Atlanta Hawks: The Trae Show is Back

What you need to Know

The Hawks week started with a 108-99 win over the Clippers, who were resting Leonard and George amidst a 7 game win streak, behind a monster outing from Trae Young with a 38/3/5 line on 12/23 shooting. Deandre Hunter put in 22 points on 7/16 shooting while Capela had himself a 13 point and 18 rebound double-double in the win.

Atlanta’s next game was a thriller against the Nets, where they fell 128-132 in overtime. Young led the way again with a 28 point and 14 assist double-double, while Hunter, Collins, and Reddish all reached at least 20 points in a bright showing from the Hawks young core in the loss.

Their week ended with a 116-110 win over the Wizards behind a 41 point outburst by Trae Young on 10/18 shooting and 5/9 from three. Capela had himself another double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds to go with 3 blocks as well.

Injury Report

Dunn and Bogdonovic: The two new additions to the Hawks remain out with injuries, with Dunn seeming like the candidate to return first with his ankle injury.

Cam Reddish: Reddish had been dealing with an Achilles injury, but returned back to the lineup for their game against the Nets and saw 35 minutes of action off the bench. It seems like Reddish is back to being healthy for the Hawks, but remains a little bit tough to trust fantasy-wise due to more offensive firepower ahead of him in the lineup.

Rookie Report

Onyeka Oknogwu: Okongwu started out his week with back to back games of not seeing the court, but saw 11 minutes of action against the Wizards to go with 6 points and 4 rebounds. Okongwu has a lot of potential making him a great dynasty hold, but his value this season remains limited unless injuries pave the way to more minutes.

Star of the Week

Trae Young (35.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 8.0 APG, 46% FG%, 45.8% 3P%, 37.9 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Kevin Huerter (9.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 35.5% FG%, 1.0 TOs, 34.6 MPG)

A Final Word

The Hawks are up to 10-9 on the season and when Trae Young plays like he did this past week they are one tough team to take down. Hopefully, he can keep it up and lead Atlanta to some success.

Boston Celtics: Tatum’s Back

What you need to Know

Jayson Tatum returned to the lineup Monday as the Celtics handled the Bulls with ease with their 119-103 win in Chicago. The two young stars in Tatum and Brown went right back to business together combining for exactly 50 points in the win with 26 and 24 apiece. The Celtics then took on the Spurs having Walker, Tatum, and Brown all starting for the first time this year, but fell 110-106.

Once again Tatum and Brown were great with a 25/7/2 line on 11/25 shooting to go with 4 steals for Tatum and a 24/4/5 line on 8/19 shooting for Brown in the loss. Boston then took a 95-96 loss against the Lakers to end their week. Tatum led all scorers with 30 points on 12/18 shooting to go with 9 rebounds and 2 steals while his co-star Brown also impressed with 28 points on 13/19 shooting in the losing effort.

Injury Report

Payton Pritchard: Pritchard is out for the Celtics with a right MCL sprain, where he will be out at least two weeks. You would think this would mean some more time for Jeff Teague, but he only saw 7 minutes of action against San Antonio this week and 15 minutes against the Lakers. Pritchard’s injury really just might open up more time for only Walker and Smart.

Marcus Smart: Smart will miss 2-3 weeks due to a strained left calf. We should see more action out of both Tatum and Brown without Smart. In Smart’s one game he missed this season Tatum scored 40 points while Semi Ojeleye saw 30 minutes off the bench as well. Time will tell how Smart’s injury affects the rotation.

Rookie Report

With Pritchard out, there is not much to report here. Aaron Nesmith was seeing some time earlier this season, but with Tatum back he saw less than 8 minutes in ? of his games this week.

Star of the Week

Jayson Tatum (26.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 51.6% FG%, 41.7% 3P%, 35.1 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Kemba Walker (9.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 25.9% FG%, 16.7% 3P%, 27.7 MPG)

A Final Word

Tatum being back and healthy means a lot for this Celtic team as they try and get their season back on track after their whole COVID fiasco.

Brooklyn Nets: Defense Seems Optional

What you need to Know

The Net’s faced off against the Heat on Monday in a defensive battle where Brooklyn won 98-85. The Nets took over late in the fourth, led by Harden and Durant who each dropped in 20, while Irving had 16 of his own in the win.

The Nets then clutched out a tough 132-128 win over the Hawks behind big games from their Big 3. Durant led all scorers with 32 points while Harden had himself a near triple-double on a loaded 31/8/15 line. Irving dropped in 26 to go with 7 assists as well in the win for the Nets.

The Nets kept their streak alive with another high scoring affair in a 147-125 win over the Thunder without KD. Harden and Kyrie both put in 25 points in the win with Harden actually recording a triple-double on a 25/10/11 line. Joe Harris and Bruce Brown played well with no Durant, scoring 20 and 19 respectively. The Nets surprisingly lost their win streak to the Wizards in another high-scoring affair after Beal and Westbrook showed their late-game heroics and the Nets lost 146-149.

Brooklyn was without Harden for this game, while Durant poured in a 37/7/6 line while Joe Harris had a season-high 30 points on 11/17 shooting and 8/13 from three in the loss. Irving had a solid game as well in the loss with 26 points on 10/20 shooting and 8 assists in 38 minutes.

Injury Report

James Harden: Harden missed the last game of the week against the Wizards due to a thigh injury and is listed as day-to-day. Harden’s injury paved the way for Durant and Irving to be more aggressive while Joe Harris dropped a season-high 30 points in his absence.

Rookie Report

Reggie Perry continues to be the only rookie on the Nets and is still seeing some time on the court, but is not seeing anywhere near enough minutes or production to consider him in fantasy, however, he did see 19 minutes against the Thunder with no Durant, which lead to a 10 point and 11 rebound game making it his first career double-double.

Star of the Week

Kevin Durant (29.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 45.5% FG% 39.2 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Bruce Brown (8.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.0 RPG, 65.2% FG%, 22.0 MPG)

A Final Word

The Nets are looking scary on offense, but that defense is constantly getting exposed. I wouldn’t be too worried about it however as come playoff time I am sure their defense will be another story.

Charlotte Hornets: Let Ball Ball

What you need to Know

The Hornets started out their week with a 108-117 loss to the Magic in Orlando. Gordon Hayward put up another solid outing with a 25/5/4 on 9/16 shooting with 3 steals, while Terry Rozier and Devonte Graham were also strong in the loss with 24 and 21 points respectively. The Hornets then took another loss with a 106-116 loss to the Pacers despite a solid effort from the starters with each Charlotte starter reaching double digits. Rozier led all of the Hornets with 20 points in the loss.

Charlotte was able to take back a win against the Pacers in their next outing with a 108-105 win behind a very balanced scoring effort from Charlotte with 6 different players reaching double figures in the win. The Hornets ended their week on a high note with a 126-114 win over the Bucks. LaMelo tied his career-high with 27 points on 8/10 shooting to go with 5 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals in 31 minutes. Hayward dropped in 27 of his own points as well, while Cody Zeller was quite close to a surprising triple-double with a 7/15/7 line in the win.

Injury Report

None

Rookie Report

LaMelo Ball: Ball saw back to back 21-minute outings in his first two games of the week, combining for a 8.5/3/4.5 line on 43% shooting from the field, but 0/6 from deep while the Hornets went 0-2 in those games. The Hornets decided to give Ball some more run in their last two games seeing 29 minutes against the Pacers and 31 minutes against the Bucks. Ball played much better in those two games with a 21.5/5.5/8 line on 65% shooting, but most importantly: two wins. I think these two games may have solidified LaMelo’s role with this team as it will be hard to limit his minutes after some of his performances this week.

