All-Star week has come and gone after a memorable time in Charlotte, and the NBA is just about ready to get going again.
Here's a look at the most fantasy-relevant news and notes for all 30 teams around the league:
Atlanta Hawks: Take away Trae Young's 38.5 percent shooting this month, and there's a lot to like about the way he's played. The prized rookie point guard has put up a team-best 19.4 PPG, 9.4 APG and 2.6 3PG in eight February games, while also chipping in 4.6 RPG and 0.9 SPG. Young works hard, as he showed in the NBA Skills Challenge, and he will likely be off the board before Round 5 in fantasy drafts next season.
Boston Celtics: Improvement has been slow for Gordon Hayward this season, but February has been good to the veteran swingman. In seven games this month, Hayward ranks third on the team with 14.6 PPG on 57.1 percent shooting -- far and away the best among the Celtics regulars. Add in 4.6 RPG and 4.0 APG during that stretch, and it's clear that Hayward is trending in the right direction and can be a valuable part of fantasy rosters once again. Please note, however, that he suffered a sprained ankle during a workout on Tuesday and is questionable for Thursday's game against the Bucks.
Brooklyn Nets: According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson was noncommittal about whether Spencer Dinwiddie would be back by the time the Nets go on their 17-day road trip on March 13. "But he said it's a positive that the guard has done plenty of on-court work, including running and dribbling with his off hand," Lewis tweets. It sounds like Dinwiddie is still a few weeks away from returning from the thumb injury that has sidelined him since Jan. 23.
Charlotte Hornets: Cody Zeller missed all of January due to a fractured right hand, but the Hornets big man quietly played very well in his first five games back from injury, putting up 11.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.2 APG and 1.0 SPG. If Zeller is available in your league, he's worth considering for the Hornets' final 25 games of the season.
Chicago Bulls: Otto Porter Jr. is off to a fantastic start in Chicago. In four games since coming over in the trade from Washington, the Bulls' new addition has put up 22.5 PPG on 62.1/57.9/77.8 shooting splits. While the 3-point efficiency isn't sustainable, these are encouraging numbers for a player who has the talent to thrive in a new environment after becoming somewhat of an afterthought in the Wizards' offense.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Rookie point guard Collin Sexton is leading the Cavs in minutes (37.3) and scoring (21.2) in six games this month, but Marquese Chriss is a name to watch in Cleveland -- particularly if the rebuilding Cavs decide to shut down Kevin Love. In his first four games since coming over in a trade with Houston, Chriss -- a 2016 lottery pick -- has averaged 14.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 1.0 SPG. If he continues to get playing time -- he's played between 22 and 28 minutes in every game with the Cavs so far -- Chriss is worth adding.
Dallas Mavericks: The biggest news on the Mavs for this season is that Kristaps Porzingis won't play in 2018-19, even if the team somehow makes the playoffs. Looking ahead to the offseason, though, there are already whispers about which free agents the team may or may not be in on. Marc Stein of the New York Times writes: "I have yet to hear any credible suggestion that the Mavericks can get in the mix for the elite free agents such as Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving. But Khris Middleton is an inevitable (and sensible) target."
Denver Nuggets: Isaiah Thomas came off the bench and scored eight points in 13 minutes in his season debut, while Denver's surprising backup point guard Monte Morris still managed to log 25 minutes. As Thomas continues to work his way back into game shape, expect his workload to increase into the 25 MPG range while Morris -- as great of a story as he's been this season -- likely sees his role diminish into the 10 MPG range.
Detroit Pistons: Reggie Jackson tends to get overlooked, as he doesn't rack up the assists or steals that other point guards do, but the veteran has played well this month, and it's worth taking notice. In six games, Jackson has averaged 19.3 PPG on 50.0 percent shooting while adding 5.5 APG and 3.3 3PG.
Golden State Warriors: DeMarcus Cousins is already up to 11 games played this season and slowly his workload has increased, with Cousins playing 27 minutes or more during each of his past three games. From a pure stats standpoint, Cousins still hasn't looked quite like a top-40 fantasy option, but that will likely change as his minutes ramp up in the leadup to the playoffs.
