NBA Player News

Hardaway totaled 21 points (5-12 FG, 5-12 3Pt, 6-7 FT) and one steal in 28 minutes during Friday's 135-129 victory over the Jazz.

Hardaway is one of the best long-range shooters in the NBA right now, and he showed that with an impressive performance in what turned out to be a tighter-than-expected win. Perhaps more importantly, Hardaway bounced back from the four-point dud he posted in the win over Dallas on Wednesday. The lack of consistency on a game-to-game basis limits Hardaway's potential from a fantasy perspective, but he's a player who can get hot at any moment. He has scored at least 20 points in four of his last eight games, but he's also produced single-digit outputs three times over that stretch. Still, as a player who's making a career-high 40.9 percent of his threes this season, Hardaway should be a player to roster even with his ups and downs.

Gordon provided 17 points (6-12 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 5-6 FT), seven rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 31 minutes during Friday's 135-129 victory over the Jazz.

Gordon returned to the lineup after a one-game absence and continues to find ways to produce. Even though the veteran forward won't be tasked with carrying the offense as long as Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic are available, his contributions on that end of the floor are extremely valuable, and he's also a proven commodity in fantasy. Gordon is averaging 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.6 blocks per game in nine appearances this month since returning from a lengthy 17-game absence due to a hamstring injury between Jan. 27 and March 5.

Williams amassed 24 points (9-14 FG, 6-7 FT), seven assists and two steals in 30 minutes during Friday's 135-129 loss to the Nuggets.

Williams has posted 24 points in back-to-back games for the Jazz, but Utah suffered losses in both contests. Still, the uptick in performances from the second-year forward out of Colorado is worth highlighting. He has scored in double digits in all but one of his last 11 games, averaging 17.6 points per game in that stretch, but things have been even better in recent weeks. Williams has scored at least 23 points in four of his last six games, and he seems to be growing in confidence with each passing game. This is clearly a promising end of the season for the former first-round pick, who could be a worthy addition for the fantasy playoffs if he's still available on the wire.

Bailey registered 15 points (7-14 FG, 1-7 3Pt), seven rebounds and one assist across 27 minutes during Friday's 135-129 loss to the Nuggets.

The rookie out of Rutgers struggled with his three-point shot, but he was nearly automatic with his two-point attempts. Inconsistencies and ups and downs are going to be part of Bailey's game early on, but he has shown flashes of his scoring potential. He's reached the 15-point mark in six games in a row and is now averaging a solid line of 18.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game since the All-Star break.

Filipowski amassed 25 points (11-17 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 2-4 FT), eight rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes during Friday's 135-129 loss to the Nuggets.

Filipowski returned to the court after a one-game absence and delivered an impressive performance, finishing just two boards shy of a double-double and notching his first outing with 20-plus points since the All-Star break. This 25-point output matched his season-high mark, and the former Duke standout could be in line for a big role in the final weeks of the season due to the lack of frontcourt options available on Utah's roster. Filipowski is thus a player worth targeting by fantasy managers down the stretch of the regular season.

Fears produced 10 points (3-12 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds, three assists and one block across 28 minutes during Friday's 119-106 loss to the Raptors.

Fears returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Jan. 23, although he only did it due to the absences of Dejounte Murray (Achilles) and Trey Murphy (ankle), who were both unavailable for the second leg of this back-to-back set. The rookie out of Oklahoma failed to take advantage of the opportunity, and he should return to a lesser role off the bench going forward. That should limit his fantasy upside considerably.

Williamson posted 22 points (9-13 FG, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds and four assists across 31 minutes during Friday's 119-106 loss to Toronto.

Williamson has surpassed the 20-point plateau in four games in a row, and he's scored at least 20 in nine of his 13 appearances since the beginning of March. Williamson has managed to stay healthy throughout the majority of the campaign and has logged 58 regular-season appearances already. This could be his second-best season in terms of games played -- he's played more than 60 regular-season contests just twice in his career. Look for Williamson to remain a key piece on offense for the Pelicans as long as he's active -- he's averaging 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game since the All-Star break.

Bey notched 19 points (6-12 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds, two assists and one block in 30 minutes during Friday's 119-106 loss to the Raptors.

Bey is riding a strong stretch of play, and this loss to the Raptors was the seventh straight game in which he scored at least 17 points. Over that prolific span, the forward is averaging 20.1 points per game while shooting 51.1 percent from three-point range. Bey should continue to be one of the Pelicans' go-to options on offense in the final weeks of the regular season as long as he remains available to play.

Poeltl closed with 18 points (9-11 FG), 11 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal across 30 minutes during Friday's 119-106 win over the Pelicans.

Poeltl missed only two shots from the field in this win over the Pelicans. The veteran big man seems to have left his back issues in the rearview mirror and has missed just three games since the All-Star break. He's averaging 12.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in 14 games in that span.

Barnes ended Friday's 119-106 victory over the Pelicans with 23 points (10-14 FG, 3-3 FT), six rebounds, 12 assists, three blocks and two steals over 36 minutes.

Barnes was excellent in this win over the Pelicans, carrying the team offensively with an efficient performance but also leaving his mark in other areas. His ability to fill the stat sheet was noteworthy, and he delivered at least two tallies in each of the five major categories, something he's now achieved 12 times in the current campaign. Barnes continues to play at a high level for the Raptors, although he needs to be more consistent as a scorer to take his game to the next level. Since the beginning of March, the All-Star forward is averaging a strong line of 16.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks across 33.2 minutes per game in 13 starts.