Who is trending up? Which rotations are changing? And what's the latest with the notable injuries around the NBA?
Here's a list of the most fantasy relevant news and notes for all 30 teams:
Atlanta Hawks: Few could have predicted the downturn in Trae Young's 3-point prowess this season, but the third-year pro is making nearly one less 3-pointer per game than a season ago. The culprit isn't poor shooting. In fact, his 37.5 3FG% is actually better than last season's 36.1%; it's a matter of Young taking less attempts from long range. His 6.7 3PA ranks No. 25 in the league. Last season, he ranked fifth in the NBA with 9.5 3PA.
Boston Celtics: Daniel Theis is coming off a terrific game against Utah on Tuesday, when he went for 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and the versatile big man will get a chance to build on that Wednesday against Cleveland as Tristan Thompson remains under the COVID-19 protocol. The Cavs rank No. 24 in the league in defensive efficiency, allowing 111 points per 100 possessions.
Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant (left hamstring) hasn't played in a game since Feb. 13, and his return to the court is likely 1-2 weeks away, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The big question once KD returns is if there will be any shift in his workload, especially with the Nets roster having more depth since the last time he played. Durant's 35.7 MPG this season is a bit shocking considering the Achilles injury he is coming back from; he is tied with Harrison Barnes and Bradley Beal for No. 10 in the league in that category.
Charlotte Hornets: Devonte' Graham tends to get overshadowed by the other young guards on the Hornets roster, but the third-year Kansas product quietly has improved some areas of his game this season. After posting a 2.6 assists-to-turnover ratio last season, that has risen to 4.1 in 2020-21. That ranks No. 4 in all the NBA, trailing only Memphis' Tyus Jones (5.0), Denver's Monte Morris (4.9) and San Antonio's DeMar DeRozan (4.4).
Chicago Bulls: In his first four games back on the court, Lauri Markkanen has shown no ill-effects from the sprained shoulder that cost him over a month on the court. The sweet-shooting big man has put up 19.5 PPG and averaged 4.0 3PG, 5.5 RPG and 1.0 BPG to go with it, making him especially useful in roto and category leagues. Markkanen's 50.8 FG% this season is well above his career average of 43.8%.
Cleveland Cavaliers: We knew that Jarrett Allen would become a bigger force in all phases of the game after taking over the starting duties in Cleveland, so his numbers shouldn't be a surprise. But one area that's particularly useful for fantasy managers is Allen's presence as a shot-blocker; his 1.9 BPG during the past month ranks No. 7 in the league behind only Myles Turner, Rudy Gobert, Clint Capela, Robert Williams III, Robert Covington and Nerlens Noel.
Dallas Mavericks: The early season shooting struggles by Luka Doncic from 3-point land were well documented, but that didn't stop the Mavericks' star from firing away from distance; Doncic averaged 7.7 3FG despite shooting only 33.0% in the month of January. Since then, things have improved considerably. Doncic shot 43.5% from long range during the month of February, averaging 3.3 3PG, and is up to 3.5 3PG in five games this month.
Denver Nuggets: Add the Nuggets to the list of teams being linked in trade rumors to Orlando power forward Aaron Gordon. According to Chris Sheridan of Basketball News, the price for Gordon "would include Bol Bol." If the trade is completed, Gordon -- who has been hampered by an ankle injury since the end of January -- would give the Nuggets another facilitating big to pair with Nikola Jokic in the frontcourt.
Detroit Pistons: Mason Plumlee posted a stellar 66.7 FG% during the month of February, and even after cooling off a bit in five games this month the big man still ranks No. 6 in the NBA in FG%. Add in his 9.2 RPG, 3.8 APG and 0.9 BPG and the Pistons center is a sneaky good option in all fantasy formats right now. And his poor free throw shooting (56.8% for his career) is minimized by his 2.8 FTA.
Golden State Warriors: In other seasons, James Wiseman's performance as a 19-year-old rookie this season would have been seen differently, but with as well as Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball are playing, some have questioned the Warriors selection of Wiseman at the No. 2 pick. The Warriors are expected to be busy leading up to the trade deadline, but it remains doubtful that they will move their young center. Wes Goldberg of the Bay Area News Group writes: "According to league sources, Golden State is committed to Wiseman, and won't move him unless part of a package that nets a perennial All-Star talent."