Star of the Week

Gordon Hayward (19.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.0 APG, 45.3% FG%, 43.5% 3P%, 38.3 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Bismack Biyombo (3.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, .7 APG, 30.8% FG%, 13.8 MPG)

A Final Word

The Hornets have been a fun team to watch all season as they try and figure out just what they got working here in Charlotte, but I think we are all just hoping for more minutes to LaMelo Ball.

Chicago Bulls: More Rough Endings for Chicago

What you need to Know

The Bulls couldn’t handle the Celtics Monday night, losing 119-103 despite another great game from Zach Lavine who poured in 30 points on 11/19 shooting. Markkanen also played solid with 18 points and 6 rebounds in 31 minutes.

Their next game was supposed to be Wednesday against Memphis but it was postponed due to COVID. The Bulls ended their week in a heartbreaking 122-123 loss to Portland and Dame’s late-game heroics. Lauri led the Bulls in this win with 31 points on 12/18 shooting and 6/11 from three to go with 6 boards while LaVine scored 26 on 9/12 shooting in the loss.

White was also solid in the loss with 20 points and 6 assists while Thaddeus Young put up a near triple-double with a 8/11/11 line.

Injury Report

Wendell Carter: Carter will be out for at least a month due to a severe quadriceps contusion. We are seeing Thaddeus Young benefit from this situation the most. Albeit only two games this week, but Young averaged a triple-double over that stretch with a 12/10/10 line in 30.1 minutes off the bench. Gafford has yet to top 20 minutes this season even with Carter being out some time already, but I still think he does have some value going forward if he gets more action on the court. This week was not great for him though as he saw just 10 minutes in each of their games.

Rookie Report

Patrick Williams: Williams just saw an average of 17 minutes per game over this week (including a season-low 10 minutes against Boston) which is down from his 25.4 minutes a game. Williams is not doing too much on the court to make him a safe fantasy option, but his limitless potential makes him a great dynasty hold.

Star of the Week

Zach LaVine (28.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 64.5 FG%, 66.7% 3P%, 34.6 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Denzel Valentine (4.0 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 25% FG%, 15.3 MPG)

A Final Word

The Bulls had what seemed like a win ripped from their hands by Damian Lillard as they continue to falter in close games throughout the season. The Bulls need to figure out how to finish games before it is too late.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Struggles in the Land

What you need to Know

The Cavs started their week going 1-1, with their first game being a 108-115 loss to Lebron and the Lakers. Andre Drummond led the way in with a 25 point and 17 rebound double-double, while Osman had 20 points on 6/11 shooting in the losing effort. The Cavs then won their next outing easily in a 122-107 win over the Pistons. Sexton led the way for Cleveland in this outing with a 29/5/5 line on an efficient 10/14 shooting to go with 2 steals while Drummond continued his solid play into this game with a 23 point and 16 rebound revenge game double-double. The Cavs were next shut down by the Knicks in a 81-102 loss in New York. Darius Garland had his best game since returning with 24 points on 9/17 shooting in 29 minutes while Drummond was slowed down only scoring 4 points on 2/7 shooting while still doing his usual damage on the glass with 15 rebounds. Jarrett Allen was solid off the bench with 15 points and 9 rebounds in 25 minutes in the losing effort. The Cavs ended their week with another loss, this time to the Timberwolves as they fell 104-109. Drummond was the more dominant center on Sunday with a 25 point and 22 rebound outing in the loss. Garland and Sexton combined for 33 points in the loss while Larry Nance grabbed a season-high in rebounds with 16 in 32 minutes.

Injury Report

Larry Nance: Nance was sidelined this week due to a wrist injury for the first two games, but came back for the last two. In his absence, both Taurean Prince and Dylan Windler saw extended time.

Rookie Report

Isaac Okoro: Okoro continues to see so much opportunity for the Cavaliers with a ridiculous 35.5 minutes per game (1st for all rookies, 15th in the league). His play has been solid, but he is not doing quite enough in his amount of time he is on the floor to really spark some fantasy interest. If he does have some nice fantasy appeal, it is in his defense as he started out the week with back-to-back 2 steal games. Okoro had his best game of the week against the Timberwolves with a 13/2/4 line on 6/10 shooting and ? from three.

Star of the Week

Andre Drummond (19.3 PPG, 17.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 28.2 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Larry Nance Jr (2.0 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 16.7% FG%, 30.5 MPG)

A Final Word

This Cavs team is young and growing and has a bit of an up and down season so far. They have lost 4 out of their past 5 games, so swinging the momentum around this next week would be huge.

Dallas Mavericks: Tough Week for Luka and Co.

What you need to Know

This was not the week that Mavericks fans were hoping for, starting with a 113-117 loss to the Nuggets on Monday. Luka Doncic’s loaded 35/11/16 line was not enough to take down Denver while Tim Hardaway Jr. put in 19 points in the loss. Next Dallas dropped two in a row against the streaking Utah Jazz. Doncic dropped 30 points in their first meeting which ended in a 104-116 loss. Hardaway Jr. put in 19 points again while Kristaps Porzingis had 18 of his own in the loss. Their next game against Utah was even uglier, losing 120-101 despite another solid line from Doncic going 25/6/7 on 8/17 shooting.

The Mavs ended their week with another loss, this time in a 105-111 defeat to the Suns. In a recurring theme of the week, Doncic put in another great line with 29 points to go with 8 rebounds and 7 assists, while Hardaway Jr. put in 19 points in the loss. This loss against Phoenix makes it 5 straight defeats for Dallas.

Injury Report

Maxi Kleber: Kleber has been out with COVID protocols since Jan 9th and is the only Maverick still out with COVID after having multiple rotation players out due to being on the list. His absence has not meant too much in the fantasy world, just some more action for James Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith.

Rookie Report

None

Star of the Week

Luka Doncic (29.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 9.0 APG, 51.2% FG%, 34.6 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Dorian Finney-Smith (7.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 36.4% FG%, 26.9 MPG)

A Final Word

This Mavericks team is too good to be losing 5 straight games. Luka will try and right the ship and keep his absurd level of play up as the season progresses.

Denver Nuggets: Starting to Find Their Stride

What you need to Know

The Nuggets started their week with a 117-113 win over Dallas despite Jamal Murray being ejected from the game in the 3rd. Nikola Jokic had 20 points to go with 10 boards and 4 assists while Michael Porter Jr. tied a season-high 30 points to go with 8 rebounds in the win. The Nuggets got another win against the short-handed Miami Heat team, winning 109-82. Jokic led the way with a 21 point and 11 rebound double-double while 5 other Nugget players reached double figures in the win.

The Nuggets could not keep their streak going, with a 109-119 loss against the Spurs. Jokic was awesome in the loss with a 35/10/5 line on 14/24 shooting while Murray had a pretty solid line himself with 20 points to go with 6 rebounds and 7 assists in the loss. Denver ended on a high note with a 128-117 win over the Jazz, ending their eleven game win streak. Jokic was incredible, tying a career-high with 47 points to go with 12 rebounds and 5 assists on 17/26 shooting and 4/4 from three. Will Barton added in 18 points on 6/11 shooting in the win while 6 total players from Denver reached double figures.