Houston Rockets: Clint Capela is expected to return to the Rockets' lineup on Thursday against the Lakers after missing 15 games due to ligament damage in his right thumb. The timing is ideal for fantasy managers, as Capela is one of the league's top fantasy producers among big men, but it will likely take a couple weeks before Capela is back in game shape and putting up the numbers we're used to seeing from him (17.6 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 1.8 BPG). Meanwhile, Kenneth Faried's days as a fantasy force in Houston are likely over.
Indiana Pacers: Wesley Matthews settled right into the Pacers' lineup in his first two games with his new team, playing 30 minutes against Charlotte and 31 two nights later against Milwaukee. While Matthews will never be an efficient fantasy option, his heavy workload makes him appealing, and he carries value as a scorer, 3-point shooter and secondary contributor in terms of rebounds, assists and steals. That's a role that appears to be unchanged in Indiana.
LA Clippers: Landry Shamet came over in the Tobias Harris trade with Philadelphia, and already the 2018 first-round pick out of Wichita State is paying dividends in Los Angeles. Shamet, a 41.4 percent 3-point shooter as a rookie this season, has made nine 3s in his first three games with the Clippers. He has also seen his playing time jump from 20.5 MPG in 54 games with the 76ers to 28.0 MPG so far on his new team. He should be on your radar if he isn't already.
Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James hasn't quite looked like himself since returning from the groin injury that kept him out of the lineup for 17 games, but King James has still managed to average a triple-double in his six games since returning to the court (23.2 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 11.0 APG). If James continues to carry a heavy workload as the Lakers make a push for the playoffs, as is expected to be the case, his durability in March could become a concern if the groin injury lingers.
Memphis Grizzlies: Avery Bradley has played three games since being traded from the Clippers to the Grizzlies, and in the past two games, he's led Memphis in shot attempts and averaged 24.0 PPG. That's unlikely to continue, but it's a surprising trend that's worth keeping an eye on, because as a veteran on a young Grizzlies team, Bradley could feel like he has something to prove after bouncing around the league the past few seasons.
Miami Heat: With Goran Dragic nearing a return, the role of fill-in starting point guard Justise Winslow is up in the air once again. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra could start the two together, or he could insert Dragic as the starter alongside Dion Waiters while bringing the playmaking Winslow off the bench. In any case, it appears that Winslow's fantasy production will soon take a hit once Dragic returns.
Milwaukee Bucks: Quick, after Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is the Bucks' leading scorer this month? It's not Eric Bledsoe or Middleton. It's not Brook Lopez, either. The answer is Malcolm Brogdon (16.4 PPG). One of the most efficient guards around, Brogdon has become a sneaky good fantasy asset, particularly in roto leagues, where he won't hurt you in any category (aside from blocks).
Minnesota Timberwolves: A bruised knee has kept Robert Covington out of the Timberwolves lineup since Jan. 2, but there is speculation that the 3-and-D specialist could be nearing a return to the court after the veteran posted a video over the All-Star break showing that he's moving around well. Stay tuned on this, as Covington's impact -- particularly when it comes to steals -- could make him a big difference-maker in the fantasy playoffs.
New Orleans Pelicans: Marc Stein of the New York Times reports that interim Pelicans GM Danny Ferry "intends to re-engage the NBA this week in hopes of convincing league officials to rethink their stance about forcing them to play Anthony Davis." Wow. That's a gut punch for many fantasy managers. It goes without saying, but be very careful if you have Davis on your fantasy roster, because it sounds like if the Pelicans can have it their way, they won't play their star big man for the rest of the 2018-19 season.
