NBA Player News

Wagner accumulated 18 points (5-7 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 6-6 FT), five rebounds, one assist and two steals in 24 minutes during Tuesday's 114-89 win over the Hornets.

Wagner continues to make the most of his minutes off the bench, and he's thriving as a scoring option in the second unit. He's scored in double digits in five of his last six games off the bench, averaging 14.0 points per game and shooting 50.9 percent from the field in that span.

Reid registered 28 points (10-17 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds, one assist and one steal over 34 minutes during Tuesday's 122-108 loss to Portland.

Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert weren't at their best Tuesday, but Reid delivered an impressive effort off the bench and was one of the few standout players for the Timberwolves in this 14-point loss. Reid continues to play at a high level off the bench for Minnesota, and he's reached the 15-point mark in four of his last five outings despite averaging just 24.6 minutes per game in that span. Fantasy managers should continue to trust Reid despite his bench role, as he's seeing the court enough to remain valuable across all formats.

Clingan finished Tuesday's 122-108 victory over the Timberwolves with four points (2-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt), six rebounds, one block and one steal across 21 minutes.

It's unclear if Deandre Ayton (finger) will be available for the second half of this back-to-back set, and it's also uncertain if Robert Williams will play Wednesday, so Clingan could be in line to make back-to-back starts at center. The rookie didn't have his best showing during his first career start Tuesday, though that could've been expected since he had to battle with Rudy Gobert, one of the best rim protectors in the league. Clingan should continue to see steady minutes as long as the Blazers' frontcourt remains depleted.

Williams produced 19 points (9-10 FG, 1-1 FT), nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks and three steals across 25 minutes during Tuesday's 122-108 win over Minnesota.

Williams looked dominant on both ends of the court Tuesday and delivered one of his best outings in recent memory, taking full advantage Deandre Ayton's (finger) absence. His status for Wednesday's rematch against the Timberwolves is uncertain, however, as Williams acknowledged after the contest that he could be rested for the second half of a back-to-back set with Minnesota, according to Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan Portland. The potential absence of Williams would lead to even more minutes for Donovan Clingan, especially if Ayton remains sidelined as well.

Carter (foot) will not play Wednesday against the Pacers.

This will be Carter's sixth game in a row on the sidelines, and he remains without a timetable to return. For now, he can be considered questionable at best for Friday's game against the 76ers. Goga Bitadze should continue to start at center in Carter's absence.

Lopez totaled 13 points (5-14 FG, 2-10 3Pt, 1-1 FT), seven rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals over 37 minutes during Tuesday's 99-85 win over the Raptors.

It's the fourth time in 11 games to begin the season that Lopez has produced at least five combined steals and blocks. The 36-year-old center has had a rough start to the season otherwise, shooting just 38.8 percent from the floor and 26.3 percent from beyond the arc while averaging a career-low 9.4 points a contest with 4.8 boards, 2.2 blocks, 1.7 assists, 1.4 threes and 1.1 steals.

Fernando notched eight points (4-9 FG), 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocks over 18 minutes off the bench during Tuesday's 99-85 loss to Milwaukee.

The 13 boards were a career high for the journeyman big, who is on his fourth team in six NBA seasons. Fernando doesn't see consistent minutes in the Toronto frontcourt and has little fantasy value in his current role, but he is averaging 0.8 blocks in only 9.0 minutes a game. An injury to Jakob Poeltl could make Fernando an intriguing waiver-wire target.

Poeltl racked up 13 points (6-13 FG, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, two blocks and three steals in 28 minutes during Tuesday's 99-85 loss to the Bucks.

The veteran center was the second-leading scorer for the Raptors on the night, but a very distant second behind Gradey Dick's 32. Poeltl's five combined steals and blocks were a season high, and he continues to see elevated usage while Scottie Barnes (orbital bone) is sidelined. Through the first 12 games this season, Poeltl is on pace for career highs in points (13.9), boards (11.1), assists (2.9) and steals (1.2) while also supplying 1.3 blocks a contest.

Embiid logged 13 points (2-11 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 8-8 FT), three rebounds, five assists and one block in 26 minutes during Tuesday's 111-99 loss to the Knicks.

Seeing his first action of the season after overcoming a knee injury and serving a three-game suspension, Embiid was on a minutes restriction and wasn't in peak form. It's not clear how quickly the Sixers are willing to ramp things up with their franchise player, but the 30-year-old center isn't likely to be in the lineup for the second night of a back-to-back Wednesday against the Cavaliers. His next chance to increase his workload should come Friday in Orlando, as Philly begins a brief three-game southern road trip.

Lively (shoulder) recorded 12 points (4-6 FG, 4-7 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and one block across 24 minutes during Tuesday's 120-117 loss to Golden State.

Back in action after missing the Mavericks' previous four games with a right shoulder sprain, Lively turned in solid numbers while sharing the minutes at center evenly with starter Daniel Gafford. Though Dallas appears content to stick with Gafford as their starter moving forward, Lively will get his share of opportunities off the bench and will often match or exceed Gafford's minutes.