Injury Report

Gary Harris: Harris suffered a strain in his thigh that forced him to leave their last game of the week versus the Jazz on Sunday. If he is forced to miss time, more minutes could be headed to Monte Morris (played 25 minutes on Sunday).

Rookie Report

Nothing much here other than 29-year-old rookie Facundo Campazzo who has been seeing some minutes, but has been really struggling to score despite having his best game of the week against the Jazz with 11 points in 19 minutes. He could see more time if Harris is forced to miss some games.

Star of the Week

Nikola Jokic (30.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 4.3 APG, 62.3% FG%, 45.5% FG%, 36.0 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Facundo Campazzo (2.8 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 2.8 APG, 27.3% FG%, 13.1 MPG)

A Final Word

The Nuggets are starting to heat up this season, winning 6 out of their past 7 games. If the Nuggets keep churning out wins then we really might see Jokic holding that MVP trophy when the season is all said and done.

Detroit Pistons: Up and Down Week for Motor City

What you need to Know

The Piston’s week started with a 119-104 win over the Embiid-less 76ers. Several Pistons were on their game including Delon Wright, who put in a 28/7/9 line on 8/12 shooting while Jerami Grant had a 25/8/5 line on 6/13 shooting continuing his hot start to the season once again. Wayne Ellington put in 20 points as well in the win. The Pistons lost their next outing with a 107-122 loss to the Cavaliers. Once again, Grant was just awesome with another 26 point outing while Ellington continues to get buckets for Detroit, with a 17 point outing in the loss to Cleveland.

The Pistons next stole one away from the Lakers, winning 107-92. Blake Griffin had one of his best games of the season with a 23/3/6 line, while Ellington dropped in 20 points in the win as well. Mason Plumlee looked good in the win too with a 17 point and 10 rebound double-double on 7/8 shooting. The Pistons could not keep the momentum alive, however, losing 91-118 to the Warriors to close their week. Only two players scored double figures for the Pistons with Grant scoring 18 points on ? shooting and Josh Jackson dropping in 17 points on 4/9 shooting off the bench in the ugly loss for Detroit.

Injury Report

None

Rookie Report

Saddiq Bey: Bey continues to see some inconsistent minutes for Detroit, starting the week off with 0 points in 8 minutes against Philly, but put in 7 points in 19 minutes against Cleveland and next not even seeing the court against the Lakers. While Bay has been solid for Detroit in his first NBA action this year, his lack of consistent minutes makes him too hard to trust

Isiah Stewart: Stewart continues to see some solid minutes for Detroit, ranging from 15-20 minutes in his past outings. He is really not doing too much in these minutes, including an 0/6 shooting performance against the Cavs. However, there is a decent shot that Detroit makes some moves at the deadline, which could help bring their youth some more minutes and fantasy relevance this season.

Star of the Week

Jerami Grant (20.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, 37.8 FG%, 52.9 3P%, 32.7 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Saddiq Bey (3.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 30% FG%, 12.5% 3p%, 14.5 MPG)

A Final Word

This Pistons team really is not too strong at the moment, but this is a big year for developing their team and finding out what they got. They currently sit at a 5-15, so I would not be too surprised if we see some of their veterans being shipped out to contenders.

Golden State Warriors: Steph and the Dubs Keep Cooking

What you need to Know

The Warriors had a nice start to the week with back to back matchups against the TWolves, starting with a 130-108 win on Monday behind a 36 point outburst from Curry on 11/21 shooting and 7/12 from three, with Wiggins putting in 23 points on 10/19 shooting against his former team. The Warriors then beat Minnesota again, this time winning 123-111 in a solid team effort with 5 different players reaching double figures. James Wiseman had his career-high 25 points to go with 6 rebounds in the win.

The Warriors could not keep their streak alive, losing 93-114 to the Suns, despite another solid game from Curry who had a 27/4/4 line on 10/20 shooting in the loss. Golden State rebounded in their next outing, winning 118-91 against Detroit. Steph poured in 28 points to go with 7 assists in the win while Wiggins and Oubre scored 20 and 18 respectively.

Injury Report

None

Rookie Report

James Wiseman: The Warriors switched things up this week, with Wiseman moving to the bench in place for Kevon Looney. Definitely more of a surprising move to see, but it really does not affect Wiseman too much this season as he is still seeing similar minutes to when he was starting anyways and was scoring around 13.5 points a game this week. Wisman has shown flashes of future excellence and hopefully, this move to the bench can benefit him going forward.

Star of the Week

Steph Curry (26.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.5 APG, 50.7% FG%, 53.7% 3P%, 32.1 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Draymond Green (5.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 6.0 APG, 38.5% FG%, 14.3% 3p%, 28.2 MPG)

A Final Word

The Warriors continue to play some solid basketball behind Steph Curry as he continues to prove to the world just how dominant he is on the court. The Warriors will need to keep this play up throughout the season if they want to keep their spot in the playoffs.

Houston Rockets: Cleared for Take-Off

What you need to Know

The Rocket started their week with a 107-88 beat down over the Wizards. John Wall scored 24 points in 24 minutes on 9/21 shooting against his former team while Victor Oladipo and Eric Gordon each dropped in 20 points in the win. Demarcus Cousins also looked good with a 19 point and 11 rebound double-double in 33 minutes for the Rockets with no Christian Wood for this game.

The Rockets next edged out Portland 104-101 in a tough win behind great showings from the Rockets “Big 3”. Christian Wood made his return from an ankle injury to put in a 22 point and 12 rebound double-double while Oladipo put in a 25/7/5 line in the win. Wall filled up the sheet as well with a 20/5/6 line. The Rockets ended their week with a 126-112 win over the Pelicans behind a very efficient 27 point and 9 rebound game on 11/13 shooting for Wood.

Oladipo scored 20 points to go with 6 rebounds and 7 assists in a win that makes it five straight wins for the new-look Rockets.

Injury Report

Christian Wood: Wood missed the first game of this week after being out with an ankle injury. We saw Demarcus Cousins slide into the starting role for Rockets with Wood out and Boogie looked great. He averaged a 17.3/14.3/2.3 line on 31.3 minutes a game with no Wood. It was great to see Cousins play good amounts of minutes and play well in that time. Wood is officially back in the lineup which completely diminishes Cousins' role in the offense, but he has proven to be a safe stream with no Wood.

Rookie Report

Jae’Sean Tate: Tate has remained in the starting lineup for the Rockets, but is not doing too much or seeing the lengthy minutes he was seeing earlier this season due to Houston constantly missing players due to either COVID or trade rules. Tate saw 23 minutes per game this past week, but was just scoring 6.0 points a game to go with 6.3 rebounds per game. Tate does not provide fantasy value at this point of the season, but he is seeing the fourth-most minutes per game out of rookies this season.

Stud of the Week

Christian Wood (24.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 76% FG%, 50% 3P%, 29.6 MPG)

Faller of the Week

PJ Tucker (2.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, .7 APG, 27.3% FG%, 0% 3%, 30.2 MPG)

A Final Word

The Rockets look really strong together so far in the Post-Harden era as Wall, Vic, and Wood seem to be building some sort of culture in Houston right now. It will be interesting to see how far the Rockets can take this 5 game win streak.

