The best fantasy basketball managers make a habit of looking at the NBA schedule, examining box scores and scouring the news for any tidbit that can help give them the edge in their leagues.
Luckily, Eric Moody does all that work for you each and every Thursday with the Fantasy 30, helping answer the tough questions such as whom to start, who are the best fantasy basketball sleepers out there and what's the latest injury news with key players around the league.
Here's the latest fantasy news from each of the 30 teams around the league.
Atlanta Hawks: Clint Capela has missed five consecutive games due to a right calf strain. Onyeka Okongwu continues to benefit from his absence. Three of his last five games have resulted in 42 or more fantasy points out of the USC product. Okongwu is only rostered in 19.5% of ESPN leagues and is firmly on the streaming radar while Capela is out.
Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum has scored at least 25 points in the last nine games, which is the longest streak of his career. He has averaged 50.1 fantasy points per game this season.
Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant has had 10 games with 40 or more points since joining the Nets. He joins Kyrie Irving and Vince Carter as the only Nets players in their history to reach double-digit 40-point games. Additionally, T.J. Warren suffered a rib injury against the Bulls on Wednesday night and did not return. If he's ruled out of Friday's game against the Pelicans then Joe Harris would be on the streaming radar for fantasy managers in deeper formats. He's only rostered in 1.7% of ESPN leagues.
Charlotte Hornets: Fantasy managers who were without LaMelo Ball earlier this season have to be pleased with his statistical results. In the last 12 games, he has averaged 24.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals. Ball's streak of 13 consecutive games with 20 or more points ties him with Glen Rice, Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson for the third-longest in Hornets franchise history.
Chicago Bulls: Nikola Vucevic has performed very well for fantasy managers over the last 10 games. In that span, he has averaged 18.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks. An ankle injury forced Alex Caruso to leave Wednesday's game against the Nets after just three minutes. In deeper formats, fantasy managers may consider streaming Coby White if Caruso misses time. He is only rostered in 2.0% of ESPN leagues.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Garland is sidelined with a right thumb sprain and Caris LeVert is a viable streamer while he's out. LeVert is only rostered in 42.3% of ESPN leagues. LeVert has scored 30 or more fantasy points in three of his last four games. Providing instant offense from the wing, LeVert is a valuable secondary scorer for the Cavaliers. He's averaged 12.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this season.
Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic continues to be outstanding. During the past six games, he has averaged 44.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Meanwhile, after jumping into the starting lineup five games ago, Christian Wood has performed very well. During that time period, he has averaged 23.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.0 blocks per game. These statistical results should please fantasy managers who traded for Wood or held onto him.
Denver Nuggets: In his first season back from a torn ACL, Jamal Murray's workload remains managed, but he has performed well when on the court. He has averaged 18.9 points, 7.0 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game over the last 10 games. When Murray is unavailable, Bones Hyland, who is rostered in 16.5% of ESPN leagues, fills the void. He has scored 23 or more fantasy points in each of the last four games, surpassing 40 points in two of them.
Detroit Pistons: Jalen Duren had his seventh double double of the season against the Warriors. It has been 11 games since he moved into the starting lineup, and he has averaged 10.0 points and 10.5 rebounds. Even still, the rookie big man is only rostered in 14.8% of ESPN leagues. Duren continues to improve as the season progresses and I believe we haven't seen his best yet. For fantasy managers, he could make a big difference-maker during the fantasy playoffs.
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry will be re-evaluated over the weekend and could be nearing a return to the court. Currently, the Warriors are targeting a Jan. 13 return for the veteran point guard. Curry hasn't played since suffering a subluxated shoulder against the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 14, Curry has not played since.
Houston Rockets: Jabari Smith Jr. is someone that fantasy managers should stash, as better days are ahead for the rookie out of Auburn. The Rockets are one of the worst teams in the league with a 10-28 record. Since Smith Jr. is the future of the franchise, Houston is likely to give him additional minutes as the season progresses. In the last four games, he has scored 25 or more fantasy points three times.
Indiana Pacers: Buddy Hield has connected on five or more triples in a game 15 times this season which breaks a tie with Steph Curry for the most such games. Hield leads the league in triples by a significant margin. He has also averaged 19.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.0 steal over his last eight games, making him far from a specialist.
