5 days agoPhoenix Suns center
Deandre Ayton (ankle) is not expected to be available for Wednesday's game against the Golden State Warriors, according to head coach Monty Williams. He's listed as questionable on the injury report, but it sounds like the Suns are going to take the cautious approach here.
Aron Baynes (hip) and
Dario Saric (ankle) have already been ruled out for this one.
Cheick Diallo could be asked to play heavy minutes and would be on the radar for many DFS contests for Wednesday's slate.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Duane Rankin
5 days agoNew Orleans Pelicans forward
Brandon Ingram (ankle) was able to get through some shooting drills and other light work during Wednesday's practice. Ingram has been battling a right ankle issue, so it's unclear if he'll play on Thursday.
Jrue Holiday,
Josh Hart, and
Lonzo Ball will continue to see increased usage until Ingram returns. Fantasy owners should check back on Thursday for more information.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Andrew Lopez
5 days agoNew York Knicks forward
Maurice Harkless (illness) is available for Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards. He was traded to the Knicks on Thursday, but has not made his team debut yet. He's worth taking a look at in deep leagues, but fantasy owners shouldn't expect big results from him.
Kevin Knox should lose some minutes with Harkless in the mix, but he wasn't doing much on the court anyway.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
6 days agoBoston Celtics guard/forward
Jaylen Brown was back on the court Tuesday night against the Rockets and had a good game with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting, but unfortunately, he got injured again. According to reports, Brown has injured his left calf after struggling with ankle problems recently. It looks very likely that Brown will miss Thursday's contest with the Clippers, but at least he'll now get an extended time to heal because of the All-Star break. The Celtics won't play again before Feb. 21 when they visit Minnesota. It would be a good matchup for Brown if he can get healthy in time.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoBoston Celtics small forward
Gordon Hayward scored a team-high 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting in Tuesday's loss to Houston, adding eight rebounds, six assists, and one steal. Both
Jayson Tatum and
Kemba Walker struggled with the three-ball, combining for 1-for-13 shooting from downtown, and they ended up with a total of 29 points. Hayward did well in carrying the torch offensively, but his effort wasn't enough in an eventual 116-105 loss. The Celtics have one more game before the All-Star break when they host the Clippers on Thursday. Hayward is in good form ahead of the matchup, having recorded 20-plus points in three of his past four games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoHouston Rockets forward
Robert Covington played a big role in Tuesday's victory over Boston, popping up everywhere on the court to finish with 12 points, seven rebounds, four blocks, three assists, and three steals. This is exactly why the Rockets traded for him, although they expect him to shoot a lot better than he did on Tuesday when he finished 3-for-11 from the floor and 2-for-8 from outside. Covington has now played four games as a Rocket and the first signs are encouraging for the team and fantasy owners, as he's averaged 12.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoHouston Rockets point guard
Russell Westbrook maintained his hot form on Tuesday against Boston, finishing a 116-105 win with 36 points on 13-for-23 shooting. He added a game-high 10 rebounds, five assists, and two steals while shooting 10-for-13 from the charity stripe. The 2017 MVP is on a really good scoring run, with him last scoring below 20 points on Dec. 6. Houston's small-ball philosophy has taken Westbrook's game to another level since the turn of the year, as he now has 12 30-point games in 15 appearances since the calendar changed. He looks set for another one in the next matchup against the poor Golden State team.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoHouston Rockets guard
James Harden sank seven treys and led all scorers with 42 points in Tuesday's 116-105 victory over Boston. He shot 9-for-19 overall from the field and 17-for-18 at the line, adding eight rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block. The Beard also had six turnovers, but he more than made up for it in other areas. Harden has been inconsistent this month, but he's still mostly managed to get the job done. The Rockets are back in action after the All-Star break on Feb. 20 against the struggling Warriors, who are 24th in defensive efficiency.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoPortland Trail Blazers guard
Damian Lillard struggled through a 37.5 percent shooting performance from the field, including four attempts from three with no makes in a blowout loss to the Pelicans. Lillard did make eight of nine free throws and added six assists and five rebounds. Still, this performance was a disappointment when compared to Lillard's numbers from the last three weeks or so. The 29-year-old will face the Grizzlies on Wednesday. Lillard has a great chance to bounce back, considering Memphis' struggles at defending the three-point line this season.
--Tim Capurso - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoPortland Trail Blazers center
Hassan Whiteside couldn't be held off the glass, snatching a game-high 14 rebounds in a 138-117 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Whiteside shot much more efficiently than in his last contest and added three assists along with a block. The 30-year-old has taken his rebounding to another level this month, averaging 16 per game in February. Whiteside has been one of fantasy basketball's best draft values, particularly in 9-cat formats, where he's been a top-10 asset. He should again be a mammoth on the boards against Memphis on Wednesday.
--Tim Capurso - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoOklahoma City Thunder small/power forward
Danilo Gallinari accrued 15 points during Tuesday’s defeat to the San Antonio Spurs but finished 4-for-16 from the floor, including 2-for-7 from behind the arc. While Gallinari added eight rebounds and three assists to continue his steady production, his field-goal percentage marked his poorest shooting performance since Dec. 14. By knocking down a pair of triples, he will enter the All-Star break as at least one of 12 shooters in the league to average at least three made threes on a nightly basis, which puts him on pace to set a new career high.
--Jesse Borek - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoNew Orleans Pelicans guard
Josh Hart put together a solid stat line with 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, two triples and a steal in just 26 minutes of Tuesday's victory. The best part for Hart's fantasy owners was that he committed no turnovers for the second straight game. He's a great DFS option as an end-of-the-lineup option, as he won't hurt owners with turnovers and contributes in several categories. Hart is worth a start in all formats for Thursday's matchup with the Thunder, who surrendered a double-double to the 24-year-old in their first meeting.
--Tim Capurso - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoOklahoma City Thunder center
Steven Adams notched his first double-double in nearly a month during Tuesday’s defeat to the San Antonio Spurs. Adams shot 4-for-9 from the floor and finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, further packing his stat sheet with four steals and two assists; his double-double marked his 17th of the year and first since Jan. 13. He closes out his first half Thursday against New Orleans, whom he logged double-doubles against in both prior meetings this season.
--Jesse Borek - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoNew Orleans Pelicans guard
Jrue Holiday notched his second straight double-double in a dominant 138-117 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Holiday shot an efficient 58.3 percent from the field and added four rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. The veteran guard has 20 assists in his last two games. Holiday has had some poor shooting performances this year but has also made up for many of these performances with full stat lines. He should continue to do so to the satisfaction of his fantasy owners. New Orleans will take on the Thunder on Thursday in their last contest before the All-Star break. Holiday dropped 26 points in their first meeting.
--Tim Capurso - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoOklahoma City Thunder point guard
Chris Paul was clicking on all cylinders during Tuesday’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs, shooting 12-for-18 from the floor en route to a season-best 31-point showing. He was particularly aggressive from behind the arc, shooting 5-for-9, also setting a season high in three-point attempts. In addition to the scoring, he led the team with seven assists across a team-best 34 minutes, also pitching in two rebounds. He closed out the first half by hitting the 20-point mark in four of his last five games, with his role on the Thunder leading to his 10th career All-Star Game appearance later this weekend.
--Jesse Borek - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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