Indiana Pacers: Bumpy Week for Indy

What you need to Know

The Pacers faced off against the Raptors on Monday and won 129-114 despite Sabonis leaving early in the game. Malcolm Brogdon was incredible in the win with a 36/7/9 line on 10/17 shooting while Myles Turner put in 21 points to go with 9 rebounds. Jeremy Lamb also played great with 22 points and 7 rebounds off the bench in 32 minutes. Sabonis returned back to the court for the next game and recorded a triple-double with a 22/11/10 line in a 116-106 win over the Hornets. Brogdon was great once again with a 25/7/6 line while Doug McDermott recorded a season-high 28 points on 12/22 shooting in the win.

The Pacers fell in their second matchup against the Hornets this week with a 105-108 loss. Sabonis was solid in the losing effort with a 22/11/6 line while Brogdon also played decent with 21 points and 8 assists. The Pacers ended their week with a 110-119 loss to the 76ers. Brogdon was great once again with a 25/5/4 line on 10/21 shooting while Sabonis dropped in 21 points on 8/17 shooting in 36 minutes in the loss. Aaron Holiday dropped in 17 off the bench on 7/11 shooting in 16 minutes.

Injury Report

Caris LeVert: LeVert remains out due to the mass that he got removed after his physical. He remains out indefinitely.

Rookie Report

None

Star of the Week

Malcolm Brogdon (26.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.8 APG, 49.3% FG%, 43.8% 3p%, 37.0 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Justin Holiday (9.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.8 APG, 36.4% FG%, 35.6 MPG)

A Final Word

This Pacers team is still a strong team, but will be missing two key players now for a bit in LeVert and Turner. It is going to be the Brogdon and Sabonis show until more of their offensive firepower returns.

Los Angeles Clippers: Keep Making it Look Easy

What you need to Know

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were ruled out due to COVID protocols against the Hawks on Tuesday, which resulted in a 99-108 loss. Reggie Jackson had a solid outing with a 20/7/8 line on 8/16 shooting in 39 minutes while 7 different Clipper players reached double figures in the loss. With Leonard and George both out again, the Clippers were able to beat the Heat 109-105. Batum led the way with 18 points and 6 rebounds while Reggie Jackson had another solid game with a 16/8/6.

Lou Williams and Marcus Morris scored 17 and 16 points off the bench respectively as well. Leonard and Goerge cleared protocols and showed out against the Magic in a 116-90 win. Kawhi dropped 24 points to go with 4 rebounds with 3 assists while George had a 26/9/5 line on 10/19 shooting. The Clippers ended their week with a 129-115 win over the Knicks. Leonard led the way with 28 points on 8/15 shooting and 11/11 from the stripe while all other Clippers starters reached double figures in the win.

Injury Report

Leonard and George: The Clippers star duo was out the first two games of the week due to COVID protocols. Their absence led to pretty balanced scoring throughout the Clippers team, while Reggie Jackson seemed to have benefited the most, but that could also be due to Beverley’s injury.

Patrick Beverley: Beverley missed the entire week due to knee soreness. This has led to more extended run from Reggie Jackson who averaged a 16/6/5 line over the course of the week. As long as Beverley is out then Jackson could continue to be a solid stream at PG.

Nicolaus Batum: Batum missed the final game of the week with a groin injury. His status for their next game is questionable. In his place, we saw Patrick Patterson start and score 13 points on 5/5 shooting in 19 minutes while Marcus Morris saw 28 minutes off the bench and put in 11 points on 4/8 shooting. If he is forced to miss more time Morris or Patterson become solid DFS values.

Rookie Report

None

Stud of the Week

Kawhi Leonard (26.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 53.5% FG%, 31.3 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Lou Williams (11.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, 34.9% FG%, 1.8 TOs, 22.6 MPG)

A Final Word

The Clippers are quietly atop the Western Conference right now at 16-5. They are playing dominant basketball winning 10 out of their past 11 games. The Clippers are looking really scary this season.

Los Angeles Lakers: The King Won’t Stop

What you need to Know

The Lakers started their week off with a bang with a masterful performance from Lebron James against his former team with a 46/8/6 line in their 115-108 win over the Cavaliers. Lebron was incredible throughout, but especially the 4th quarter. The Lakers could not keep up their success, with a tough 106-107 loss to the 76ers next.

The Lakers stars were still on their game with a 34/6/6 line from James on 12/22 shooting while Anthony Davis had 23 of his own to go with 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in the losing effort. Anthony Davis sat out against the Pistons with a quad injury and the Lakers ended up losing 92-107. James was great with a near triple-double on a 22/7/10 line while Kuzma dropped 22 points and 10 rebounds in AD’s place. LA ended their week with a thrilling 96-95 win over the Celtics as Davis returned back to the lineup dropping in a 27 point and 14 rebound double-double. James was great once again with a 21/7//7 line.

Injury Report

Anthony Davis: Anthony Davis sat out against the Pistons with a quad injury but returned for their next game against the Celtics. Kuzma was the main benefactor from this with a 22 point and 10 rebound double-double in 29 minutes.

Rookie Report

None

Star of the Week

LeBron James (30.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 7.5 APG, 54.8% FG%, 48.6% 3p%, 37.4 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (4.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.3 APG, 29.2 FG%, 15.4 3P%, 25.8 MPG)

A Final Word

The Lakers continue to play some solid ball this season led by Lebron James who continues to exemplify that he has somehow found the fountain of youth as he is still dominating this league at 36 years old.

Memphis Grizzlies: COVID Week

What you need to Know

The Grizzlies have been dealing with COVID issues for some time and had 5 straight games postponed for them, but finally returned to action Saturday against the Spurs in a 129-112 win. Ja Morant had a solid game with a 19 point and 11 assist double-double while De’Anthony Melton scored 20 points in 32 minutes off the bench. 7 Grizzlies reached double figures in a good team win that extends a postponed win streak to six games.

Injury Report

Jaren Jackson Jr: JJJ is still out with his knee injury but his return should be coming sooner than later. Definitely, a situation to keep an eye on.

Jonas Valanciunas: JV was out due to COVID protocols this week. In his absence, we have seen Xavier Tilman see extended time.

Grayson Allen: Allen was out on COVID protocols as well and in his place, we saw De’Anthony Melton saw extended run with 32 minutes which resulted in a season-high 20 points.

Rookie Report

Desmond Bane: Bane scored 15 points on 6/8 shooting and 3/3 from three to go with 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Bane has been really solid so far for the Grizzlies this season scoring 9.1 points per game on 50% shooting from the field and leads the league in three-point percentage at 52%. He is an appealing dynasty option in category leagues.

Xavier Tilman: Tilman has been seeing extended time due to Valanciunas being out for the Grizzlies. He struggled in his one outing this week though, scoring 6 points with 6 rebounds in 21 minutes with 4 fouls. He should remain seeing decent minutes for the Grizzlies however if JV is forced to sit more games.

A Final Word

The Grizzlies have won 6 games in a row in a win streak that started in early January. Ja and company have started to figure their things out and we will see if the young guard can lead his team to the postseason this year.

Miami Heat: Waiting for Butler

What you need to Know

The Heat were short-handed throughout most of the week and that started with a Monday loss to the Nets, losing 85-98. Bam Adebayo had a great game with a 26/10/5 line while Dragic put up 21 points in 32 minutes. The Heat had another rough outing next against the Nuggets falling 82-109. Kendrick Nunn scored 17 points on 7/16 shooting while Adebayo had a decent line with a 15/7/6 game.

Next, the Heat lost 105-109 to the Clippers despite Herro returning to the lineup after a neck injury and dropping a 19/10/5 line. Adebayo stuffed the sheet once again with 16 points to go with 13 rebounds and 7 assists while Gabe Vincent had 18 off the bench in the losing effort. Jimmy Butler finally made his return back to the lineup and led them to their first victory of the week in a 105-104 win over the Kings. Butler’s return was much needed as he dropped in a 30/7/8 line while Adebayo put up an 18 point and 13 rebound double-double in the win.

