Joe Kaiser, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Fantasy 30: Isaiah Thomas loving life with the Lakers

Fantasy NBA, Fantasy, NBA

Injuries are a big topic this week, as they impact some of the top teams in both conferences, while notable performances by Isaiah Thomas and D'Angelo Russell have people taking notice. 

Here is a list of the most fantasy-relevant news and notes for all 30 teams around the league:

Atlanta Hawks: With the news that Kent Bazemore (bone bruise in knee) is out for the season, the Hawks are extremely short-handed at the wing, and that means a bigger offensive role for Taurean Prince. The second-year swingman has averaged 31.5 points and 19 shot attempts in his past two games and could be a top-50-caliber fantasy talent the rest of the season.

Boston Celtics: Kyrie Irving's achy left knee might not be the worst thing in the world, but it is exactly what fantasy managers feared, and now Irving is missing games during the fantasy playoffs ... ouch! Irving sat out last Monday's game, was limited to 16 minutes on Sunday and has already been ruled out for Wednesday's game against Washington to allow his knee to rest. He hasn't been great even when he has played in recent weeks, and his problematic knee could be something to think about when you're considering drafting Irving next season.

Brooklyn Nets: D'Angelo Russell has started to take his game to a different level in recent games, scoring at least 20 points in three of the past four contests. The latest, a 32-point effort against Toronto on Tuesday, included an electric 24-point first quarter with seven 3-pointers in the first 4:20 of the game. Yes, you read that right.

Charlotte Hornets: Nicolas Batum's 8.0 APG the past 30 days is seventh in the NBA in that span, and LeBron James and Ben Simmons are the only two small forwards ahead of him on that list. Incredibly, the veteran Batum has dished out at least seven assists in 11 of his past 12 games.

Chicago Bulls: In six games this month, Bobby Portis ranks third on the Bulls in scoring (14.3 PPG) and second in rebounding (7.5 RPG) and is averaging 1.3 3PG, 2.7 AGP and 1.1 SPG. As puzzling as it might be, the third-year power forward is still available in just under 60 percent of ESPN leagues.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Larry Nance Jr. comes in at No. 35 on ESPN's Player Rater in the past 15 days, ahead of notable fantasy players such as Paul George and Devin Booker. Nance suffered a hamstring injury Tuesday and was forced to leave the game early, which is worth keeping a close eye on, but if he returns to the court quickly, we are talking about a high-percentage shooter, a double-double threat and a terrific steals contributor.

Dallas Mavericks: Nerlens Noel popped up on the fantasy radar recently when he started getting more playing time, but so far the results have been disappointing aside from his rebounding. While Noel has averaged 7.7 RPG in the past six games, playing 18.3 MPG in that span, he is a total nonfactor as a scorer (4.7 PPG) and passer (0.7 APG) while failing to make an impact as a shot-blocker (0.7 BPG), formerly one of his best strengths.

Denver Nuggets: The Los Angeles Lakers might not like it, but Jamal Murray is a top-30 fantasy player the past 30 days, coming in at No. 29 on the Player Rater. What stands out about Murray has been his improvement with assists (4.6 APG in the past 10 games), which boosts his value considerably when you factor in his already impressive contributions as a scorer, 3-point shooter and defender.

Detroit Pistons: Reggie Jackson continues to recover from a Grade 3 ankle sprain suffered the day after Christmas, but his return to the lineup appears to still be at least a week or two away, which will be too late for him to be a factor in most fantasy leagues. Even if Jackson returns in a week, there's a strong likelihood that it will take him five or so games to ramp up his minutes and be a valuable fantasy contributor.

Golden State Warriors: Klay Thompson has been diagnosed with a fractured thumb that will keep him sidelined a minimum of four games. ESPN's Chris Haynes reports that Thompson will be re-evaluated next Thursday. With Stephen Curry (ankle) also sidelined for the next four games and Andre Iguodala (wrist) having missed the past two games, there will be a heavy strain on Kevin Durant to carry the offensive load while reserves such as Shaun Livingston and Nick Young step into bigger roles.

Houston Rockets: Chris Paul is battling knee soreness, which is a scary thing for Rockets fans and fantasy managers alike. Luckily, the veteran point guard is expected to be in the lineup Thursday against his former team, the Clippers, after sitting out Wednesday's practice. Paul has played in 49 of the Rockets' 67 games this season.

Indiana Pacers: Victor Oladipo might have been a fantasy star all season, but he's picking a rough time to go through a shooting funk. In three of the past five games, he has had shooting performances of 4-for-21, 6-for-19 and 5-for-19, and he has made just 40.9 percent of his shots in the past 10 games. This was Oladipo's main issue in previous seasons, but even after the recent woes, he's still at 47.2 percent this season.

LA Clippers: Avery Bradley is likely out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair adductor and rectus abdominis muscles on Tuesday. He is expected to miss 6-8 weeks and if he doesn't return, this could mark the end of his Clippers career as he's set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Without Bradley, who only played six games since coming over in the Jan. 29 trade that included Tobias Harris and Blake Griffin, the Clippers will continue to rely on Lou Williams, Harris and DeAndre Jordan as their main offensive options.

Los Angeles Lakers: Isaiah Thomas has scored 20 or more points in each of his past two games while averaging 31.0 MPG. Although the inefficiency remains an issue, as it has been all season, Thomas appears to be settling into a solid groove while coming off the bench in L.A. Amazingly, his 13 games with the Lakers are just two fewer than the 15 he played for the Cavaliers before he was traded. Expect a strong finish to the season for the dynamic scorer.

