Boston Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard (knee) has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL, which is expected to keep him sidelined for at least two weeks. Pritchard's minutes figured to be on the downswing upon the return of Kemba Walker, but the injury is a tough blow for the rookie, who showcased DFS upside potential earlier in the year when Boston's backcourt was short-handed. Jeff Teague will likely see a slight increase in minutes backing up Walker, while Marcus Smart can pitch in to cover for Pritchard as well. The injury forces the rookie to the waiver wire in nearly all season-long formats for the time being.
The Pistons and forward Blake Griffin have mutually agreed to a contract buyout, making him a free agent. The veteran averaged a career-low 12.3 points throughout 20 games during the 2021 campaign. He has a lengthy history of knee injuries, but he may have enough gas in the tank to make a difference for a team looking to win a title this season. He is worth hanging on to in deeper leagues, but only if fantasy managers have room to spare as he still has plenty of upside to offer, especially if he remains healthy and on the floor.
Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis notched his fourth triple-double of the year in a loss to the Nuggets. Sabonis was held to just 10 points but racked up 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and four steals in 38 minutes of action. The All-Star big man played through a sore ankle for the second straight game, as he was on the court for 35-plus minutes in both contests. Sabonis did struggle with his shot a bit, though the 10 assists matched his season-high. He'll get a couple of days to rest his ankle before he takes part in the All-Star game. Sabonis should be rid of the questionable tags when he takes the court in the second half.
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner drew a tough player matchup against MVP candidate Nikola Jokic on Thursday- and lived to tell the tale, despite his team's loss. Turner contributed 22 points, 12 boards, three triples, three blocks, and a steal in 38 minutes of action. The 24-year-old continues to be a shot-blocking menace for Indiana and his fantasy managers, particularly in category formats. Turner's versatility has delivered top-20 value in such formats, powered by his 4.4 combined blocks and steals, as well as a career-high 1.5 makes from beyond the arc. He'll rest up during the All-Star break before he attempts to keep Indiana in the thick of the playoff race in the second half.
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. had an excellent game in a win over the Pacers on Thursday. Porter scored 24 points with 11 rebounds, five triples, two steals, and a block in 38 minutes. The 22-year-old slumped through the first half of February but has turned it on recently, perhaps motivated by head coach Mike Malone wanting more out of him. He's recorded a double-double in five of his last six games, with at least a couple of threes and some nice defensive stats mixed in. Porter has embraced the small-ball four role, though it will be interesting to see what the Nuggets decide to do when Paul Millsap (knee) and JaMychal Green (shoulder) return to the lineup.
New Orleans Pelicans small forward Brandon Ingram did a little bit of everything in Thursday's loss to Miami, recording 17 points, nine assists, five rebounds, two steals, and one block. He looked set for a huge night with Zion Williamson (toe) out, but Ingram ended up being surprisingly passive by taking only 12 shots, hitting half of them. He went 3-for-3 with the freebies. Ingram went seven straight games with 20-plus points, so he'll be disappointed that his streak ended. However, the 23-year-old scoring machine can start a new streak in a pair of dream matchups straight after the All-Star break against Minnesota and Cleveland, who both have leaky defenses. Ingram had an easy 30-point game on 55 percent shooting in his last meeting with the T-Wolves.
Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac had a strong game off the bench in Thursday night's loss to the Washington Wizards. Zubac shot 5-for-10 from the field and 3-for-3 from the line. He scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while also adding an assist and a steal. He played nearly 29 minutes in the game, well above his season average of nearly 20 minutes per game. Zubac is averaging 8.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on the year while shooting 65.9% from the field. When the minutes have been there, he's delivered strong rebounding numbers, but he's seen limited playing time in certain matchups and that should continue after the All-Star Break as well.
Miami Heat forward/center Kelly Olynyk left a big mark on Thursday's 103-93 win against the Pelicans, picking up an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double while also handing out seven dimes and snatching one steal. He shot 7-for-8 from the field and 4-for-5 from downtown in 37 minutes. The 29-year-old got some extra burn with Bam Adebayo (knee) sitting out this one. Olynyk rarely gets a chance to shine in Miami, but he's had a few really good outings and it's been a solid season overall by him. The Heat has had a lot of injury issues and fantasy managers should keep a close eye on the situation, as Olynyk will be one of the beneficiaries if their rotation shortens.
Washington Wizards point guard Russell Westbrook had a strong game in Thursday night's win over the Los Angeles Clippers, despite some shooting woes at the free throw line. Westbrook scored 27 points to go along with 11 assists, nine rebounds, four steals and two threes. He committed just one turnover in the game, an encouraging output after he'd committed at least five turnovers in each of his previous four games. Westbrook shot 9-for-19 from the field on Thursday, but was only 7-for-15 from the free throw strike. He's now shooting 58.3% from the free throw line on the year, well below his career mark of 79.4%. Westbrook goes into the All-Star Break nearly averaging a triple double with 20.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game.
Miami Heat small forward Jimmy Butler returned from a two-game absence with a vintage performance on Thursday, finishing a 103-93 win over New Orleans with a game-high 29 points on 10-for-14 shooting. He was 8-for-9 at the foul line while adding nine assists, three rebounds, and three steals with three turnovers in 34 minutes. Butler has done it all for Miami this season, as he finished the first half of the year averaging 20.5 points, eight assists, 7.5 rebounds, and two steals. The Heat will face a few struggling defenses when action restarts, so Butler should have a productive three-game week against Orlando and Chicago.
Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal led all scorers with 33 points in Thursday night's 119-117 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. He shot 9-for-23 from the field and 14-for-15 from the line in the game. He also had seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block and he committed just one turnover. Beal heads into the All-Star Break as the league's leading scorer, averaging 32.9 points per game. He's also averaging 5.4rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 48.2% from the field.