Injury Report

Jimmy Butler: Butler had been out since January 9th before making his return this Saturday. His return is huge for the Miami Heat as they plan to get their season back on track.

Goran Dragic: Dragic missed three games this week due to a groin injury. We have seen both Kendrick Nunn and Gabe Vincent benefit from his injury.

Tyler Herro: Herro missed the first few games of the week with a neck injury, but he might be in some danger of missing more games after someone he lives with tested positive. His status for Monday’s game is uncertain yet.

Rookie Report

Precious Achiuwa: Achiuwa has been decent so far for the Heat this year, but is not seeing enough time to be relevant for fantasy purposes as Bam’s return back to the lineup really diminishes his role in the offense this season. He averaged a 7.5/4.3/1.0 line in 14 minutes a game this season.

Star of the Week

Bam Adebayo (18.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 5.5 APG, 49.2% FG%, 33.6 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Duncan Robinson (8.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 28.9% FG%, 27.3% 3p%, 35.6 MPG)

A Final Word

The Heat are sitting at 7-12 to start the season, but this is a different team with Jimmy Butler back. The Heat are finally getting all healthy so I wouldn’t be too surprised if we see that number in the win column climb.

Milwaukee Bucks: Not A Pretty Week for the Freak and Co

What you need to Know

The Bucks started their week with a 115-108 win over the Raptors behind a monster game from Giannis Antetokounmpo with a 24/18/9 line on 8/14 shooting while Khris Middleton put in a 24/10/7 line himself. Brook Lopez scored 20 points to go with 7 boards in the win as well.

The Bucks next fell to the Pelicans 126-131 despite another huge game from Giannis with 38 points to go with 11 rebounds and 5 assists while also grabbing two steals and 2 blocks as well. Middleton played decent as well with a 16/8/8 line while Jrue Holiday put up 22 points with 9 rebounds and 5 assists in the loss. The Bucks fell again, this time to the Hornets, losing 114-126. Giannis stuffed the stat sheet again with a 34/18/9 in 39 minutes while Middleton and Holiday combined for 39 points in the loss as well.

Injury Report

None

Rookie Report

None

Star of the Week

Giannis Antetokounmpo (32 PPG, 15.7 RPG, 7.7 APG, 58.3% FG%, 38.7 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Donte DiVincenzo (6.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 26.1% FG%, 15.4% 3P%, 26.1 MPG)

A Final Word

The Buck have now lost four out of their past 6 games they have played and are sitting at 12-8. Obviously, you can’t be too worried since we know that this team is very strong and that Giannis will help turn in some more wins, but it is a little bit concerning considering that this Bucks team had won 46 games before losing 8 last season.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Can’t Get it Going

What you need to Know

The Timberwolves started their week with back to back losses to the Warriors while missing both Karl Anthony-Towns and D’Angelo Russell from the lineup. The first loss came at a 108-130 defeat despite 30 points on 10/18 shooting from Malik Beasley while Naz Reid had an 11 point and 10 rebound double-double.

The next game was a bit more competitive as they only lost 111-123 as Malik Beasley and Anthony Edwards both dropped in 25 points. Naz Reid had another solid game with 19 points and 7 rebounds in 27 minutes. The Twolves were next handled with ease by the 76ers and Embiid, losing 94-118. Beasley scored 22 points to go with 5 rebounds while Edwards had 15 in the losing effort. The TWolves were able to scrape out one win this week with a 109-104 win over the Cavs on Sunday. Malik Beasley and Anthony Edwards each scored 23 points in the win while D’Angelo Russell dropped in 19 of his own points as well.

Injury Report

Karl Anthony-Towns: KAT is still out due to COVID, we have seen Naz Reid’s minutes bump up to around 25.7 minutes per game over the past week while Towns has been out. Jarred Vanderbilt has also been used more with KAT being ruled out with COVID.

D’Angelo Russell: Russell missed the first two games of the week for Minnesota with a Quad injury. He returned back to the lineup however for the last two games of the week and saw an average of 28 minutes per game over those two outings.

Naz Reid: Reid missed the last two games of the week for Minnesota which led to minutes for Ed Davis in this very injury-depleted frontcourt for the Timberwolves. Davis was playing around 20 minutes per game in these outings, but he is nothing more than a DFS punt at this point. We did see Edwards start the two games that Reid missed, however, so maybe his absence bumps the rookie's value a bit.

Rookie Report

Anthony Edwards: Edwards had a great week with a 19.5/4.0/2.5 line on 45% shooting from the field and 52% from three over the week in 29.7 minutes per game. Edwards also saw himself in the starting lineup over the last two games of the week. It is hard to tell since Minnesota is dealing with a lot of injuries, but Edwards is a player to keep an eye out for right now.

Jaden McDaniels: McDaniels played 21.2 minutes per game over the course of the week, but only averaged 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds. McDaniels is not someone who you can trust fantasy-wise right now.

Star of the Week

Malik Beasley (25.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.3 APG, 48.6% FG%, 42.1% 3p%, 29.7 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Josh Okogie (3.0 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 18.8% FG%, 18.7 MPG)

A Final Word

This continues to be a very unfortunate season for the Timberwolves as we really even have not had the chance to see this team play with its full roster at all. They are currently sitting at the bottom of the West at 5-14, but KAT’s return should help boost their wins.

New Orleans Pelicans: Zion and BI Find Their Groove

What you need to Know

The Pelicans' first game of the week was supposed to be against the Spurs on Monday but that was postponed so their first action came Wednesday in a 124-106 win over the Wizards. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram were both incredible with 32 points each in the win. Eric Bledsoe also had a solid game with 18 of his own points on 6/14 shooting. The Pelicans next got a big win over the Bucks, winning 131-126 behind a season-high 27 points for Lonzo Ball going 10/20 from the field and 7/13 from three while also adding in 8 assists.

Ingram was great once again with 28 of his own points while Bledsoe put in 25 as well. Steven Adams grabbed a season-high 20 boards in the win also. The Pelicans could not keep their streak alive, losing 112-126 to the Rockets on Saturday. Zion led the way in the losing effort with a 26/7/4 line. Ingram and Bledsoe each put in 15 points as well.

Injury Report

Steven Adams: Adams left the game on Saturday against the Rockets due to a calf injury and is questionable going forward. Jaxon Hayes is the prime candidate to see more run and value if Adams is forced to miss games.

Rookie Report

Nothing here

Star of the Week

Zion Williamson (26.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.3 APG, 62.5% FG%, 32 MPG)

Faller of the Week

JJ Reddick (Only played in one game this week as the Pelicans chose to sit him and they are trying to trade him away)

A Final Word

Zion and Ingram both played great all week, leading the Pelicans to a 2-1 record. They currently sit at 7-11 in the West, but there is plenty of time for them to turn around their season by the time it is over.

New York Knicks: Not Too Good But Not Too Bad

What you need to Know

The Knicks started their week with a 94-108 loss to the streaking Utah Jazz. Austin Rivers scored 25 points on 10/14 shooting, but scored all of those points in the first half on 10/10 shooting while Randle put up an 18 point and 10 rebound double-double in the loss.