Memphis Grizzlies: All the focus on the Grizzlies is centered on the team's 18-game losing streak, but for fantasy purposes, some attention should be on Dillon Brooks. The rookie swingman is tied with Marc Gasol as the team's leading scorer this month, with 17.6 PPG, while contributing 1.9 3PG in that seven-game span. On a team without much to get excited about aside from Gasol while Tyreke Evans is out, Brooks is available in 87.1 percent of ESPN leagues and is a strong streaming option.

Miami Heat: Hassan Whiteside (hip flexor) will miss his third straight game on Wednesday, which opens the door for rookie Bam Adebayo to start and play extended minutes. Adebayo has filled in nicely the past two games, averaging 5.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 2.0 APG. The favorable matchup Wednesday against the Kings is an opportunity for Adebayo to be a solid streaming option.

Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings nearly recorded a triple-double in his first game with the Bucks since signing a 10-day contract. Jennings, a first-round pick with Milwaukee back in 2009 -- who could forget that! -- put up 16 points, 8 rebounds and 12 assists in 24 minutes off the bench against Memphis. Clearly, the veteran is trying hard to prove that he still belongs in this league, and if a game such as that doesn't get your attention, then nothing will. Keep an eye on how Jennings does in the week ahead.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Nemanja Bjelica is still available in nearly three-quarters of ESPN leagues, even after playing 34 minutes or more in each of the past five games and averaging 15.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 SPG and 2.4 SPG in that span. Bjelica is the most overlooked player in fantasy hoops right now, so make sure you snag him if he's somehow still available in your league.

New Orleans Pelicans: Jrue Holiday has moved all the way up to No. 7 on the Player Rater in the past 30 days. Not only has Holiday played in all 67 games this season after struggling with injuries in the past, but he is also posting career highs with 19.3 PPG and 1.6 3PG while adding 5.8 APG and 1.4 SPG to the mix. Holiday is a third-round pick at worst heading into next season's fantasy drafts.

New York Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr. didn't practice Wednesday due to a sprained right ankle, and he is considered questionable for Thursday's game against Philadelphia. In the past six games, Hardaway has averaged 35.8 MPG while the next highest on the team is Emmanuel Mudiay with 26.0 MPG. If he can't go on Thursday, players such as Michael Beasley and Enes Kanter will have to carry the offensive load and should see an uptick in production.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Corey Brewer becomes a fantasy option whenever he is put in a position to play a lot of minutes, and that's what he has done since joining the Thunder. The veteran swingman has played 28 minutes or more in each of the past four games, and his 8 steals, 6 3-pointers and 13.0 PPG during that span show that he can still be a helpful streamer in roto leagues.

Orlando Magic: D.J. Augustin's fantasy value was boosted when the Magic traded Elfrid Payton to Phoenix, but he remains available in more than 80 percent of ESPN leagues. Augustin can score, assist and make the 3-pointer while playing close to 30 minutes per night on the rebuilding Magic team. If you need to stream for assists, he might be your guy.

Philadelphia 76ers: If you were lucky enough to pick up JJ Redick when he went down with an injury last month, good for you. The veteran sharpshooter has made 59.5 percent of his 3-pointers during seven games this month, making 3.1 3PG, and is third on the team in scoring (16.7 PPG) during that span behind Joel Embiid and Dario Saric.

Phoenix Suns: TJ Warren returned to the court Tuesday after missing a pair of games because of a back injury, and he showed no ill effects. Warren's 19 points and 10 rebounds against the Cavaliers are a good sign that the back injury isn't going to limit him during the final stretch of the season, and Warren's 37.3 MPG this month lead everyone on the Suns.

Portland Trail Blazers: Jusuf Nurkic is finishing the regular season on a high note for the second year in a row, and his latest performance opened eyes with 27 points, 16 rebounds and 3 blocks against the short-handed Miami Heat. The one factor working against Nurkic is his lack of playing time; the massive center is often a poor matchup on the court due to his "throwback" style, and he has been limited to 24.7 MPG in his past 10 games.

Sacramento Kings: Seven players on the Kings are averaging double-figures scoring this month, and 11 are averaging more than 20.0 MPG, which tells you that playing time is being spread around evenly -- not exactly a good recipe for fantasy production. If you can go after only one Kings player, that guy is Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is available in 64.4 percent of ESPN leagues despite averaging 11.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.2 APG and 1.8 3PG in the past five games.

San Antonio Spurs: Kawhi Leonard was hopeful to return for Thursday's game against the Pelicans, but that won't happen, which means the soonest Leonard could return to the court is Saturday against Minnesota. Leonard has been out since Jan. 13 due to a quad injury, and while it's difficult to forecast his production upon his return, there's a strong chance that Kyle Anderson and Rudy Gay will see fewer minutes with Leonard available.

Toronto Raptors: At 50-17, the Raptors have become the talk of the league with their impressive play, and Jonas Valanciunas deserves some of the credit. The veteran big man has averaged 13.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG and 1.1 BPG in his past 10 games, making an impressive 54.5 percent of his shots in that span. If you have Valanciunas on your team, all you can do is hope that he continues to stay healthy and have the hot hand throughout the fantasy playoffs.

Utah Jazz: Ricky Rubio has had some ups and downs on the offensive end this season, and right now he's available in more than 20 percent of ESPN leagues. He is coming off a clunker -- four points on 2-of-9 shooting against Detroit -- but has been playing well with 15.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 7.2 APG and 1.0 SPG in the past five games. There's no reason he should be on the waiver wire in your league.

Washington Wizards: Marcin Gortat is on a roster in 60.7 of ESPN leagues, but based on his dwindling minutes and production, there's reason to wonder if he's being overrated by fantasy managers. In the past five games, the veteran center has averaged just 20.4 MPG, 6.6 PPG and 5.2 RPG. If you have Gortat on your team and are looking to open a roster spot for a streamer, look no further.

^ Back to Top ^