NBA Player News

Allen joined Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal as 20-point scorers in this game to help the Suns get their second win in their last three games. This was a new season-high for scoring for Allen, and he tied his season-high for 3-pointers made. Allen hasn’t been able to replicate his breakout season as a reserve, but he is still more than capable of getting hot in a hurry. He got hot in this game, but he still only took eight shots, which is discouraging for his value moving forward.

At long last, Vanderbilt made his season debut on Saturday. He underwent off-season surgery on both feet and then experienced some fluid build-up in his knee in early December. Given the time missed, Vanderbilt’s playing time being limited was unsurprising. While the three steals were nice, Vanderbilt will likely be more valuable to the Lakers than to fantasy managers. There’s no need to add him, even if Rui Hachimura (calf) misses more time.

After hitting seven 3-pointers and scoring 21 points in Thursday’s win over the Heat, Trent backed that up with another solid outing. Over his last two games, the Bucks guard has gone 12-of-19 from beyond the arc, and he’s averaged 4.0 3-pointers over the past two weeks. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, Trent has been a specialist, providing little value beyond points and 3-pointers. Even with his two-game run against the Heat and Clippers, there’s a reason why GTJ is rostered in just 6% of Yahoo leagues. Milwaukee will play four games during Week 14.

At first glance, Lillard recording his second triple-double would be cause for celebration. Well, how he reached that point on Saturday wasn’t pretty. Lillard shot 1-of-9 from three and 6-of-16 from the field overall, with a 16-of-17 night at the foul line inflating his point total. Luckily for fantasy managers, the poor field-goal percentage was not compounded by an egregiously high turnover count, as Lillard was responsible for four. The good news is that Monday’s matchup with Utah appears to be a good spot for Lillard to get back on track before visiting his old stomping grounds (Portland) on Tuesday.

Despite persistent patellar tendinitis in his right knee, Antetokounmpo continues to record double-doubles. Since last missing a game on December 28, the Bucks forward has recorded a double-double (or triple-double) in 13 consecutive games. Over the past month, he has been elite for fantasy managers willing to punt free-throw percentage and turnovers, providing top-5 value in that team build. Milwaukee plays four games during Week 14, beginning with a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back against two teams (Utah and Portland) focused more on developing young talent and improving their draft lottery odds than winning games.

On Saturday, Powell recorded his eighth 30-point game of the season, and first since January 8. While he may not be a player who dominates the mainstream headlines, the Clippers guard has been one of the NBA’s most improved players. And the production has translated to fantasy basketball, with Powell entering Week 14 as a top-50 player in 8- and 9-cat formats. Given his Yahoo ADP of 130, very few people expected this level of play from Powell. He’ll look to continue this run during the Clippers’ four-game Week 14, which begins in Phoenix on Monday.

Harden was sensational on Saturday, recording his third 40-point game of the season. The Beard took over after Kawhi Leonard subbed out with 3:45 remaining in the third. He would score 15 of his 17 third-quarter points in the final 3:35 of the period, then scored another 11 in the fourth. While Saturday’s game was his first with at least 30 points since December 19, Harden has been a top-20 player in 8-cat formats over the past month. The Clippers play four games during Week 14 with no back-to-backs, beginning with the Suns on Monday.

Leonard remains under a restriction of 24 minutes, a number he hit at the end of the third quarter. While this is undoubtedly frustrating for fantasy managers, getting something from Leonard is better than nothing. The good news is that the Clippers play four games during Week 14 and will not have a back-to-back. In theory, this should be Leonard’s first four-game week of the season. That’s one way to lessen the impact of his minutes restriction.

Having returned to the Magic lineup after missing 10 games with a lower back strain, Suggs (8/2/3/1 with two 3-pointers in 16 minutes) suffered an apparent left knee injury during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s win. The severity of the injury was unknown following the game, but Suggs will be re-evaluated on Sunday. The Magic visit Miami on Monday in the first of three games they’ll play during Week 14. If Suggs has to miss time, Cole Anthony will likely move into the starting lineup.

After Saturday’s win over Cleveland, Rockets coach Ime Udoka revealed that Whitmore did not play in the second half due to an illness. The second-year forward played 10 minutes, finishing with two points, one rebound, and one assist. Whitmore’s absence led to starter Amen Thompson playing more, with the second-year wing logging 41 minutes and finishing with his second career triple-double. Houston visits Boston on Monday, and fellow reserve Jae’Sean Tate may have to pick up a few minutes if Whitmore remains out.

The Wizards have lost 10 games in a row, but Poole’s fantasy production has remained steady. The 25-year-old shooting guard has made at least three 3-pointers in nine of those games. He’s recorded at least nine assists in both of his last two games. Poole’s six steals Saturday were a season-high, adding to an excellent game for him against the Suns. He’s returned eighth round value recently, though the question of a possible shutdown after the trade deadline looms.