The Knicks next took on the Cavaliers and shut them down winning 102-81. RJ Barrett scored 24 points on 8/19 shooting while Immanuel Quickley poured in 25 points on 9/17 shooting in 24 minutes in the win. New York ended their week with a 115-129 defeat to the Clippers on Sunday.

Randle played solid with a 27/12/5 line while Barrett put in 23 of his own points on 9/14 shooting to go with 2 steals. Quickley impressed once again with 25 points on 9/16 shooting in 27 minutes off the bench in the loss.

Injury Report

Reggie Bullock: Bullock missed the first two games of the week for the Knicks with a neck injury, although his injury really did not open to much value fantasy-wise.

Nerlens Noel: Noel missed Sunday’s game with a groin issue, where the main benefactor from his injury seems to be Taj Gibson who played 18 minutes but was held scores on 0/4 shooting while grabbing 5 rebounds.

Rookie Report

Immanuel Quickley: Quickley had a great week for the Knicks and is starting to prove himself in this league early on. He averaged an 18.7/4.0/2.3 line in 25 minutes per game over the course of the week. His production is heavily centered around scoring, but if he keeps getting these minutes and continues to produce in them then he could be a solid fantasy option down the line.

Obi Toppin: Toppin is not being used very much currently for the Knicks seeing 13 minutes a game last week and only scoring 3.7 points per game and grabbing 2.0 boards over that action. This just has not been the best start so far for Toppin’s career.

Star of the Week

Julius Randle (20.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 46.8% FG%, 35.1 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Elfrid Payton (5.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 30% FG%, 20% 3p%, 21.7 MPG)

A Final Word

This Knicks team continues to be a solid little surprise for us all and it will be interesting if they can officially prove to everyone that they are no joke in this league anymore.

Oklahoma City Thunder: What Rebuild?

What you need to Know

The Thunder took down the Blazers 125-122 in a close battle to start out their week. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for OKC with a 24/9/6 line while Darius Bazley put up 19 points to go with 7 rebounds. Mike Muscala had a season-high 23 points off the bench as well (1 point off his career-high).

The Thunder next won again, this time against the Suns winning 102-97. SGA had another loaded line with a 21/7/8 outing while Al Horford put up 21 points and 11 rebounds in his return back to the court after being out for personal reasons. The Thunder could not sweep their week, however, losing 125-147 against the Nets. SGA continued his solid week with 24 points to go with 4 rebounds and 5 assists on 7/10 shooting.

Theo Maledon had the best game of his career with 24 points to go with 3 rebounds and assist on 8/9 shooting and 6/6 from three in the losing effort as well.

Injury Report

Al Horford: Horford was out a big chunk of this month due to personal reasons but has returned back to the lineup this week. He played solid in his return back to the court and has seen around 26 minutes per game since coming back. His return has diminished Isiah Roby’s role in the offense the most.

George Hill: Hill missed the entire week due to a finger injury and has already been ruled out for their next game this Monday. We have seen rookie Theo Maledon see the most increase of opportunity from this injury seeing around 28 minutes per game over the past week, averaging a line of 13.7/4.3/3 on 60% shooting and 64% from three.

Rookie Report

Theo Maldeon: I talked about Maledon in Hill’s injury blurb, but he is seeing heavy minutes with Hill out. He had a great showing in their last outing versus the Nets and he is a player to keep an eye out on as long as Hill is out.

Aleksej Pokusevski: Pokusevski continues to see playing time for the Thunder at around 20 minutes per game over the past week, but he is failing to produce in these minutes but he remains an interesting dynasty player for the future due to his potential.

Star of the Week

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (23.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 6.0 APG, 52.5% FG%, 41.7% 3p%, 31.6 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Isaiah Roby (6.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG, .3 APG, 46.2% FG%, 16.3 MPG)

A Final Word

This Thunder team continues to get wins despite being in the process of a full-blown rebuild. Sam Presti continues to work his magic with this team as SGA has really taken another step this season.

Orlando Magic: Continues to be No Magic in Orlando

What you need to Know

The Magic’s week started with a 117-108 win over the Hornets behind a monster game from Nikola Vucevic with a 28/12/7 line, while Evan Fournier put in 19 in the win. They could not keep that success up with a 107-121 loss to Sacramento in their next outing.

The two Euro stars for the Magic were once again great with a 26 point and 9 rebound effort from Vuc, while Fournier had 25 of his own points in the losing effort. The Magic lost again next, this time versus the Clippers losing 90-116. It was a rough showing from the entire Magic team besides Terrence Ross who scored 24 points on 8/12 shooting in the loss. No Magic starter reached double figures besides Vuc who scored 10. Their week ended with another loss in a 102-115 defeat versus Toronto.

Vuc put up a 15 point and 14 rebound double-double on 5/18 shooting while Cole Anthony had a solid game with a 16/5/6 line in the losing effort.

Injury Report

Aaron Gordon: Gordon was forced to leave their game against Toronto on Sunday with an ankle injury. Khem Birch and Gary Clark seem to be the two most prime candidates to see their value increase

Michael Carter-Williams: MCW reportedly suffered a setback in his return to the court and he is now out indefinitely. This means that Cole Anthony should still continue to see lots of action at the starting point guard spot.

Cole Anthony: Cole Anthony continues to see heavy run with the point guard depth of the Magic remaining out, he started his week with a career-high 21 points against Charlotte in the win on 8/12 shooting and ? from three. He came back down to earth in his next two matchups, with a 7/3/6 line on 2/9 shooting in one and a 6/3/6 line on 2/10 shooting in the other. He ended the week back on a high note with a team-high 16 points in their loss versus Toronto. Anthony will continue to see good minutes throughout the year but his inconsistency makes him hard to trust.

Star of the Week

Nikola Vucevic (19.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 43.1% FG%, 33.3 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Aaron Gordon (9.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.3 APG, 30.8% FG%, 27.9 MPG)

A Final Word

Another rough week for the Magic has them at 8-13 on the season after being one of the teams to start out the season hot.

Philadelphia 76ers: Finishing Strong

What you need to Know

The 76ers started their week on a bad note with a 104-119 loss to the Pistons while Embiid was out with back tightness. Tobias Harris led the way in his absence with a 25/7/2 line in the loss. The 76ers rebounded in a big way with Embiid’s return to the lineup with a 107-106 win over the Lakers. Philly’s big three was on display in the win, lead by a 28 point performance by Embiid on 8/18 shooting, while Harris had a 24/7/3 line, including the game-winning shot, and Simmons had himself his own triple-double with a 17/11/10 line in the win over Lebron and company.

Embiid continued his strong play with a dominant 37 point and 11 rebound outing in their 118-94 win over the Timberwolves. Harris put up 17 points and 11 rebounds in the win as well. The Sixers ended their week with another win, this time against the Pacers, winning 119-110 despite Embiid being out with back tightness. Tobias Harris led the way with 27 points on 10/19 shooting to go with 8 rebounds while Simmons had a stellar 21/6/7 line on 9/12 shooting in the win.

Injury Report

Joel Embiid: Embiid sat out the first and last 76ers game of the week with back tightness. In his replacement, Dwight Howard saw 24 minutes with only 5 points and 4 rebounds while Tony Bradley saw 23 minutes to go with 12 points and 9 rebounds in their first outing. In the next game, Embiid missed Bradley got the start, but only played 17 minutes in tune to a 2/4/2 line while Howard massively outplayed him with an 11 point and 15 rebound double-double in 25 minutes to go with 2 blocks. Bradley and Howard both being used without Embiid complicates their DFS status however when Embiid is out.

