NBA Player News

Drummond ended with six points (2-3 FG, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, one block and one steal over 15 minutes during Saturday's 102-97 victory over the Heat.

Drummond hasn't played more than 18 minutes in a game this season but is averaging 6.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 13.8 minutes across 14 appearances. That's stellar per-minute production, but the veteran big man is unlikely to garner a larger role, especially given Nikola Vucevic's propensity for never missing games.

Vucevic posted 15 points (7-14 FG, 1-5 3Pt), eight rebounds, one block and one steal across 33 minutes during Saturday's 102-97 victory over the Heat.

Vucevic is the epitome of consistency. He averaged exactly 17.6 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in back-to-back seasons entering 2023-24 and is on pace for similar numbers this year. However, Vucevic's shooting numbers have dropped this season, posting 47/26/79 shooting splits after 52/35/84 last year.

Collins fouled out of Saturday's 120-108 loss to the Grizzlies after recording 16 points (4-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 7-8 FT), seven rebounds and six assists over 26 minutes.

Collins has done an excellent job as the Spurs' starting center and found ways to produce on both ends of the court without taking the spotlight away from some of the other young players, mainly Victor Wembanyama. Collins has scored in double digits while grabbing at least seven rebounds in each of his last four appearances.

Adebayo had 24 points (8-12 FG, 8-8 FT), 10 rebounds and five assists in 36 minutes during Saturday's 102-97 loss to the Bulls.

Adebayo's free-throw shooting has been a revelation this season, as the big man is connecting on 83.0 percent of a career-best 7.3 attempts per game. Interestingly, Adebayo is attempting a career-low 31.7 percent of his shots at the rim through 12 games, so his foul-drawing prowess is helping compensate for a less efficient shot diet than previous campaigns.

Lively totaled six points (3-4 FG), 10 rebounds, two assists and one block in 24 minutes during Saturday's 132-125 loss to the Bucks.

Lively turned in another decent performance despite the loss, continuing his impressive rookie campaign. Although he is typically playing fewer than 30 minutes, he remains the starting center. His production is likely to fluctuate based on both matchup and feel, limiting his season-long value. With that said, as long as he is starting, Lively should be rostered in most leagues.

Valanciunas tallied 26 points (10-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-6 FT), 11 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal in 30 minutes during Saturday's 121-120 loss to Minnesota.

With Zion Williamson taking the night off for rest purposes, Valanciunas was called upon to do more of the heavy lifting on the offensive end. He ended with a season-high 26 points, adding multiple blocks for the fourth time in the past five games. Valanciunas is currently putting up top-50 value across the first month of the season. There is a chance this regresses as the Pelicans get healthy, making this a prime sell-high opportunity for managers.

Gobert compiled 17 points (5-7 FG, 7-10 FT), 11 rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block in 34 minutes during a 121-120 victory over the Pelicans on Saturday.

Gobert continues to put together a much-improved season, rolling out another double-double. Despite the Pelicans sending him to the line on numerous occasions, Gobert remained focused, shooting an impressive 7-for-10 from the stripe. The Timberwolves are flying high right now as they look to make a real impact this season, and after a poor 2022-23 campaign, Gobert is thus far proving to be a nice value pick in standard fantasy leagues.

Towns tallied 29 points (10-11 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 7-8 FT), nine assists, six rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes during Saturday's 121-120 victory over the Pelicans.

Towns missed only one shot from the field on his way to a team-high 29 points, helping the Timberwolves to an impressive come-from-behind victory. After a modest start to the season, Towns has been a first-round player over the past week. The Timberwolves look as though they are out to prove a lot of people wrong this season, and Towns is undoubtedly going to be at the forefront of their efforts.

Looney is in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Thunder, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports.

Looney moves back into the starting unit after he posted a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double against the Thunder on Thursday. Looney's return to the lineup pushes Dario Saric back to a bench role. However, Looney has not been a must-roster fantasy option, averaging 5.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a starter through 11 contests.

Duren (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Raptors.

Duren is in line to miss a fourth straight game, meaning James Wiseman and Isaiah Stewart, as well as Marvin Bagley, could see increased run. Duren is enjoying an excellent start to the season, and his absence has been greatly felt. Duren is averaging 12.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.