Houston Rockets: Big news out of Houston, as Christian Wood is expected to return to the lineup tonight against the Warriors. The Rockets went winless during the 17 games that Wood missed due to an ankle injury and, earlier this week, Rockets coach Stephen Silas said that Wood would have a minutes limit because he's "not in great basketball shape yet." With Kevin Porter Jr., Victor Oladipo, Kenyon Martin Jr. and Jae'Sean Tate, at the very least the Rockets have a lot of fun fantasy options to go with Wood.
Indiana Pacers: Caris LeVert has made an immediate impact since making his Pacers debut two games ago (15.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.5 3PG), but his presence in the lineup and 28.0 MPG has decreased the fantasy value of others around him - namely T.J. McConnell. LeVert's ability to handle the ball decreases McConnell's role, and in the last two games the backup point guard has averaged 2.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG and 2.0 APG in 22.0 MPG.
LA Clippers: One area of Kawhi Leonard's game that has taken off since joining the Clippers is his passing, particularly his assists. It helps when you have an offense that's right behind Brooklyn for the most efficient in the NBA; teammates like Paul George take Leonard's passes and turn them into assists. Leonard had never dished out more than 3.5 APG in a season before joining the Clippers, but he went for 4.9 APG last season and is at 4.8 APG this season.
Los Angeles Lakers: Montrezl Harrell does the little things, as so many of his Lakers teammates do, and that's part of what makes this year's Lakers team so tough. Harrell's 16 charges drawn this season is tied with Kyle Lowry for the league lead, for example. And while Harrell doesn't rack up many assists or shoot any 3s, his 63.7 FG%, 75.6 FT%, 14.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 0.8 BPG and 0.7 SPG are helpful in all fantasy formats. Still, he is a free agent in 6.9% of ESPN fantasy leagues.
Memphis Grizzlies: After seeing his playing time drop to 18.8 MPG and his rebounding fall to 7.2 RPG in his final season in Toronto, Jonas Valanciunas has resurrected his career in his 2.5 seasons in Memphis. His 30.0 defensive rebound percentage is tops in the league entering Wednesday, and his 11.9 RPG is third behind only Clint Capela (14.3 RPG) and Rudy Gobert (13.5 RPG).
Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo recently missed four games due to knee tendinitis, but he logged 30 minutes in his return to the court on Tuesday and played well in the process (14 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks). Even with Adebayo back in the rotation, Kelly Olynyk remained in the starting lineup and played a team-high 35 minutes, which is worth noting.
Milwaukee Bucks: Even at this advanced stage of his career, Brook Lopez is still working hard to change shots on the defensive end of the court. Lopez's 17.2 contested shots per game is tops in the league, with Rudy Gobert second at 15.1 and nobody else above 13.6. Enter Wednesday, Lopez's 1.5 BPG puts him at No. 10 in the league.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Oh boy the Timberwolves look like they landed a good one in Anthony Edwards. The 19-year-old rookie put up another big game on Tuesday, scoring 29 points on 11-22 shooting against the Pelicans, and now has scored at least 21 points in seven of nine games since the coaching change. He has averaged 26.0 PPG with a 45.0 FG% and 3.0 3PG in five games this month.
New Orleans Pelicans: Lonzo Ball is quietly having his best pro season, and the improved shooting form has helped lead to better efficiency as a scorer. Last week, one of the big stories was how Ball had more 3-pointers made this season than Trae Young. Then on Tuesday, he had a career-high 17 assists. If you are considering trading Ball, there is probably no better time than now, especially when you consider that the 17 assists was an aberration; it was just the second time this season that he'd reached double-digit assists in a game.
New York Knicks: The time for fantasy managers to trade for Julius Randle may have lasted only one game. After Randle's quiet first game back after the All-Star break, when he finished with just seven points, the first-time All-Star has erupted in the three games since. His averages during that span? 26.0 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 8.7 APG. What a season for New York's point-forward.