Rookie Report

Tyrese Maxey: With the 76ers getting healthy finally, Maxey’s minutes have been all over the place, seeing nearly 20 minutes twice this week while seeing less than 10 minutes in the other two games. His inconsistency with minutes makes him hard to trust for fantasy this season, but is something to note that the games where he played nearly 20 minutes were the two games Embiid sat out this week.

Star of the Week

Joel Embiid (32.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 48.6 FG%, 40% 3p%, 32.2 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Seth Curry (7.5 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, 31.3% FG%, 28.6% 3p%, 25.7 MPG)

A Final Word

Another strong week for the 76ers has them atop the East at 15-6 so far this season. They continue to play well and now what really matters for them is showing this in the playoffs and keeping healthy.

Phoenix Suns: No Booker, No Problem

What you need to Know

The Suns were without Devin Booker for the whole week and faced off against the Thunder in their first game this week which resulted in a 97-102 loss. Chris Paul dropped a season-high 32 points against his former team to go with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Jae Crowder had a solid game in the loss as well with 17 points to go with 7 rebounds and 4 assists.

The Suns ended their 3 game losing streak in their next matchup in a 114-93 win over the Warriors. Miles Bridges led the way with 20 points on 6/10 shooting to go with 2 steals and a block while 7 other Suns players reached double figures in a great team win. The Suns ended their week with a 111-105 win over the Mavericks. Chris Paul had another great game with 29 points and 12 assists on 8/18 shooting with 4 steals. Deandre Ayton had a strong 18 point and 17 rebound outing as well in the win.

Injury Report

Devin Booker: Booker missed the entire week due to a hamstring injury and is questionable for Monday’s game against the Mavericks. In his absence, we have seen a more aggressive Chris Paul as he averaged 24.7 points per game over the week which is up from his 15.6 season-long average.

Cameron Payne: Payne missed the entire week with a foot injury, in his absence we have seen more minutes go to Paul, Galloway, and Nader, but Payne being out really does not affect too much with the Suns.

Rookie Report

Jalen Smith: Smith has not been seeing the court really at all at this point of the season, just seeing 10 total minutes of action over the past week.

Star of the Week

Chris Paul (24.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 7.0 APG, 50.0% FG%, 2.3 SPG, 32.3 MPG)

Faller of the Week

No great candidate here.

A Final Word

The Suns were able to get some wins this week without Booker behind stellar play from CP3. The Suns are sitting at 10-8 and will look to continue their focus on getting back into those playoffs.

Portland Trail Blazers: Dame Time Once Again

What you need to Know

The Blazers were very short-handed in their opening game of the week which resulted in a 122-125 loss to OKC. Lillard had a great game with a 26/6/10 line while Anfernee Simons put in 26 points in 29 minutes off of the bench. Carmelo Anthony and Gary Trent Jr. each put in 22 points while Kanter had a massive 13 point and 23 rebound double-double in the loss. The Blazers lost another close one, this time in a 101-104 loss to the Rockets. Lillard dropped 30 points to go with 9 assists in the loss while Trent put in 23 points in 37 minutes as well in the losing effort.

Finally, the Blazers were able to win a close one this week in 123-122 win which included two clutch three-pointers by Lillard in the final seconds to stun the Bulls. Lillard finished the game with 44 points and 9 assists on 15/26 shooting. Kanter put in another solid double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds in the win.

Injury Report

CJ McCollum: CJ remains out with a foot injury and we really saw Gary Trent Jr. benefit from this with a team-high 38 minutes a game over the past week averaging 21 points per game in that span. We have also seen some more run out of Anfernee Simons as of late as he played 28 minutes a game over the past week and was scoring 16 points per game over that span. McCollum being out also boosts Lillard’s numbers a bit as well.

Jusuf Nurkic: Nurk remains out with a wrist injury and we saw Kanter have a great week in his place as starting center. Kanter saw 32.8 minutes per game last week and averaged 16 points per game to go with 15.7 rebounds per game as well.

Derrick Jones Jr: DJJ missed the final game of this week due to a foot injury and is now seen as day-to-day. With DJJ out we saw Hood and Simons both play 27 minutes off the bench while Nassir Little started, but only played 13 minutes.

Robert Covington: Covington missed the first two games of the week due to concussion protocol but returned for the last game against the Bulls. Carmelo Anthony saw some added benefits from Covington being out, playing 36 minutes per game in those two outings averaging a 14/7.5/1 line.

Rookie Report

None

Stud of the Week

Damian Lillard (33.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 9.3 APG, 47.9% FG%, 40% FG%, 37.6 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Rodney Hood (4.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 36.4% FG%, 23.5 MPG)

A Final Word

Damian Lillard will continue to do all that he can in order to help get this Blazers team more wins without CJ or Nurk. We just need sit back and watch the show that he has been putting on.

Sacramento Kings: Solid Week for Fox and the Kings

What you need to Know

The Kings were supposed to play the Grizzlies on Monday, but that game was postponed due to COVID so their first game was a 121-107 win over the Magic on Wednesday. Buddy Hield dropped in 29 points on 10/17 shooting and 7/12 from three while De’Aaron Fox had a solid game with a 16/8/10 line. It really was a solid day for all Kings starters as Richaun Holmes put up a 20 point and 12 rebound double-double and Marvin Bagley had his own double-double with 16 points and 12 boards while Harrison Barnes dropped in 21 points on 8/11 shooting. The Kings next took down the Raptors 126-124 behind a 26 point performance by Barnes to go with 7 boards and 5 assists. Fox and Hield were also solid in the win with 24 and 22 points respectively. The Kings fell just shy of a perfect week with a 104-105 loss to the Heat. Fox was great in the loss with a 30/6/6 line on 12/26 shooting while Hield continued his solid week with 18 points going 6/13 from the three-point line.

Injury Report

None

Rookie Report

Tyrese Haliburton: Haliburton continues to be one of the best rookies so far this season and he was seeing great minutes off the bench for the Kings this week. He averaged a 9.0/5.0/8.0 line in 31.5 minutes for the Kings over the past week. While his numbers are obviously better with no Fox or Hield, he is still seeing enough minutes to produce early on in his career.

Star of the Week

De’Aaron Fox (23.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 6.7 APG, 42.1% FG%, 35.0 MPG)

Faller of the Week

No great candidate

A Final Word

The Kings had a solid week going 2-1 to move them to 8-11 on the season. Now is the time where Sacramento has to prove if they can be a legit team in the West or if they will be spending another year watching the playoffs from home.

San Antonio Spurs: Decent Week for Pop and the Spurs

What you need to Know

The Spurs' first game of the week was postponed due to COVID as they were supposed to play the Pelicans. The Spurs' first action came in a 110-106 win over the Celtics. DeMar DeRozan had a solid outing with a 21/5/7 line on just ? shooting while Keldon Johnson had an 18 point and 10 rebound double-double on 9/14 shooting in 31 minutes. The Spurs next took down the Nuggets 119-109 behind another strong showing from DeRozan with a 30 point and 10 assist double-double on 11/14 shooting.

Dejounte Murray also had a great game with 26 points to go with 7 assists and 3 boards while Keldon Johnson fell one rebound shy of another double-double with 19 points and 9 boards. The Spurs lost their last game of the week in a 129-112 defeat to the Grizzlies. 7 different Spurs players reached double figures in the loss while Derrick White led all Spurs scorers with 18 points on 6/11 shooting in 21 minutes in his return back from a toe injury.

