NBA Player News

Leonard was one of four starters held out of Wednesday’s overtime loss to the Celtics due to the Clippers’ congested schedule. He’ll do what he’s usually done since making his season debut, likely playing 23-25 minutes. Amir Coffey will lose playing time but remain in the rotation.

Henderson continues to make strides, and fantasy managers have reaped the rewards. Over the past two weeks, the second-year guard has offered top-100 value in 8-cat formats. Scoot has also been a solid option in 9-cat formats, as he’s kept the turnovers in check (1.9 per game over the past two weeks). Henderson’s raw production and efficiency have improved, so he’s no longer a liability in fantasy basketball. Rostered in 47% of Yahoo leagues, he’ll have added value after the All-Star break if Portland falls off the pace in the West.

Sharpe has reached double figures in six of his last seven outings, with Monday’s win over Phoenix (nine points) being the exception. However, he remains a difficult player to rely on in category leagues. Over the past two weeks, Sharpe is ranked just inside the top 200 in 8-cat formats. Even in points leagues, his status as a reserve limits the Blazers wing’s fantasy ceiling. Portland plays two more games during Week 15, beginning with the Kings on Thursday.

Having shot 32.5% from the field in his prior three games, Simons got back on track Tuesday night. He’s scored 20 points or more in ten of the 18 games he’s played since the beginning of January. Since January 2, Simons has offered 7th-round per-game value in 8-cat formats, one round better than his season-long production. With Portland having won nine of its last 10 games, could that change their approach to the minutes of key players like Simons after Thursday’s trade deadline? The Blazers picked up their 22nd win on Tuesday but remain five games behind 10th-place Golden State in the loss column.

Grant has scored 20 points in two of his last three games, but scoring has never been the concern regarding his fantasy value. It’s the other categories, especially rebounding. After grabbing five boards in Monday’s overtime win over the Suns, Grant finished Tuesday’s triumph with two. Over the past two weeks, he’s averaged 2.6 rebounds per game and is ranked just inside the top 150 in 8-cat formats. Of course, shooting 40% from the field doesn’t help, but Grant would be more valuable if he did more on the glass and as a defender.

Despite being available for Monday’s game against the Suns, Williams did not play in the overtime victory. On Tuesday, he replaced Donovan Clingan (DNP-CD) in the rotation and even started the second half for starter Deandre Ayton (8/9/2/2/1 in 22 minutes). The Blazers won’t play again before Thursday’s trade deadline (3 PM Eastern), as they host Sacramento that night. The Time Lord is someone to watch, as multiple teams with loftier ambitions need help in the frontcourt. The worst-case scenario for fantasy managers would be for Portland not to do anything, likely resulting in inconsistent minutes for Williams and Clingan.

Siakam’s streak of games with at least 20 points ended at four on Tuesday. While Spicy P did fill the stat line, the production was modest outside of points and rebounds. Over the past two weeks, Siakam has offered top 20 per-game value in 8-cat formats, so Tuesday’s performance should not concern fantasy managers too much. He’ll look to start another 20-point streak when the Pacers visit the Clippers on Thursday.

Nembhard was one of the few bright spots in one of Indiana’s most disappointing performances of the season. He led the Pacers in scoring and recorded a complete stat line, continuing an excellent recent run. Over the past two weeks, Nembhard has offered 3rd-round per-game value in 8-cat formats. He remains rostered in 35% of Yahoo leagues, which is too low, given the recent increase in production. Even though Indiana only plays twice more during Week 15, Nembhard is worth picking up.

Haliburton’s performance on Tuesday was shockingly poor. He went scoreless for the second time this season (October 25 vs. New York). The Pacers point guard’s passive play was more concerning than his points, as he attempted a season-low three shots. Category league managers may benefit from the defensive stats and assists, but overall, this was a lost night for Haliburton regarding fantasy value. He’ll look to bounce back when the Pacers visit the Clippers on Thursday.

As he’s done throughout the season, Powell led his team in scoring, and he did it on an efficient 7-of-15 shooting. He’s enjoying a career year, and fantasy managers who rolled the dice on him late in drafts have been handsomely rewarded with a third-round player.

Leonard was one of three starters who played less than 30 minutes as the Lakers jumped out to an early lead and never took their foot off the gas. When he was on the court, Leonard struggled to get going offensively, but he buoyed his performance slightly with some decent peripheral contributions. Next up is a home game against Indiana on Thursday, and Leonard should play more minutes if that one is competitive.