Oklahoma City Thunder: According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Thunder are set to acquire Meyers Leonard and a 2027 second-round pick from the Heat in exchange for 35-year-old veteran Trevor Ariza, who hadn't played a game OKC all season. Leonard is out for the season due to a shoulder injury and it's extremely doubtful he will ever play for the Thunder. Leonard has a $10.15 million team option for next season this is expected to be declined. Meanwhile, OKC now has 19 1st-round picks/swaps and 16 2nd-round picks over the next seven years.
Orlando Magic: Both Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier made it through practice on Wednesday and, while it's still unclear if either will be available for Thursday's game against the Knicks, both appear to be nearing a return to the court. Gordon (ankle) returned to the court for the first time since Jan. 31 last week, but then was held out the last two games. Fournier (groin) has missed the last four games.
Philadelphia 76ers: The deep bruise to Joel Embiid's knee will keep the MVP candidate off the court for at least two weeks, which makes Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris and role players like Seth Curry and Danny Green more valuable fantasy options in the short-term. In their first game without Embiid, Harris scored 23 points, Curry put up 21, and Green and Simmons added 16 and 14, respectively. The next game, facing the tough and rugged Knicks defense, Harris again led the way with 30, Curry added 20 and Simmons scored 16. Curry may get the biggest scoring boost of everyone here, and remains available in 43.9% of ESPN fantasy leagues.
Phoenix Suns: With four steals in each of the last two games, Chris Paul is showing he still has the speed and instincts to be a force in that department. Pretty darn impressive for someone who has played that position for so many years. The eight steals in two games upped his average to 1.6 SPG in six games this month, and the future Hall of Famer ranks No. 25 in the league with 1.3 SPG.
Portland Trail Blazers: How fun was it to watch Damian Lillard and Steph Curry play on the same team over the All-Star break? Personally, I made it a goal of mine to draft both in my auction league next season - no matter the cost - just because of that game. Curry just turned 33, and there aren't many more years to try this approach. Lillard's 50-point outburst on Tuesday pushed his season scoring average to 30.5 PPG, putting him on a pace for a new career high. Ditto for his 4.4 3PG and 93.6 FT%. Keep in mind, though, that the return of CJ McCollum, played Tuesday in his first game in two months, will lessen the load for Lillard.
Sacramento Kings: Most of the NBA's leaders in FG% are big men who are poor free throw shooters, but Richaun Holmes is one of the exceptions. Of the top 10 in FG%, Holmes ranks No. 2 (65.3%) and is one of only three players from that group - Harrell and Enes Kanter being the others -- with a free throw percentage of at least 75%. Holmes enters Wednesday at 79.2%. Sneaky good stuff from a guy who is a free agent in over 6% of ESPN fantasy leagues.
San Antonio Spurs: It's been a week already since the Spurs announced that they've mutually agreed to part ways with LaMarcus Aldridge, who hadn't played since March 1, but so far that hasn't made much of an impact on Jakob Poeltl. The big man has averaged exactly the same amount of playing time this month as he did last month (28.7 MPG) and has actually seen a decline in scoring (8.9 to 8.1 PPG), rebounding (9.3 to 8.0 RPG) and blocked shots (2.8 to 1.4 BPG).
Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Malachi Flynn and Patrick McCaw were all cleared to practice on Tuesday, leaving OG Anunoby as the only Raptor remaining under COVID-19 protocol restrictions. Anunoby has been ruled out for Wednesday's game, while Siakam, VanVleet, Flynn and McCaw are each listed as questionable.
Utah Jazz: Jordan Clarkson averaged 3.7 3PG during the past week, but that's hardly surprising at this point. Clarkson, one of the leading candidates for Sixth Man of the Year honors, is at 3.2 3PG on the season. That's on pace to shatter his previous high of 2.2 3PG, set last season. These Jazz can shoot!
Washington Wizards: Free throw shooting continues to be a major problem for Russell Westbrook, and it doesn't look like it's going to go away any time soon. Westbrook, who has gone to the line 7.8 times per game in six games this month, has a 48.9 FT% during that span and is down to a shockingly low 57.5% for the season. This, from a player who is a 79.3 career shooter from the charity stripe.