Injury Report

Derrick White: White made his return to the court this week to make his second appearance of the season. He looked good with an 18/2/1 line on 6/11 shooting and 3/6 from three in 21 minutes. The Spurs will probably ease him back into more playing time, but his return will hit the values of Lonnie Walker and Devin Vassell most likely.

Rookie Report

Devin Vassell: Vassell has been seeing solid minutes at 18 minutes per game over the season, but White’s return may diminish as he only played 9 minutes in their last outing. It was a rough week for Vassell as he averaged just 4.7 points per game on 45% shooting from the field and 28.6% from three.

Star of the Week

DeMar DeRozan (18.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 6.0 APG, 71.4% FG%, 66.7% 3p%, 31.8 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Rudy Gay (8.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 36% FG%, 18.2% 3p%, 18.6 MPG)

A Final Word

The Spurs continue to get it done with another solid week and are sitting at 11-9 on the season. Will Pop and company be able to get it done this year and return to the playoffs?

Toronto Raptors: More Struggles for the Dinos

What you need to Know

The Raptors started off their week with back to back losses. Their first loss came in a 114-129 defeat to the Pacers, while Siakam was out with a minor knee injury. Fred VanVleet had a solid outing with a 25/4/6 line on 11/21 shooting, while Norman Powell had a 24/6/6 line in Siakam’s absence. Despite Siakam returning, The Raptors then took their next loss to the Bucks, losing 108-115. Powell was again great for the Raptors, with a team-high 26 points, while Lowry put in 21 of his own.

The Raptors lost again in their next outing in a 124-126 loss to the Kings. Siakam was great in the loss with 32 points on 11/20 shooting while VanVleet also had a solid game with a 26/5/6 line. The Raptors were finally able to get a win this week with a 115-102 win over the Magic on Sunday.

Siakam impressed once again with a 30 point and 10 rebound showing while Kyle Lowry stuffed the sheet with a 12/6/15 line in the win.

Injury Report

Pascal Siakam: Siakam missed the first game of the week with a knee injury but returned to the court for the rest of the games in the week. Norman Powell was the main benefactor of this with a 24/6/6 line in the game.

OG Anunoby and Norman Powell: OG missed the last three games with a strained calf and could be in danger of missing more games this next week. The player who benefits from this would be Norman Powell as he played 40 minutes a game over this week, but he missed the last two games of the week as well with a quad injury. In both of their absences, we have seen more minutes from Terrence Davis, De’Andre Bembry, and Yuta Watanabe. Powell seems like he will be back before Anunoby however, but he should be streamable as long as Anunoby is out.

Rookie Report

None

Star of the Week

Pascal Siakam (24.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, 50.9 FG%, 35.6 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Chris Boucher (8.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, .8 APG, 32.4% FG%, 18.7 MPG)

A Final Word

The Raptors had a rough week going 1-3 after starting to figure out their early season blunders. Chris Boucher’s lack of playing time is almost inexcusable at this point. The Raptors are good enough to figure this out and get back on the right track, however.

Utah Jazz: Let the Good Times Roll

What you need to Know

The Jazz started their week with a 108-94 win over the Knicks to extend their win streak to 9. Rudy Gobert put up a monster 18 point and 19 rebound double-double to go with 4 blocks while Royce O’Neale dropped in 20 points himself. Mike Conley played solid with a 19/7/5 line as well. Donovan Mitchell was forced to miss their next game due to concussion protocol, but the Jazz got another win in the next outing, this time in a 116-104 win over the Mavericks. Gobert was dominant again with a 29 point and 20 rebound outing with 3 steals and blocks.

Jordan Clarkson dropped in 31 points and 7 rebounds on 11/21 shooting in 32 minutes off the bench while Joe Ingles scored 211 points to go with 8 assists in the win. The Jazz took down the Mavericks again this week in a 120-101 win. Bojan Bogdanovic poured in a season-high 32 points on 10/16 shooting and 7/11 from three in 32 minutes while Mike Conley had another solid game with a 22/3/9 line on 7/17 shooting with 3 steals.

The Mavericks ended their week with a loss however in a 117-128 defeat to the Nuggets, which ended their win streak at eleven games. Bogdanovic impressed once again with 29 points on 8/13 shooting while the Jazz had 6 other players reach double figures in the loss. Mitchell struggled in his return back to the court with 13 points on 3/12 shooting and 5 turnovers.

Injury Report

Donovan Mitchell: Mitchell missed both games against the Mavericks this week with concussion protocol. He returned back to the lineup for the game against Denver. In his place, there was not one player whose single value really rose, but everyone on the Jazz offense had more opportunities to score and contribute with no Mitchell.

Derrick Favors: Favors missed two games this week, both against the Mavericks with low back soreness. In his place, Juwan Morgan saw extended minutes with an average of 15 minutes per game (up from his season average of 6.3), but Morgan just is not consistent or good enough to be considered for fantasy.

Rookie Report

None

Star of the Week

Rudy Gobert (19.0 PPG, 14.8 RPG, 2.5 BPG, 59.6% FG%, 30.0 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Donovan Mitchell (11.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 22.2% FG%, 3.5 TOs, 32.7 MPG)

A Final Word

Utah’s impressive winning streak finally came to an end on this Sunday, but they should still keep their heads high as this might be the best the Jazz have ever been in Mitchell and Gobert’s run with the team. Time will tell if this streak was legit or just a fluke.

Washington Wizards: Ending on a good note

What you need to Know

The Wizards lost their first game of the week 88-107 to the Houston Rockets. Bradley Beal poured in 33 points on 12/28 shooting while Russell Westbrook had a 19/11/7 line on 7/17 shooting against his former team. Westbrook sat out the Wizards' next game, which resulted in a 106-124 loss despite another dominant game from Bradley Beal with a 47 point outburst to go with 4 rebounds and 6 assists on 17/37 shooting. Westbrook returned to the Wizards lineup for their next outing, which was another loss in a 100-116 loss to the Hawks.

Westbrook and Beal each scored 26 points, but Westbrook was ejected from the game as well as Rondo and Robin Lopez. The Wizards ended their week on a high note, stunning the Nets in the final seconds behind three-pointers from both Westbrook and Beal to win 149-146. Westbrook had his best game of the season with a 41/10/8 line on 16/28 shooting while Beal dropped in 37 of his own points on 13/123 shooting. Moritz Wagner scored 17 points off the bench in 20 points on ? shooting as well in the win.

Injury Report

Troy Brown, Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija, and Davis Bertans: All 4 rotation players have been out for the Wizards due to COVID protocols. Rui and Bertans returned to the court on Friday in their game against the Hawks while Avdija made his return Sunday against the Nets. The Wizards are finally getting healthier again and maybe more wins will be coming their way.

Rookie Report

Deni Avdija: Avdija missed the first three games of the week due to COVID protocols, but returned Sunday against the Nets and played just 15 points and put up just 2 points on ¼ shooting to go with 2 rebounds. Avdija has been seeing decent action for the Wizards throughout the season, but is not doing too much in his time to be a relevant fantasy player this season.

Star of the Week

Bradley Beal (35.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 45.6% FG%, 36.2 MPG)

Faller of the Week

Jerome Robinson (6.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 23.8% FG%, 2.3 TOs, 25.5 MPG)

A Final Word

The Wizards are starting to get more healthy so hopefully, they can build upon that thrilling win over the Nets as they sit at a league-worst 4-12 on the season.