Year for 2023-24, averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.0 three-pointers over 35 starts for the Bears last season. After shooting 37.6% from the field, Walker profiles nearly identically to former Bear
Keyonte George, who was selected 16th overall by the Utah Jazz in last year's draft, as an offensive-minded player and a high-volume scorer who could provide some scoring pop off the bench but is raw defensively and could struggle with turnovers as a rookie.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania - The Athletic
4 weeks agoImpending free-agent guard
Lonnie Walker IV appears to be noncommittal on his future with the Brooklyn Nets. "I'm just looking for a home… Just looking for a team that finds me valuable. [I want to be] an important piece for a team that can consistently play… We'll see how things go", Walker told reporters following Sunday's blowout loss in Brooklyn's regular-season finale against the Philadelphia 76ers. The 25-year-old swingman netted a one-year pact with the Nets last offseason and was a serviceable part of their rotation when healthy during 2023-24, averaging 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.8 three-pointers on 38.4% shooting from beyond the arc through 58 appearances as a reserve. Walker is a decent spot-up shooter and spark plug off the bench, but he doesn't provide enough on the defensive end to consistently handle big minutes.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Erik Slater - ClutchPoints.com
4 weeks agoThe Atlanta Hawks are weighing the fact that guard
Vit Krejci will be a restricted free agent in the offseason, which gives them the right to match any offer sheet. The hope is that they will be able to keep Krejci on a four-year deal that begins next season. After being waived by the Minnesota Timberwolves last October, Krejci signed a two-way contract with the Hawks in late December and made an impact for Atlanta with
Trae Young sidelined for the majority of the campaign's later stages. The 23-year-old point forward averaged only 7.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists over his last 15 games (nine starts), but he hit 1.6 three-pointers per game on 43.6% shooting from deep over this period and proved he could be a versatile rotational piece.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Lauren L. Williams - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
4 weeks agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is rehabbing daily, but there's some real doubt for his status to begin the first-round series versus the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Although Antetokounmpo has rare recovery ability, he's very much up in the air for Game 1. Antetokounmpo sustained a strained left calf in last Tuesday's win over the visiting Boston Celtics, and early indications suggest he won't be available for the Bucks at the start of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Expect Milwaukee's offense to run through co-superstar
Damian Lillard for any games he sits out, as Lillard averaged 29.9 points, 7.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 three-pointers, and 1.1 steals over eight games without Antetokounmpo this season. Additionally,
Bobby Portis averaged 20.8 points, 10.1 boards, 1.7 dimes, 1.2 swipes, and 2.0 threes across eight outings sans the Greek Freak this year.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania - The Athletic
4 weeks agoPhoenix Suns guard
Grayson Allen has agreed on a four-year, $70 million contract extension that includes a player option. The deal keeps Allen out of unrestricted free agency this summer and rewards him for a career-best season after joining the Suns as part of last offseason's blockbuster
Damian Lillard trade. The 28-year-old three-and-D wing started all but one of his 75 games in the desert, returning top-75 fantasy numbers in nine-category leagues via averages of 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.7 three-pointers on an NBA-best 46.1% shooting clip from downtown. Allen should continue to be an integral contributor during Phoenix's postseason run.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
4 weeks agoDenver Nuggets center
Nikola Jokic eased his way to his 68th double-double of the year in Sunday's 126-111 win over Memphis, completing the regular-season finale with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Jokic, who shot 7-for-11 from the field, also had five assists and stretched his streak with multiple steals to five games with four swipes. The two-time MVP posted a new career-high in double-doubles this year and registered 25 triple-doubles. He ended up averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists. It's been another spectacular campaign for Jokic, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him earn MVP honors again. The big man from Serbia will now begin the title defense with the team in the 2024 playoffs as the second seed in the Western Conference.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 weeks agoPhoenix Suns guard
Bradley Beal had an outstanding game in Sunday's regular-season finale against Minnesota, leading all scorers with 36 points in a 125-106 win. The Suns were in a must-win situation to qualify directly into the 2024 NBA Playoffs and did the business in impressive fashion with Beal leading the way. He was a red-hot 6-for-6 from three-point range and shot 14-for-21 overall while collecting six rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block. Beal's debut year in Phoenix was a disappointment for many, but he came up huge for the Suns in the final couple of regular-season games. The three-time All-Star will now be expected to deliver in the playoffs as well. Beal has averaged 23.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals across his previous five post-season campaigns.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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