Brooklyn Nets DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Philadelphia 76ers guard De'Anthony Melton (back) won't be available for Friday's tilt versus the Atlanta Hawks. Melton just can't seem to get over the lumbar spine stress response in his back, which has plagued him since early January. The Sixers have a short turnaround in the form of a matchup with the Washington Wizards on Saturday, but Melton will hope to be ready by then. Tyrese Maxey (illness) is up in the air for Friday, and Philly traded away both Patrick Beverley and Jaden Springer on Thursday. It could be down to Tobias Harris to run the Sixers offense in a cushy situation against the Hawks, who rank 29th in the league in opponent field-goal percentage (50.4%). Harris has been a second-round fantasy player in nine-category leagues since Jan. 10, accumulating 20.8 points, 3.9 assists, 1.1 treys, and 1.0 steals while shooting 95.8% from the free-throw line through his past 12 games.

The Los Angeles Lakers aren't listing guardD'Angelo Russell (undisclosed) on their injury report for Thursday's meeting with the Denver Nuggets. Head coach Darvin Ham said on Wednesday that Russell was unable to practice after he received "tune-up" treatment, casting doubt on the guard's status, but Russell is good to go on Thursday. Though his name was swirling around trade rumors ahead of Thursday's deadline, Russell's recent hot streak may have driven up his stock to a point where the Lakers couldn't find any suitors for their asking price. Over his last 14 games, DLo is putting up 23.6 points, 6.5 assists, 4.1 threes on 46.3% shooting from deep, and 0.9 steals per contest. Although Russell is a must-start in season-long fantasy leagues right now, Thursday's matchup versus a Nuggets team yielding the fourth-fewest points per game (110.6) this season is a shy-away one for DFS purposes.

Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson (groin) won't play on Thursday against the visiting Cavaliers. The former Sun is battling a groin strain, so he'll be sidelined for a second consecutive game. Fantasy managers are used to Johnson being out of the lineup occasionally at this point in his career, considering he's missed plenty of time over the years. That said, his next chance to play will be on Saturday versus the San Antonio Spurs. In the meantime, Ben Simmons could remain in the starting lineup. At the same time, Royce O'Neale, who is coming off an 18-point showing in 32 minutes against the Mavs on Tuesday, should continue to benefit statistically from Johnson's absence.

Philadelphia 76ers guard De'Anthony Melton (back) won't play in Wednesday's contest versus the Golden State Warriors. After expressing optimism last Friday that he could return in Monday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Melton's return from a lumbar spine stress response will have to wait until Friday's matchup with the Atlanta Hawks at the earliest. In Melton's 13th straight absence on Wednesday, expect Kelly Oubre Jr. to maintain his spot in Philly's starting lineup in an unimposing matchup against a Warriors team giving up 118.8 points per game (22nd in the NBA) this season. Hitting the 15-point mark in each of his latest six games, Oubre is also averaging 5.2 rebounds, 1.0 treys, and 1.6 combined steals and blocks while shooting 82.8% from the charity stripe since Jan. 27.

Philadelphia 76ers guard De'Anthony Melton (spine) will remain out for Monday's matchup with the Dallas Mavericks. Melton expressed optimism on Friday that he could return here, but he'll remain seated for a 12th game in a row with a lumbar spine stress response in his back. Since Melton worked out during Sunday's practice, per USA Today's Austin Krell, the 25-year-old lockdown defender might have a decent chance of suiting up versus the visiting Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. Kelly Oubre Jr. will continue to ride in the first unit alongside Tyrese Maxey in Philly's backcourt, and he's trending back up following a quiet string of play. Although he's struggling from three-point land across his last five appearances, Oubre is posting 19.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 87.5% from the free-throw line.