NBA News
Grayson Allen Sidelined For Christmas
Phoenix Suns guard/forward Grayson Allen (concussion) will sit out Wednesday's Christmas battle against Denver. He remains in concussion protocol, missing a second consecutive game. With Allen out of commission, Ryan Dunn reached the 30-minute mark for the second time this season on Monday versus the Nuggets. However, he didn't do a lot in the contest, scoring five points and registering four rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. Royce O'Neale also benefits from Allen's absence, but he's been on a cold stretch lately.
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Devin Booker Ruled Out For Christmas Clash
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (groin) will not play against Denver on Christmas Day. He exited the lineup last week with a left groin strain and will be absent for a third straight game. Kevin Durant has averaged 33.0 points with Booker out of the lineup, while Bradley Beal's scoring numbers have also received a big boost. The two combined for 46 points in Monday's heavy 117-90 loss to the Nuggets.
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Kenyon Martin Jr. Out At Least Two Weeks
Philadelphia 76ers forward Kenyon Martin Jr. (foot) suffered a stress reaction in his left foot, an MRI revealed on Tuesday. Unfortunately, he will miss at least two weeks before he's re-evaluated. KJ is having his best season in years, averaging 6.4 points. While that hasn't made Martin a practical fantasy asset in redraft formats, his services have at least been useful for DFS managers at times throughout the 2024-25 campaign. With Eric Gordon (mouth) listed as probable, he may find his way into the starting lineup. However, Gordon has a long way to go before earning a spot on fantasy rosters.
16 hours ago
Andre Drummond May Miss Wednesday's Game
Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (toe) is questionable for Wednesday's encounter with the Boston Celtics. The veteran has had a decent season. However, he was more impactful for fantasy managers when he filled in for Joel Embiid (face) this season, averaging 8.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 14 starts. But with Embiid available, Drummond isn't worth a roster spot in most fantasy leagues even if he's active on Christmas Day.
16 hours ago
Joel Embiid Available On Christmas Day
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (face) is listed as available for Wednesday's Christmas matchup with the Celtics. He recently returned from his latest stint on the shelf caused by a sinus fracture. Fortunately, the multi-time All-Star is returning to form after suffering multiple injuries this season, amassing 31 points or more in two of the three games leading up to Friday's clash with Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. While Embiid was ejected from that contest, the time off the floor may help him be more productive versus Boston.
16 hours ago
Jaden Hardy Questionable For Wednesday
Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (ankle) is questionable for Wednesday's Christmas clash with the Timberwolves. He has missed the last six games because of a sprained ankle. However, the 22-year-old is seemingly moving in a favorable direction regarding a return to the court. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, Hardy is having the worst year of his career, averaging only 6.5 points and 30.5% shooting from behind the three-point line. Even if he is cleared to suit up versus Minnesota, he'll have a tough time getting meaningful minutes with Luka Doncic (heel) and Kyrie Irving available. In addition, the uptick in production from Quentin Grimes could mean Hardy may have difficulty getting on the floor.
17 hours ago
Luka Doncic Probable For Christmas Matchup With Minnesota
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (heel) is probable for the Christmas meeting with the Timberwolves. Doncic missed the two previous games heading into Monday's win over the Portland Trail Blazers. He played well enough in that one despite going 1-for-7 from behind the arc, amassing 27 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. With that in mind, Doncic is a must-start in all redraft setups. However, the 25-year-old struggled shooting the ball when the Mavs and Timberwolves met back in October, so he could have a tough time getting it done for DFS managers, especially when taking his massive rostering cost into consideration.
17 hours ago
Kenyon Martin Jr. Makes Early Exit Due To Sore Foot
Philadelphia 76ers forward Kenyon Martin Jr. (foot) missed the end of Monday's contest against San Antonio. He didn't see any action in the fourth quarter because of soreness in his left foot. Making his fourth start in a row, Martin Jr. notched four points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 20 minutes. Andre Drummond (toe) also made an early exit on Monday, so the 76ers might have to play their Christmas Day matchup against Boston without two rotational pieces. Guerschon Yabusele and Caleb Martin will be asked to put in extra work if the pair isn't available.
23 hours ago
Marvin Bagley III Suffers Apparent Knee Injury
Washington Wizards forward/center Marvin Bagley III (knee) had his night cut short by injury against Oklahoma City on Monday. He appeared to have hurt his right knee in the fourth quarter in a collision with Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein. With Alex Sarr (back) absent on Monday, Bagley III was back in the rotation and performed well before making a premature exit. The 25-year-old finished with seven points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal across 16 minutes of action. Further tests will reveal the severity of Bagley III's injury, but it looked a pretty bad one and might leave him on the shelf for quite some time.
23 hours ago
Bub Carrington Exits Early Monday
Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (undisclosed) was hurt in Monday's loss to Oklahoma City. He exited the game in the middle for the final frame, heading to the locker room holding his right side. Carrington finished the contest with 14 points, two rebounds, three assists, and four turnovers. The 19-year-old rookie must recover by Thursday to avoid missing his first game of the season. Carrington's absence would put Jared Butler in a position to rejoin the regular rotation, but he's a non-factor in fantasy basketball.