New York Knicks: In a season with few bright spots for the Knicks, Mitchell Robinson is an exception. The rookie center is not only an efficient scorer and consistent rebounder off the bench, he is also one of the game's best shot-blockers. In fact, during the past five games, Robinson has rejected 16 shots (3.2 BPG) and is up to 2.1 BPG this season. Need a shot-blocker? He's your man.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Markieff Morris signed with the Thunder on Feb. 14 and is set to make his OKC debut on Friday against Utah. He averaged 11.5 PPG during each of the past two seasons in Washington, so we know what to expect from that standpoint, but on this Thunder team, Morris could be a big upgrade off the bench to Patrick Patterson, especially when it comes to launching 3-pointers. Morris, who never attempted more than 2.9 3FGA in any previous season, is up to 4.2 3FGA this season and could see that number grow on the Thunder.
Orlando Magic: Aaron Gordon has come a long way since entering the NBA, but his inconsistent shooting continues to plague him. After shooting 42.9 percent in October, he improved to 51.4 percent in November. Then, he slipped to 39.3 percent in December. After rising back up to 45.6 percent in January, he again has slipped to 40.2 percent in seven games this month. This is one reason why his scoring has slipped from 17.6 PPG last season to 15.8 PPG this season.
Philadelphia 76ers: As great of a season as Ben Simmons has had, his numbers have taken a big hit as the team has loaded up with more talent around him. In fact, Simmons hasn't recorded more than seven assists in nine straight games, and he hasn't had more than eight rebounds in eight straight games. If you're building your fantasy squad around the 76ers star point guard, these trends are reason for concern, though the expected absence of Joel Embiid the next week should improve Simmons' production in the short term.
Phoenix Suns: T.J. Warren (ankle) still isn't ready to give it a go. He has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Cavaliers, making it 11 straight games the scoring forward has missed. In his absence, look for Josh Jackson to continue to stuff the stat sheet like he has throughout Warren's absence.
Portland Trail Blazers: With Enes Kanter joining the Trail Blazers, there is a real possibility that Jusuf Nurkic's playing time and overall production could take a big hit during the rest of the regular season. Nurkic has averaged 27.3 MPG this season, already relatively low, but if Kanter comes in and plays 20-25 minutes off the bench, as could very easily be the case, Nurkic could see his minutes slip into the same range. This is something to watch closely over the new few weeks.
Sacramento Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein's numbers have taken a hit lately, and one of the reasons why is a reduction in minutes. After averaging 30.3 MPG in eight games in October, he settled into the 27-28 minute range in November, December and January, but that number has slid to 26.0 MPG in six games this month. The addition of Harrison Barnes, rise of Marvin Bagley III and need to go small in today's fast-paced NBA have all contributed to Cauley-Stein's smaller workload, but he remains a valuable fantasy asset.
San Antonio Spurs: There is hope that Derrick White will be ready to return on Friday from the plantar fascia injury that cost him the final five games before the All-Star break. White is the Spurs' top defender in the post-Kawhi Leonard era, and he is largely the glue that keeps the offense running smoothly. He broke out in January, averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.9 APG and 1.1 SPG in 15 games.
Toronto Raptors: With backup point guard Fred VanVleet out approximately another month after undergoing surgery for ligament damage in his left thumb, the Raptors will have to look for other options whenever Kyle Lowry is off the court. There is Danny Green and Norman Powell, but newly acquired veteran Jeremy Lin could be in good position to step into an immediate role. Lin had 8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in his first game with the Raptors back on Feb. 13, playing 25 minutes.
Utah Jazz: The streaky nature of Donovan Mitchell has made for a frustrating season for fantasy managers, and as he goes the Jazz go. Consider this: In Utah's 31 wins this season, Mitchell has shot 45.1 percent, but in the 22 losses, Mitchell has shot 37.7 percent. He's off to a cold start this month, shooting 36.0 FG% and 24.2 3FG% in five games, but he could turn it back on at any time, and you just have to remain patient if you have him on your roster.
Washington Wizards: Dwight Howard has been rehabbing in attempt to come back from November spinal surgery and reportedly will return to Washington D.C. on Wednesday to start on-court work. It remains to be seen if Howard will be able to return this season, but if he does, Thomas Bryant's fantasy value will be most affected.