7 days agoDenver Nuggets guard
Christian Braun (back) has been ruled out of Monday night's game against the Sacramento Kings. Braun is dealing with a lower back strain that he was able to play through on Friday night but wasn't able to overcome on Monday. This will be the 23-year-old's first game missed this season. In his absence, expect the Nuggets to start either
Julian Strawther or
Russell Westbrook. Both will be a step down defensively but bring different offensive skillsets to the table. With Sacramento generally being weaker to deep shots, Strawther may be the more viable fantasy and DFS option on Monday night.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Denver Nuggets
7 days agoUtah Jazz guard
Jordan Clarkson (foot) is listed as available for Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Clarkson had missed seven straight games dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot before returning off the bench and putting up 23 points in Friday night's loss to the Phoenix Suns. The 32-year-old should be in line for another solid outing on Monday night as he put up 21 points against the Clippers earlier this season. Fantasy managers and DFS managers should target the guard as a solid option in the late slate.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
7 days agoDenver Nuggets guard
Jamal Murray (hamstring) is listed as probable for Monday night's matchup against the Sacramento Kings. Murray has been dealing with a hamstring issue that forced him to miss Denver's back-to-back last weekend in Washington and Atlanta but was able to return to action in Friday night's victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The 27-year-old has been scoring a bit less compared to his prior seasons, averaging 17.9 PPG compared to the 20+ PPG he's averaged since the 2020-2021 season. Fantasy managers shouldn't worry quite yet as Murray has generally been a slow starter early in the season. A matchup against the shorthanded Kings may be a good thing for the Nuggets' point guard.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
7 days agoDetroit Pistons center
Isaiah Stewart (knee) exited Monday night's game against the Miami Heat early and will not return. The team is stating that he has a hyperextended left knee. Stewart scored four points and grabbed three boards before exiting in with 9:10 left in the second quarter. The 23-year-old was contesting a layup by
Terry Rozier and was in visible pain after landing. He has averaged 6.1 PPG and 6.1 RPG this season. Should he be forced to miss an extended period of time, expect
Jalen Duren to get more minutes as a starter with Detroit's other option at center being
Paul Reed, who they recently resigned on Monday after waiving him just two days prior.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Pistons PR
7 days agoSacramento Kings forward
Keegan Murray (ankle) has officially been ruled out of Monday night's game against the Nuggets. Murray has been dealing with ankle soreness that will now force him to miss his first game of the season. With the 24-year-old inactive, and
Kevin Huerter being ruled out with a left AC joint sprain, Sacramento will be missing two important three point threats. Expect them to turn to either
Doug McDermott or
Jae Crowder, or potentially both, to pick up the slack. The more likely option to get more playing time and volume tonight is McDermott, who averaged 15 minutes per game through a six-game stretch in November, though he only averaged 5.0 PPG on 5.3 FGA in that stretch. Both McDermott and Crowder will be volatile fantasy and DFS options on Monday.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Sacramento Kings
7 days agoDenver Nuggets guard
Christian Braun (back) is listed as questionable for Monday night's matchup against the Sacramento Kings. Braun has been dealing with a lower back strain, though he played through the pain during Friday's 120-98 victory over the Clippers. Fantasy managers should be weary of the questionable tag but given that he played through it previously, and has additional rest between games, the probability he plays should be likely. The 23-year-old has averaged 15.0 PPG and 5.0 RPG while shooting 40.3% from three, doing well to fill the void that
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left when the veteran departed for Orlando. If active, fantasy managers and DFS managers should target Braun and get him in their starting lineups.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
7 days agoToronto Raptors forward
Scottie Barnes (ankle) practiced again on Monday morning, one day after it was reported he went through a "light workout" on Sunday, which involved running and jumping. The 23-year-old sprained his ankle in a matchup with the New York Knicks on December 9 and has been working his way back since. But things seem to be moving in a favorable direction, with head coach Darko Rajakovic hoping to increase Barnes activity level during the week. With a lightened schedule due to the NBA Cup, Barnes may not miss as much time. However, until he's ready to get back on the floor, rookie
Jonathan Mogbo, averaging 7.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals in two starts this season, should continue to fill the void in the lineup.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Josh Lewenberg
