NBA News
Dalano Banton Returns From Two-Game Absence
Portland Trail Blazers guard/forward Dalano Banton (hip) will be back in the lineup on Monday versus Dallas. He's available again after sitting out two contests with a hip injury. Banton adds a bit more quality to the Trail Blazers bench, with him averaging 9.8 points per game with 2.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 16.7 minutes across the season. However, he does not have much fantasy value with a healthy squad. In fact, this is a horrible matchup for the entire Portland bench, as the Mavericks give up the third-fewest points in the league to opposing second units.
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Robert Williams III Sits Out Monday's Game
Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (ankle) will skip Monday's meeting with Dallas. After missing nine contests because of a concussion, Williams III returned to the lineup for only three games before picking up another injury. For the season overall, we have seen Williams III suit up just 10 times for the Trail Blazers. Deandre Ayton and Donovan Clingan will work as Portland's lone centers in Monday's favorable matchup. Dallas gives up the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing fives.
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Ivica Zubac Active Versus Grizzlies
Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (calf) will remain in the lineup on Monday versus Memphis. He was initially considered iffy for the contest due to a calf strain. However, Zubac will maintain his proud record of featuring in every game this season, starting alongside James Harden, Kris Dunn, Norman Powell, and Derrick Jones Jr. Memphis' frontcourt features Jaren Jackson Jr., the 2023 Defensive Player of The Year award winner, and the Grizzlies have the second-best rebounding rate in the league, so this is a tough matchup for Zubac.
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Marcus Smart Unavailable Monday
Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart (finger) will be absent from Monday's game against the Clippers. After recovering from a shoulder injury, Smart hurt his right index finger at the weekend and must come out of the lineup again. Luckily for the Grizzlies, Ja Morant (back) is back in the mix, and Desmond Bane (illness) remains in the lineup. Scotty Pippen Jr. might see additional action due to Smart's absence, but Morant's presence severely limits his fantasy appeal.
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Ja Morant Back In Grizzlies Lineup
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (back) will return to action on Monday versus the Clippers. A back problem kept Morant sidelined for Saturday's contest against Atlanta, but the team has removed him from the injury report ahead of Monday's contest. The Grizzlies superstar gets a difficult matchup on Monday, as only six teams have given up more fantasy points to opposing point guards than the Clippers, who are ranked sixth in defensive efficiency.
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Desmond Bane Good To Go Monday
Memphis Grizzlies guard/forward Desmond Bane (illness) has been cleared to face the Clippers on Monday night. He landed late on the injury report with an illness, but the team has upgraded Bane from questionable to available. Bane has not been the best version of himself this season, settling for 14.9 points in 28.0 minutes. The Clippers have a top-six defense in the league, so it might be another quiet night offensively for Bane on Monday.
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RJ Barrett Returns To Action Monday
Toronto Raptors guard/forward RJ Barrett (illness) will rejoin the action on Monday against the Knicks. He's missed two games because of an illness and was initially considered questionable for Monday's contest. However, Barrett has been upgraded to available and will start against his former team. Barrett only recently cooked up a 30-point game against the Knicks and should be eager to repeat the performance on Monday night. Ja'Kobe Walter, Jamison Battle, and Jamal Shead will likely lose minutes with Barrett's return.
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Alexandre Sarr Ruled Out On Monday
Washington Wizards forward/center Alexandre Sarr (back) has been ruled out ahead of Monday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The rookie big man was listed as questionable coming into this contest, but will ultimately sit out due to a back issue. It's worth noting that Sarr missed time earlier in the month due to the same issue. His absence should mean increased playing time for Jonas Valanciunas on Monday. The veteran big man has been quiet lately, but is worth a look as a streaming choice with additional playing time. Last time he played over 20 minutes, Valanciunas finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds.
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Bilal Coulibaly Won't Play Monday
Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (groin) has been ruled out ahead of Monday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. His absence shouldn't come as a huge surprise considering Coulibaly was listed as doubtful heading into this game. The absence of Coulibaly will open up significant playing time considering he's averaging 34 minutes per game this season. Justin Champagnie, Corey Kispert, and Johnny Davis should all see bigger roles on Monday. Champagnie posted a dud his last time out, but remains the best streaming option between the three ahead of Monday's game.
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Terry Rozier Ruled Out For Monday
Miami Heat point guard Terry Rozier (knee) will not play against Brooklyn on Monday. He was initially expected to feature in the contest, as the team gave Rozier a probable designation on the injury report, but knee inflammation will keep Rozier sidelined. Miami also won't have Jimmy Butler (illness), so Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo will be expected to carry the offense, with Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. also chipping in. Additionally, Dru Smith also becomes an interesting fantasy target with Rozier out. He's already had a handful of strong performances lately, going for 10-plus points in four of the last five games.
