February 15, 2026
New York Knicks guard
Jalen Brunson and center
Karl-Anthony Towns, joined by former Knick Allan Houston, won the 2026 NBA All-Star Shooting Stars event Saturday, outscoring Team Cameron in the final round. The Knicks trio closed with 47 points after posting 31 in the opener to advance. While the exhibition carries no fantasy weight, both stars enter the second half in strong form. Brunson is averaging 26.6 points, 3.0 threes, 4.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.0 steals in 36.6 minutes over his last five games, while Towns has posted 19.4 points and 12.4 rebounds in 28.8 minutes. Their usage keeps
Mikal Bridges and
Josh Hart in complementary roles.
--Brian DailisanSource: NBA
February 15, 2026
Miami Heat forward
Keshad Johnson won the 2026 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday, defeating
Carter Bryant in the final round. The second-year forward advanced with 92.8 points in the opening round and sealed the title with 97.4 in the finale, edging Bryant despite a 50-point dunk from his opponent. The trophy boosts Johnson's profile, but his fantasy outlook remains unchanged. He is averaging 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 7.6 minutes across 21 games and is not a viable option outside deep formats, with
Bam Adebayo and
Andrew Wiggins handling steady frontcourt roles.
--Brian DailisanSource: NBA on ESPN
February 15, 2026
Portland Trail Blazers guard
Damian Lillard (Achilles) captured his third career three-point contest crown Saturday, edging out
Devin Booker in the final round of the 2026 event. The 35-year-old posted 27 points in the opening round and 29 in the championship heat, drilling seven of his final 10 attempts, including a deep logo make. Lillard remains sidelined while rehabbing a torn left Achilles and is targeting a return for the 2026-27 season. His absence continues to stabilize usage for
Jrue Holiday and
Scoot Henderson, keeping both firmly rostered in standard leagues.
--Brian DailisanSource: ESPN
February 15, 2026
Phoenix Suns forward
Haywood Highsmith agreed to a multiyear contract Saturday, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. The 29-year-old wing is healthy after undergoing knee surgery in August and most recently averaged 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists across 24.6 minutes in 74 games with Miami last season. Highsmith profiles as a defensive-minded depth option behind
Royce O'Neale and
Dillon Brooks. His arrival could trim a few bench minutes from
Amir Coffey or
Ryan Dunn, but he remains off the fantasy radar outside deep formats.
--Brian DailisanSource: Shams Charania
February 15, 2026
Los Angeles Lakers guard
Luka Doncic (hamstring) will start Sunday's All-Star Game but is expected to play limited minutes in the opening matchup only. The 26-year-old missed the Lakers' final four games before the break with a mild left hamstring strain, though his participation signals progress ahead of Friday's meeting with the Clippers. Doncic averaged 26.0 points, 3.6 threes, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in 28.4 minutes over his last five contests. Fantasy managers should anticipate a full workload next week, trimming short-term upside for
Austin Reaves and
LeBron James.
--Brian DailisanSource: Dan Woike
February 14, 2026
Milwaukee Bucks forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) stated he feels ready to play. "I feel good. I feel 100 percent," reported the two-time MVP while speaking to the media during All-Star festivities on Saturday. "I'm ready to go. I feel like I can play a game today." Antetokounmpo acknowledged that he still has some "boxes" to check as it relates to working his way back from multiple right calf injuries. However, once players return from vacation, he'll be able to ramp up his activity level. The 31-year-old continues to put up MVP-caliber numbers, averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 boards, 5.6 assists, and a career-high 39.5% shooting from downtown in 30 appearances this season. At this rate, it's realistic to assume he'll be back on the floor before the end of February, barring a setback. In the meantime,
Kevin Porter Jr. and
Ryan Rollins are expected to do most of the heavy lifting offensively.
Ousmane Dieng, producing a double-double with six assists and four blocks in Thursday's win over OKC, also figures to remain in line for more action.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Milwaukee Bucks
February 13, 2026
The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward
Riley Minix to a two-way contract on Friday, according to Michael Scotto. Minix began the season on a two-way deal with the San Antonio Spurs. He made three appearances with the team before being waived in December. The Cavs have decided to give the 25-year-old a chance after he posted impressive numbers in the G-League. Minix averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 32.3 minutes in the G-League. He probably won't see much time in Cleveland, but is depth in case injuries start to pile up. For now, Minix isn't someone to bother rostering in fantasy formats.
