• Plays in garbage time in return
    Castleton (wrist) played the final 1:19 of Wednesday's 136-124 win over the Grizzlies and didn't record any statistics during his time on the court.

    Advice: Castleton, one of the Lakers' three two-way players, was cleared to return to action Wednesday after he hadn't appeared at the NBA or G League level since Feb. 10 while recovering from a fractured right wrist. Even with Anthony Davis (knee) sidelined for the second leg of a back-to-back set, the rookie big man out of Florida remained out of head coach Darvin Ham's rotation, as the Lakers relied mostly on small-ball lineups when fill-in starting center Jaxson Hayes (31 minutes) was off the court. Rotowire.com Today, 5:58 am
  • Plays 21 minutes in season debut
    Clarke (Achilles) closed Wednesday's 136-124 loss to the Lakers with six points (3-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-1 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one steal across 21 minutes.

    Advice: Clarke tore his left Achilles' tendon in early March last season and needed over a year to recover from surgery before he was able to return to NBA action. The Gonzaga product was able to give Memphis quality minutes off the bench in his season debut, and he recorded a team-best plus-15 point differential while he was on the court. Given his long layoff, Clarke likely won't see his minutes pick up dramatically from Wednesday, especially with the Grizzlies out of playoff contention. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 11:13 pm
  • Solid in starting role
    Hayes finished Wednesday's 136-124 win over the Grizzlies with 14 points (6-7 FG, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 30 minutes.

    Advice: Hayes moved into the starting unit Wednesday with Anthony Davis (knee) out of action, and he was able to give the Lakers 31 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back set despite picking up five fouls. Hayes finished with his second-best scoring total of the season while missing just one of his seven field-goal attempts, and he added seven boards, third-most on the team. It's unclear if Davis will need to miss additional time -- if so, Hayes could hold some value as a low-end streamer in fantasy leagues for managers needing boards, though he's not a viable option when Davis is in the lineup. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 10:52 pm
  • Brandon Clarke plays 21 minutes in season debut
    Brandon Clarke (left Achilles tendon repair) finished Wednesday’s 136-124 loss to the Lakers with six points (3-of-7 FGs, 0-of-1 FTs), five rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 21 minutes.

    Advice: Not only was Wednesday’s game Clarke’s first of the season, but he had also not played since rupturing his Achilles during a loss to the Nuggets on March 3, 2023. His ability to play 21 minutes is especially encouraging, as Clarke averaged 19.5 in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns. Fantasy managers should not expect much from Clarke, who’s rostered in two percent of Yahoo leagues. But the opportunities to produce will be there, especially with the Grizzlies being as shorthanded as they are. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:07 pm
  • Jaxson Hayes records full line in spot start
    Jaxson Hayes finished Wednesday’s win over Memphis with 14 points (6-of-7 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one blocked shot in 31 minutes.

    Advice: The Lakers were without Anthony Davis (knee) on Wednesday, so Hayes made his fourth start of the season. While his production in three prior starts did not scream “must-stream,” the circumstances made him worthy of a look. And Hayes had a good night, reaching double figures in points for the first time since February 3 (10 vs. New York) and recording a full stat line. He’s only rostered in two percent of Yahoo leagues and with good reason. That will only change if Davis misses additional time. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:55 pm
  • Returns to bench Wednesday
    Collins is not in the starting lineup to face the Jazz on Wednesday.

    Advice: No real surprises here, as Collins will return to the bench with Victor Wembanyama (ankle) returning to the first unit. Collins is averaging 8.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.7 blocks per game off the bench this season. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 5:43 pm
  • Coming off bench
    Craig will play a reserve role in Wednesday's game against the Pacers.

    Advice: Craig will return to the bench in favor of Alex Caruso (ankle). So far this season, Craig has averaged 6.1 points and 3.9 rebounds across 19.3 minutes as a reserve. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 4:48 pm
     
  • Starting vs. Minnesota
    Metu is in the starting lineup to face the Timberwolves on Wednesday.

    Advice: Metu has been playing off the bench most of the season, but he'll get another chance to start Wednesday and will pair with Jalen Duren in the frontcourt. Metu is averaging 11.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game across six starts this season. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 4:44 pm
  • Back to bench
    Brown will return to a reserve role in Wednesday's tilt against the Timberwovles.

    Advice: Brown has started the previous three games for the Pistons. but the team will opt to go with a bigger frontcourt Wednesday by inserting Chimezie Metu into the starting unit. Brown is averaging 3.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists across 10.0 minutes in 43 games off the bench this year. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 4:43 pm