Gary Payton II Fantasy Stats

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II (calf) is available for Saturday's matchup with the Orlando Magic, according to ESPN's Anthony Slater. Payton entered the day questionable with tightness and soreness but will avoid an absence and remain part of Golden State's bench rotation. The 33-year-old is averaging 5.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 13.4 minutes through nine games. He played just 10 minutes in Thursday's win over Miami, so even with a clean bill of health, his limited workload leaves most of his fantasy appeal tied to steals and efficient scoring in short bursts.

Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II has agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal to return to the Bay Area, per Shams Charania of ESPN. The 33-year-old defensive specialist remains in a familiar bench role under Steve Kerr, giving Golden State another low-usage defender around Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Payton is coming off one of his best seasons, averaging a career-high 7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.9 steals while shooting 58.3 percent across 73 games. His finishing and defense help the Warriors, but limited touches and low three-point volume keep him off most fantasy boards.

Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (knee) is out for Wednesday's game against San Antonio as the team manages his workload on the first night of a back-to-back, though he could return Thursday. His absence should open extra rotation minutes for Pat Spencer, who delivered seven points, five rebounds, eight assists, and two steals in 24 minutes in his last appearance, making him a possible deep-league assists streamer. Will Richard and Seth Curry could also see expanded roles, while Brandin Podziemski may take on slightly more ballhandling duties with Payton unavailable.

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II (ankle) will be active on Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is back in the fold after missing two games with an ankle issue. With De'Anthony Melton (knee) joining Stephen Curry (knee) and Moses Moody (wrist) on the sidelines, Payton II could see more time on the floor against the Thunder. He will have an important role to play defensively against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and could also be asked to contribute more on offense. Recently, Payton II has improved his offensive production, averaging 12.8 points since the All-Star break.

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II (ankle) won't play Thursday against Houston. He will miss his second consecutive game due to a left ankle injury. The 33-year-old contributes primarily on the defensive end for the Warriors and doesn't carry significant fantasy value. With Payton II sidelined, Nate Williams and Gui Santos could see expanded roles, as Will Richard (ankle) and Moses Moody (wrist) are also out.

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II (foot) will be in action on Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks. It was initially unclear whether Payton II would play, as the team listed him as questionable on the injury report. Payton II mainly contributes on the defensive end for the Warriors and doesn't have significant fantasy value. Across 10 January appearances, Payton II has averaged 7.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 15.4 minutes.

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II (ankle) was limited to five minutes of action on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets. The veteran sprained his left ankle during the first half. Golden State also lost Stephen Curry (quadriceps) on Wednesday night, meaning the rotation could look very different in Saturday's contest against the New Orleans Pelicans. Payton II has averaged 11.1 minutes per game across the season, posting 3.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. If Payton II misses time, Pat Spencer and Gui Santos may receive more playing time off the bench, although they are not significant contributors in fantasy basketball.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, free-agent guard Gary Payton II will return to the Warriors. The terms of the contract weren't announced. Like Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton, who also agreed to deals, Payton was anticipated to sign for months. However, negotiations with restricted free-agent Jonathan Kuminga made things more complicated. Payton logged 62 games for the Warriors last season, his most appearances since the 2021 campaign. He wasn't very productive, averaging only 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. There are many different directions Steve Kerr can go with his lineups this season. While Payton should get minutes, he historically hasn't offered much to fantasy managers in terms of production. That's not expected to change, making him nearly irrelevant from a fantasy standpoint.

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II (illness) is regarded as questionable for Tuesday's Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The veteran sat out Sunday's Game 7 against the Houston Rockets due to an illness and still isn't fully recovered. With Payton II out, we again had a Jonathan Kuminga sighting on Sunday, but he played only seven minutes. Moses Moody could get more action off the bench if Payton II remains unavailable for Tuesday night. He logged just 11 minutes on Sunday as Golden State relied heavily on its starters in the must-win game.

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II (illness) won't play on Sunday night versus the Rockets. He popped up on the injury report earlier in the day. Unfortunately, Payton's illness will keep him on the floor for the series finale. Although he hasn't done much on the offensive end during the series, his absence will be felt on the defensive side of the ball. At any rate, DFS managers should expect more involvement from Moses Moody, Quinten Post, and Buddy Hield. There is also a chance Jonathan Kuminga works his way back into the rotation for Game 7.