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Luka Doncic Returning On Monday
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (heel) is available ahead of Monday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Doncic will make his return to the court after missing each of the last two games due to a left heel contusion. There is no word on Doncic being limited, so fantasy managers should expect him to have a full workload on Monday. The return of Doncic should shift Spencer Dinwiddie back to the bench. The move back to the bench will probably mean the end to most of Dinwiddie's streaming appeal.
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Bogdan Bogdanovic Will Not Play On Monday
Atlanta Hawks guard/forward Bogdan Bogdanovic (lower leg) will not suit up for Monday's matchup against Minnesota. Entering Monday, he was already listed as questionable for the contest, so it's not unexpected that Bogdanovic exits the lineup once again. The Serbian veteran has been limited to only 14 appearances this season, averaging 11.3 points in 25.4 minutes. De'Andre Hunter should get extra scoring opportunities off the bench on Monday, with Vit Krejci and Garrison Mathews potentially soaking in some of Bogdanovic's minutes.
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Dillon Brooks A Late Scratch On Monday Versus Hornets
According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (ankle) won't play against the Hornets due to right ankle soreness. Brooks is a late scratch, as he wasn't listed on Monday's team injury report earlier. Amen Thompson could be a serviceable fantasy option with Brooks sidelined, as he will likely see more opportunities. The 21-year-old is averaging 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds across 28 outings this season.
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Trae Young Cleared For Action
Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young (heel) will be active against Minnesota on Monday. He returns from a one-game absence after missing Saturday's matchup against Memphis with a heel problem. The Hawks star has been a double-double machine throughout the season, averaging 21.6 points and a league-high 12.2 assists. However, Monday's game could be one of the most challenging matchups of the season for Young, as the Timberwolves give up the third-fewest fantasy points in the league to point guards.
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Torrey Craig Available On Monday
Chicago Bulls forward Torrey Craig (Achilles) is available ahead of Monday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Craig will make his way back to the court after missing each of the last eight games. His return is good timing with the Bulls being shorthanded for Monday's game. Both Josh Giddey (ankle) and Lonzo Ball (illness) are out, so Craig might see additional run. The veteran forward is only averaging 11 minutes per game this season. He might see a few more minutes on Monday, but he's not a recommended streaming option on Monday's busy slate.
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Josh Giddey Remains Out On Monday
Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (ankle) has been ruled out ahead of Monday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. This marks the third game in a row that Giddey has been forced to miss due to a right ankle sprain. Fellow guard Lonzo Ball (illness) is also sidelined which means the Bulls are going to be shorthanded at the guard spot. Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, and Talen Horton-Tucker should all see increased run with Giddey on the sideline. Both Dosunmu and White should be solid fantasy options for Monday's slate.
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Tari Eason Remains On The Shelf Monday
Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (leg) will not be available for a third straight contest on Monday against Charlotte. He's out for lower leg injury management purposes. Eason has offered valuable bench production for the Rockets throughout the season, averaging 11.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in 22.8 minutes. Jae'Sean Tate and Cam Whitmore have entered the rotation during Eason's absence, though they provide very little from a fantasy perspective.
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Dean Wade Out On Monday
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (knee) will not be available for Monday's contest against Utah. He's troubled by a sore right knee and has been downgraded from questionable to out. Wade's absence will open a spot in the starting unit for Sam Merrill (quadriceps), who has been upgraded from questionable to available. However, Merrill has posted unspectacular numbers throughout the campaign, even during his previous lone start, so he's not somebody fantasy managers should rush to grab.
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Lonzo Ball Won't Play On Monday
Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (illness) has been ruled out ahead of Monday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Ball is feeling under the weather so he'll sit this one out, but hopefully this will only be a one-game absence. The Bulls are going to be shorthanded at the guard spot with Josh Giddey (ankle) also sidelined for this game. That means, Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, and Talen Horton-Tucker will all see additional run on Monday. The next chance for Ball to play will be Thursday versus the Atlanta Hawks. Fantasy managers should consider Dosunmu and White as strong fantasy options for Monday's slate.
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Max Strus Available Monday
Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Max Strus (ankle) will play against Utah on Monday. He's off the injury report after sitting out Saturday's meeting with Philadelphia. Following an ankle injury, Strus made his season debut Friday night, so seeing him sit out Saturday's contest wasn't surprising. Strus posted nine points with two assists in 19 minutes against Milwaukee in Friday's matchup. His production will likely stay limited for a while, and Strus will continue to come off the bench on Monday.
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Dalano Banton
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Trail Blazers