23 hours ago
Alex Caruso Hurt In Monday's Win
Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Alex Caruso (undisclosed) did not complete Monday's matchup against Washington. He went to the locker room with a little over a minute played in the fourth quarter and never returned to action. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said after the game that an update on Caruso should come on Tuesday after he has been evaluated. Rookie Ajay Mitchell picked up extra shifts following Caruso's exit on Monday, producing a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double. He might land himself a larger role for the upcoming games as well if Caruso has to sit out some time.
23 hours ago
D'Angelo Russell Injured In Monday's Loss
Los Angeles Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell (thumb) was limited to 16 minutes in Monday's 117-114 loss to Detroit. He exited the game two minutes into the fourth quarter, with Lakers head coach JJ Redick mentioning postgame that Russell was checked for a potential thumb injury. Russell finished the night with five points and five assists on 1-for-5 shooting. He's played a big role off the bench for the Lakers, meaning the team would be without a significant piece for its Christmas Day clash against Golden State if Russell can't play. The rest of the bench, featuring Cam Reddish, Dalton Knecht, and Gabe Vincent, would then need to step up. However, they do not offer consistent fantasy production.
Yesterday
Jayson Tatum Misses Monday's Action With An Illness
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (illness) was a late scratch for Monday's contest against Orlando. After he was named a starter for the matchup, the team downgraded him to questionable, and Tatum was ruled out entirely at halftime. He sat out his third game of the season, all of which have occurred this month. Tatum's absence on Monday obviously leaves a question marking hanging over him ahead of Boston's Christmas Day outing against Philadelphia. Al Horford replaced Tatum in the starting unit on Monday, while Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard might be more involved off the bench if Tatum isn't available against the 76ers.
Yesterday
Anthony Davis Will Play Against Pistons
Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis (elbow) has shaken off a questionable tag and will play against Detroit on Monday. Davis has been battling a foot problem throughout the campaign and is now also dealing with an elbow contusion. However, he will be ready to push through the issues once again. Davis struggled to score in the last game against Sacramento, but he has been on an impressive six-game double-double streak lately. The run includes three games with at least 30 points and three games with 15-plus rebounds. The Pistons give up the third-fewest rebounds in the league to opposing centers, so Davis's double-double streak gets a good test on Monday.
Yesterday
LeBron James Active Against Pistons
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (foot) will play in Monday's matchup against Detroit. A foot injury keeps James a regular on the injury report, but the Lakers have upgraded him from questionable to available ahead of tip-off. James is fresh off a 32-point performance against Sacramento. He also stepped up his defensive efforts at the weekend, snagging four steals in a 103-99 win over the Kings on Saturday. Detroit has a below-average defense, meaning this is a good matchup for James to build up further momentum ahead of this week's Christmas Day matchup against the Warriors.
Yesterday
Dario Saric Available On Monday
Denver Nuggets forward/center Dario Saric (ankle) is active against Phoenix on Monday. The Croatian veteran has battled an ankle sprain lately but will be ready to contribute if called upon versus the Suns. However, it's unlikely to happen, as Saric has had a very small role in the rotation this season, logging 12 or fewer minutes in seven of his 10 appearances. He is firmly stuck behind Nikola Jokic, DeAndre Jordan, and Zeke Nnaji on the depth chart.
Yesterday
Draymond Green Ready To Go Monday
Golden State Warriors forward/center Draymond Green (ankle) will return from a one-game absence on Monday versus Indiana. After Green missed Saturday's action against Minnesota, the Warriors initially listed him as questionable for Monday's game. He'll be back in the lineup as a starter. The veteran has been inconsistent with his performances throughout the month, averaging 9.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.0 steals in 27.0 minutes. With that said, a matchup against a team that is ranked sixth in pace offers Green a good opportunity to fill the box score.
Yesterday
Ben Sheppard Upgraded To Available
Indiana Pacers guard/forward Ben Sheppard (oblique) is good to go for Monday's meeting with Golden State. The team has upgraded him from questionable to available. The 22-year-old has averaged over 20 minutes a night across the season, but Sheppard's contributions haven't been good enough for fantasy managers. He has been limited to 6.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. Sheppard likely isn't quite at his best either at the moment after only recently returning from a 14-game absence.
Yesterday
Gary Payton II Misses First Game Of The Season
Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II (calf) will not play against Indiana on Monday, missing his first game of the season. Payton II has shown impressive durability with 27 consecutive appearances, but a calf contusion has knocked him out of the lineup for Monday's game. He'll get his first chance to return on Christmas Day when the Warriors face the Lakers. Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski will be in a position to play more without Payton II in the lineup on Monday. However, it's a bad matchup for Golden State's bench mob, as the Pacers give up the fourth-fewest bench points in the league.
Yesterday
Moses Moody Available For Monday's Game
Golden State Warriors guard/forward Moses Moody (knee) will be active against Indiana on Monday. He's available again for selection after missing the previous four contests with a knee problem. However, Moody availability isn't big news from a fantasy perspective, as he simply hasn't produced good enough numbers to be a viable option for managers. The 22-year-old has notched 7.4 points in 15.6 minutes this season. Dennis Schroder's addition also further complicates Moody's life in San Francisco.
Yesterday
Grayson Allen
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Suns
