01/11/2026, 4:31 AM

Seven defensive counters

Despite being limited by early foul trouble, Reed went to work, particularly on the defensive end, where he racked up seven combined steals and blocks. The offensive output continues to be underwhelming despite his current role, although managers should be more than happy with his peripheral contributions. Until Jalen Duren (ankle) is cleared to return, Reed should be rostered in all formats.

01/11/2026, 4:29 AM

Offers little despite start

Ivey moved into the starting lineup after Cade Cunningham was ruled out with a wrist injury. While this was a great opportunity for Ivey, he came up well short of what managers were hoping for. Given what we have seen from him thus far, and the fact that he is typically limited to minutes in the teens, Ivey can be ignored in standard leagues at this point.

01/11/2026, 4:27 AM

Career-best performance

Smith played just the sixth game of his career, dominating the glass with a career-high 14 rebounds while adding a career-high four blocks. Both Jalen Duren (ankle) and Isaiah Stewart (illness) were sidelined, while Paul Reed was limited to just 22 minutes due to foul trouble. This allowed Smith to step into the largest role of his career, rewarding anyone who took a chance on him in deeper formats. While this was a great performance, it should be treated as nothing more than an outlier unless Duren and Stewart continue to miss time.