7 days agoAccording to Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez,
Ben Simmons will take over as the team's "full-time point guard" moving ahead after the recent trade involving
Dennis Schroder. Not only that, but Fernandez wants the Nets to play faster, with Simmons in charge of pushing the pace. The 28-year-old was once one of the league's most promising players. However, he hasn't been the same in recent years, currently averaging 5.1 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.6 rebounds. But with Simmons focusing on one position, at least most of the time, there's a chance he could improve on the scoring end. If anything, his assist numbers should increase. With that in mind, Simmons will need to stay healthy, which has been a challenge. Still, the latest update from Fernandez could mean good things for the former LSU Tiger for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic
7 days agoCleveland Cavaliers center
Evan Mobley (ankle) is available ahead of Monday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. Mobley is active after missing their last game due to a left ankle sprain. There was no word on a minutes limit, so fantasy managers should expect Mobley to be a full-go on Monday. The Cavs used a committee approach between
Georges Niang and
Dean Wade to fill the void on Friday. Both players are expected to go back to their regular roles on Monday. Fantasy managers can go ahead and get Mobley active in their lineups ahead of tip-off.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Chris Fedor
7 days agoChicago Bulls center
Nikola Vucevic (illness) is available to play ahead of Monday's game against the Toronto Raptors. The big man is back in the mix following a one-game absence on Friday due to an illness. He appears to be feeling better now and figures to play his regular role in the rotation on Monday.
Jalen Smith will head back to the bench after a spot-start on Friday. He'll lose most of his streaming appeal with Vucevic back in the starting five. Fantasy managers can go ahead and get Vucevic back in their lineups for Monday's game.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
7 days agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) is listed as probable ahead of Tuesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The superstar forward has been a regular on the injury report this season due to a lingering knee issue. Despite that, Antetokounmpo has only missed two games this season due to injury. The expectation is that he'll be good to go for the NBA Cup Championship. Fantasy managers should check back ahead of tip-off, but he should be out there, barring any setbacks.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
7 days agoThe Detroit Pistons have re-signed forward
Paul Reed on Monday. This news comes two days after Reed was waived by the organization. It sounds like the Pistons attempted to trade Reed, but they couldn't find a legitimate partner. They've decided to bring him back as depth, but he's unlikely to make an impact in the rotation with
Jalen Duren and
Isaiah Stewart both healthy. Reed is averaging 4.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 10 minutes per game this season. Fantasy managers can ignore Reed with him playing a minimal role off the bench right now.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Pistons PR
7 days agoChicago Bulls guard
Dalen Terry (knee) has been ruled out ahead of Monday's game against the Toronto Raptors. Terry will miss his second game in a row due to a right knee issue. The Bulls will be a bit shorthanded at the guard spot with
Zach LaVine (back) also out on Monday. That should mean that
Talen Horton-Tucker,
Julian Phillips, and
Ayo Dosunmu will also see a boost in playing time. Dosunmu is the best streaming option here and should see more ball handling responsibilities with LaVine sidelined.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Eric Koreen
7 days agoCharlotte Hornets guard
LaMelo Ball (calf) is available ahead of Monday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Ball is back in the lineup following a seven-game absence due to a left calf strain. The Hornets haven't said anything about a minutes limit, but fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if Ball is limited during his first game back.
Vasilije Micic will head to the bench with Ball returning, so he's safe to drop in most fantasy formats with Ball active again. Fantasy managers in season-long formats can go ahead and get Ball in their lineups on Monday.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Rod Boone
7 days agoChicago Bulls guard
Zach LaVine (back) has been ruled out ahead of Monday's game against the Toronto Raptors. LaVine has been nursing a back issue for quite some time, but he was able to play through it on Friday. However, it appears to still be bothering him, so he'll sit out of Monday's contest. The absence of LaVine means that
Talen Horton-Tucker,
Ayo Dosunmu, and
Julian Phillips could all see expanded roles. Dosunmu is the best option of the bunch and should see more scoring chances with LaVine unable to go.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Eric Koreen
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