--Andy WebbSource: Michael Scotto
February 13, 2026
Los Angeles Lakers guard
Luka Doncic (hamstring) is on track to play during Sunday's All-Star Game, according to Marc Stein. He's expected to play a short stint in the game after missing the final four games ahead of the break due to a lingering hamstring injury. Doncic reportedly looked good during a recent workout and should be available for his exhibition, barring any setbacks. His role is unlikely to be significant, but basketball fans will be happy to see Doncic involved in any capacity. The fact that he's almost certainly going to play on Sunday should mean that Doncic will play during the first game after the break.
--Andy WebbSource: Marc Stein
February 13, 2026
According to Chris Haynes, Toronto Raptors guard
Chris Paul has announced his retirement from the NBA after 21 seasons. Paul was waived by the organization after being acquired during the trade deadline. The veteran guard already announced that he's retiring after the season, but he has decided to step away now after being released. Paul was hopeful to retire as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, but that didn't work out as planned. He'll finish his career as a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA point guard, and with nine All-NBA defensive team honors. He'll certainly be a Hall of Famer and will be missed from the game of basketball.
--Andy WebbSource: Chris Haynes
February 13, 2026
According to Chris Haynes, Sacramento Kings guard
Zach LaVine (hand) will undergo season-ending surgery on his hand. LaVine missed the last three games before the All-Star break due to this issue. It appears to be more serious than they expected, and now LaVine won't suit up during the second half of the season. In 39 games, LaVine averaged 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 31.4 minutes per game. He has a player option worth nearly $50 million for the 2026-2027 campaign. It's almost guaranteed that LaVine will accept that option, but the Kings might attempt to trade him in the off-season. In the meantime,
Nique Clifford should remain in the starting five for the rest of the season. The rookie guard has been inconsistent as a scoring option, but is worth rostering in certain formats with LaVine no longer in the picture.
--Andy WebbSource: Shams Charania
February 13, 2026
Los Angeles Lakers center
Deandre Ayton (knee) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against Dallas and is considered day to day after imaging showed no structural damage. He has now missed two straight contests. In his absence on Thursday,
Jaxson Hayes started and delivered 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one block in 34 minutes, making him the clear streaming option if Ayton remains sidelined.
Jarred Vanderbilt can chip in rebounds and defensive stats, but he is a fringe add. Ayton remains a hold in all formats.
--Brian DailisanSource: Law Murray
February 13, 2026
Los Angeles Lakers forward
LeBron James delivered 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in 35 minutes in Thursday's 124-104 win over Dallas, becoming the oldest player to record a triple-double. With
Luka Doncic (hamstring) sidelined and
Austin Reaves still ramping up, James has steadied the offense and kept the Lakers' role players slotted cleanly. Doncic's eventual return could trim James' usage slightly, but the 41-year-old remains a must-start given his current playmaking spike.
Rui Hachimura,
Jake LaRavia, and
Luke Kennard are the most likely to lose touches.
--Brian DailisanSource: Dan Woike
February 13, 2026
Memphis Grizzlies guard
Ja Morant (elbow) is ramping up, but the team still is not sure he will be ready to play coming out of the All-Star break, general manager Zach Kleiman said Friday. Morant has been sidelined since Jan. 21 with a UCL sprain and is due for a recheck soon. In the meantime,
Ty Jerome is the best streamer after logging 19 points and seven assists in 21 minutes Tuesday.
Scotty Pippen Jr. and
Cam Spencer round out the minutes, with steals and assists as their main appeal.
--Brian DailisanSource: Clay Bailey
February 13, 2026
Los Angeles Lakers guard
Luka Doncic (hamstring) is expected to return Feb. 20 against the Clippers. Coach JJ Redick indicated Thursday that Doncic is trending in the right direction, with the team taking a cautious approach given the soft-tissue nature of the injury. Doncic has missed the last four games. His return would reclaim a 37.7 percent usage role, trimming minutes for
Rui Hachimura,
Jake LaRavia,
Marcus Smart, and
Luke Kennard.
LeBron James and
Austin Reaves could see slight usage dips, though both remain strong fantasy plays once Doncic is active.
--Brian DailisanSource: Dave McMenamin
February 13, 2026
Utah Jazz forward/center
Oscar Tshiebwe (concussion) will not return to Thursday's loss to Portland after entering the league's concussion protocol. The two-way big logged five minutes before exiting and has appeared in just three games this season. With
Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) out for the year and
Jusuf Nurkic (rest) questionable, Utah's frontcourt is thin.
Kyle Filipowski stepped up with 15 points, nine rebounds, and six steals in 29 minutes and profiles as the primary beneficiary.
Kevin Love could reenter the rotation if Tshiebwe misses time, but Filipowski is the clear fantasy add.
--Brian DailisanSource: Utah Jazz
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