LA Clippers: Paul George reaggravated his right hamstring against the Heat on Monday night in the same area where he previously had a strain that kept him out for seven games earlier this season. With Kawhi Leonard and George healthy again prior to Monday's game, the Clippers' roster was just beginning to feel complete. However, fantasy managers should expect the Clippers to be very conservative so the injury doesn't worsen or linger. Terance Mann and Norman Powell will see their roles increase if George misses time.
Los Angeles Lakers: I mentioned Thomas Bryant last week and will do it again since he's only rostered in 21.8% of ESPN leagues. He's started 10 games in place of Anthony Davis who is out due to a foot injury. In eight of his last 11 games, Bryant has scored 24 or more fantasy points, including four with 40 or more. Nevertheless, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski hinted on Wednesday that Davis might not have to wait long to return. In the mean time, fantasy managers looking for a center to stream should prioritize Bryant.
Memphis Grizzlies: Steven Adams has seen his roster percentage increase to over 55% recently, and for good reason. Over the last four games, Adams has averaged 11.0 points, 19.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Don't hesitate to pick him up if you need a center and the veteran is still available.
Miami Heat: Victor Oladipo should not be overlooked by fantasy managers. Three consecutive games have seen him surpass 30 minutes and 21 fantasy points. Oladipo is trending up and fantasy managers should take notice. He's only rostered in 11.8% of ESPN leagues.
Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo's 173 points over his last four games are the second most in Bucks franchise history. In Feb. 1972, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 175 points. Meanwhile, Brook Lopez continues to exceed fantasy managers' preseason expectations. He's averaged 14.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and a career-best 2.6 blocks per game this season.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns has been out since Nov. 28 when he injured his calf against the Wizard. Although he avoided a serious injury, he is still weeks away from being able to return to the court. It's obvious from Rudy Gobert's stats that he is more comfortable as the Timberwolves' only big man.If you want to trade Gobert before Towns returns, now is the ideal time.New Orleans Pelicans: A hamstring injury will keep Zion Williamson out for at least three weeks. Williamson's December was one of his best months in the NBA; he averaged 29.8 points per game. The Pelicans are expected to lean heavily on Jonas Valanciunas while Williamson is out.
New York Knicks: The acquisition of Jalen Brunson by the Knicks continues to be one of the most underrated offseason additions. On Wednesday against the Spurs, he scored 38 points, a career-high. Brunson has scored 30 or more points in six games this season and only had three such games in his career entering the season. There is a strong chance he'll finish as a top-50 player in category formats.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his 81st career 25-point game on Wednesday night against the Magic. Elsewhere on the Thunder, Jalen Williams remains a viable streamer. He's only rostered in 11.6% of ESPN leagues. In six of his last eight games, Williams has scored 28 fantasy points or more. He's now a regular starter for the Thunder and as the season progresses, the Santa Clara product will only get better.
Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero joined Anfernee Hardaway (7) and Victor Oladipo (2) as the third Magic rookie with multiple games in franchise history with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists. Markelle Fultz (30.8% rostered) will benefit from Jalen Suggs' absence due to right ankle soreness. In three of the last five games, he has scored 38 or more fantasy points.
Philadelphia 76ers: James Harden has been great over the last 13 games. During that period, he has averaged 22.5 points, 11.4 assists and 1.7 steals. Tyrese Maxey started for the 76ers against the Pacers on Wednesday, scoring 35 fantasy points in 37 minutes. It seems Maxey is getting his legs under him again, and the statistics show it.
Phoenix Suns: Chris Paul is surprisingly not living up to his preseason average draft position. He has averaged 13.4 points, 8.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game on the injury-riddled Suns roster. Phoenix has already lost 18 games, which is meaningful because this is a team that lost only 18 games all of last season.
Portland Trail Blazers: After a 10-4 start to the season, the Trail Blazers have gone 9-14. Not good. As of right now, Portland doesn't seem like a championship contender, but that can change. Despite how deep this team is, Damian Lillard is still providing fantasy managers with very good performances. He's averaged 27.4 points and 7.2 assists per game in this 12th NBA season.
Sacramento Kings: Domantas Sabonis leads the league with 28 double-doubles. He has averaged 18.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 6.7 assists this season, and in four of his last five games Sabonis has scored at least 50 fantasy points. He's also putting up a career-high 12.4 rebounds per game. Light the beam!
