News: Pacers center Roy Hibbert sustained a mild right ankle sprain on Friday night against the Celtics. He would return to the game, but struggled to get into a rhythm. He shot 5 for 13 from the floor and hit his lone free throw attempt, finishing with 11 points. Hibbert added seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal in his 28 minutes of court time. He also committed six of his team's 15 turnovers in the 94-87 loss.
Analysis: Indiana has a day off on Saturday before taking the court again on Sunday. Many times players wake up the next day in a lot more pain than when the injury occurred, so Fantasy owners should keep an eye on Hibbert's status. Over his last five games he's averaging 15.0 points, 10.2 boards and two blocks per outing. As long as he's active Hibbert should be viewed as a high-end center option in all Fantasy formats.
News: InsideHoops.com reports that the Hornets have confirmed that they are actively trying to trade C Chris Kaman. Kaman was not with the team for Friday's contest against the Magic, which marked the second straight game he missed. He is averaging 9.2 points with 6.6 rebounds this season.
Analysis: Kaman, who was involved in the Chris Paul deal, has really struggled since joining the Hornets and it looks as though he will not be there for long. No word yet on which teams would be interesting in the 29-year-old -- or if a deal can even get done -- so keep an eye on the situation going forward. Kaman has proven in the past to be a viable Fantasy option but leave him reserved in all formats until this all gets straightened out.
News: Chicago forward Luol Deng was targeting a return to the court on Sunday, but he told Bulls.com on Friday that he's still at least a week away from hitting the floor. Deng has a torn ligament in his left wrist and is still in a lot of pain. Doctors have suggested Deng have surgery on his ailing wrist, but that would reportedly sideline him for three to four months, but it seems like Deng is trying to avoid surgery and missing an extensive time.
Analysis: Deng will likely miss the teams next four games, but may return on Thursday in New York. The Bulls are off next Friday, so a return on Saturday against Milwaukee seems more feasible. He has missed three games now with this injury and the initial report was he was considered "week to week" with this injury. Fantasy owners should monitor his status heading into Week 6 (Jan. 30-Feb. 5) as he may miss most of the scoring period. When healthy, Deng is a valuable Fantasy forward, so keep tabs on him.
News: Milwaukee C Andrew Bogut will be out eight to 12 weeks after having additional testing on his fractured left ankle, the team announced Friday. Bogut suffered the injury during Wednesday's game against Houston when his foot came down awkwardly on Kyle Lowry's foot after the Australian tried to block a shot in the first quarter. Bogut has averaged 11.3 points, a team-high 8.3 rebounds and a 2.0 blocked shots in 12 games this season. If he misses the minimum amount of playing time, Bogut would be facing just 18 games left in the regular season.
Analysis: Bogut's devastating injury is the latest setback for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. Bogut missed the end of the 2009-2010 season when he dislocated his right elbow, sprained his right wrist and broke his right hand in a hard fall to the floor. Bogut also missed 43 games with an injured lower back in the 2008-09 season. He also missed time earlier this season with concussion-like symptoms and tended to a personal matter back home in Australia. Drew Gooden will replace the injured star in the Bucks' starting lineup. Fantasy owners should reserve Bogut in all formats and hope he can return this year.
News: Thunder G James Harden played 30-plus minutes for the first time since Jan. 11 on Friday night against the Warriors and had a productive performance. With Thabo Sefolosha missing the second half due to a foot injury, he scored 19 points and hauled in four rebounds in the 120-109 win. He went 5 for 10 from the floor, including 1 for 4 from downtown, and made all eight of his free throws. Harden, who saw 35 minutes, also chipped in with two assists in the victory.
Analysis: Harden is averaging 18 points with 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in his last five games as he is shooting a solid 58 percent over that span. The injury to Sefolosha could lead to him starting for the Thunder so keep an eye on the situation going forward. The 22-year-old has taken his game to the next level this season and he would become even more valuable in Fantasy if he started in Week 6 (Jan. 30-Feb. 5). But even if he remains off the bench, continue to view Harden as a viable option in the majority of Fantasy leagues.
News: Thunder F Kevin Durant had his finest scoring performance of the year on Friday night against the Warriors. He finished with a season-high 37 points and hauled 14 rebounds in the 120-109 win. He went 12 for 24 from the floor, including 1 for 2 from beyond the arc, and made all 11 of his foul shots. Durant, who played 44 minutes, also recorded three assists and turned the ball over seven times in the victory.
Analysis: Durant posted his sixth 30-point performance of the year on Friday but is not scoring as much as he has in the past two seasons. He is picking it up in other areas, however, as he has become adept at filling up the stat sheet. He is averaging 27 points with 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks in his last five games, and is shooting 52 percent over that span. The two-time reigning scoring champion is a rare breed in Fanatsy so with the Clippers, Mavericks, Grizzlies and Spurs on the schedule for Week 6 (Jan. 30-Feb. 5), keep Durant active in all Fantasy formats.
News: Trail Blazers G Elliot Williams hasn’t had many opportunities to contribute this season, but he made the most of his nine minutes on Friday, scoring eight points on 4 of 8 shooting as the Blazers defeated the Suns 109-71. It was the highest scoring games of his season thus far.
Analysis: Williams, the 22nd pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury, and has been used only in blowouts this year. While he has some value as a prospect, he is clearly not a part of the Blazers’ plans right now, so Fantasy owners should continue to ignore him.
News: Suns G Sebastian Telfair was ejected from Friday night's contest Trail Blazers after picking up his second technical foul of the 103-76 defeat. Telfair was tossed after arguing a non-foul call late in the fourth quarter. He finished with 10 points, three rebounds and one assist prior to leaving the contest.
Analysis: Telfair got a little upset on Friday night and ultimately got himself kicked out of the game. The 26-year-old has had some trouble fitting in with the Suns and is averaging just 4.3 points and 1.0 rebound on the year. Unless he sees a major increase in production and minutes moving forward, owners should continue to ignore Telfair in all formats moving forward.
News: Golden State rookie forward Jeremy Tyler is starting to get some playing time as he's compiled seven and 15 minutes in his last two games. He's also scored five and six points in those outings, respectively. Tyler shot 3 for 5 from the field in Friday's 120-109 loss to the Thunder. He added two assists and three boards during his time on the court. "I've been practicing pretty well lately," said Tyler told MercuryNews.com. "I got a chance to talk to Coach (Mark) Jackson, and he said keep working hard and your time will come. I was being patient. When the opportunity was there, I was ready. Hopefully there's a domino effect and it can happen again."
Analysis: Tyler is frontcourt depth for the Warriors, and with Kwame Brown out of action, Golden State is scrounging for someone to step up and give them some quality minutes. "I'm getting that whole pace of the game (down), getting an understanding that this is another level from where I came from," Tyler said. "Mentally and physically, I know I'm ready. But there are still little things. It takes time. I've got to learn." It's too soon to tell if Tyler will continue to get increased minutes, but this is definitely worth monitoring. For now, Tyler can be left on waivers.
News: For the fourth time this season Warriors guard Klay Thompson scored 14 points. He shot 6 for 8 from the field, hitting two 3-pointers, in Friday's 120-109 loss to the Thunder. Thompson added two boards, three blocks, an assist and a steal in his 19 minutes of action. The rookie picked up the slack with Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis both struggling to score.
Analysis: Thompson gets inconsistent minutes, but when he's given the opportunity to play quality minutes he doesn't disappoint. He's averaging 8.6 points in 15 minutes an outing over his last five games. While his stock is still relatively low, Thompson gives Fantasy owners in deeper category-based formats value off the bench.
