NBA Player News

Gafford (ankle) closed with eight points (4-7 FG), five rebounds, two blocks, two steals and one assist across 24 minutes in Friday's 122-111 loss to the Timberwolves.

After leaving the Mavericks' final game prior to the All-Star break Feb. 12 against the Lakers due to right ankle soreness, Gafford carried a questionable tag into Friday's contest but was cleared to play ahead of the opening tip. He came through with a serviceable two-way performance and is now averaging 8.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.2 assists and 0.8 steals in 23.5 minutes per contest while appearing in each of the last 10 games. While his ceiling is limited, Gafford looks worthy of a roster spot in most fantasy leagues, specifically for managers looking for aid in the rebounds, blocks and field-goal percentage categories.

Coulibaly accumulated 13 points (6-12 FG, 1-3 3Pt), three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal over 22 minutes during Friday's 131-118 victory over the Pacers.

Coulibaly chipped in across all major categories, despite the fact that his playing time was once again limited to fewer than 25 minutes. While his production has been adequate, there is just no way to predict who is going to step up for the Wizards on any given night. With that said, Coulibaly has at least been in the active rotation in 10 of the past 11 games, making him a borderline 12-team asset, for now.

Johnson logged 14 points (6-11 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-1 FT), one rebound, one assist, one block and one steal over 18 minutes during Friday's 131-118 win over the Pacers.

Johnson continues to play limited minutes, despite maintaining a starting role. Since returning from an ankle injury that cost him six games, Johnson has averaged 11.3 points and 1.0 steals in 18.6 minutes per game across three appearances. Given the uncertainty regarding Washington's rotation, it's hard to trust anyone on the roster right now, and that includes Johnson.

Williams contributed 25 points (9-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 5-5 FT), 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal in 29 minutes during Friday's 131-118 victory over the Pacers.

Williams was fantastic in the win, recording a double-double in just his second appearance since signing a 10-day contract with the Wizards. In what could very well end up being the best performance of his career, Williams rewarded anyone that was lucky enough to have him on their roster. Looking ahead, it's hard to know what Washington is going to run out on any given night. Feel free to take a chance on him when the Wizards face the Hornets on Sunday, keeping in mind his playing time is by no means guaranteed.

Sheppard finished with eight points (3-5 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-4 FT), five rebounds, three assists and one steal in 20 minutes during Friday's 131-118 loss to the Wizards.

Sheppard continues to be largely underwhelming, despite the fact that his role appears relatively secure, something that can't be said for many of his teammates. In 13 games over the past month, he has averaged 7.5 points and 0.5 three-pointers in 18.0 minutes per contest. Although there is a chance he suits up on most nights moving forward, his overall ceiling is too low to warrant significant fantasy attention.

Peter notched 12 points (5-11 FG, 2-8 3Pt), two rebounds, three assists and four steals over 37 minutes during Friday's 131-118 loss to the Wizards.

Peter scored double digits for the third straight game, while also recording a career-high four steals. As Indiana continues to shuffle its rotation on a nightly basis, it appears as though Peter is currently in favor. However, considering he is on a two-way contract, fantasy managers need to be prepared for random absences moving forward.

Jackson racked up 21 points (8-13 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds and three assists across 23 minutes during Friday's 131-118 loss to the Wizards.

Jackson tallied at least 19 points for the third time in his past four appearances, continuing to provide Indiana with an offensive spark off the bench. While his recent production has been encouraging, being on a two-way contract, Jackson only has a limited number of games remaining. At best, he should be viewed as a possible streaming candidate, if and when his role is moderately significant.

Leonard will not return to Friday's game against the Lakers due to left ankle soreness, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.

Prior to exiting Friday's contest, Leonard put together another strong performance, totaling 31 points (11-19 FG, 4-6 3pt, 3-3 FT), four rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes. His status will be worth monitoring closely ahead of the Clippers' next game Sunday against the Magic.

Collins (head) won't return to Friday's game against the Lakers, Law Murray of The Athletic reports. He finished with 12 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), one rebound and one steal across 16 minutes.

Late in the second quarter, Collins went up to retrieve a lob pass but was fouled and ended up hitting his head on the floor. He was initially considered questionable to return but never checked back in. The big man's next opportunity to play will come Sunday against the Magic. If Collins is forced to miss additional time, Nicolas Batum and Bennedict Mathurin would likely see increased minutes, while Kobe Sanders could re-enter the rotation.

Mitchell recorded seven points (3-5 FG, 1-3 3Pt), seven assists, five rebounds, three blocks and one steal across 27 minutes during Friday's 128-97 victory over the Hawks.

Mitchell was a late addition to the injury report Friday due to an illness but was ultimately cleared to play in the front end of this back-to-back set. After averaging 4.3 assists per game over his previous three outings, the 27-year-old point guard dished out a team-high seven dimes against Atlanta. Additionally, he swatted multiple shots for the first time this season and set a career high in blocks. Mitchell isn't guaranteed to score in double figures on a nightly basis, though he typically offers value through his assist numbers. Aside from his three blocks Friday, the Baylor product hasn't recorded many defensive stats of late, and he has totaled just two steals over his last six appearances.