Last Updated on January 31, 2026 1:36 am by Mike Passador | Published: January 31, 2026

We got a pretty good surprise on Friday with Nikola Jokic returning to action after a 16-game absence. That was shortly after it was reported that he would be evaluated again next week, so fantasy GMs got the back-to-back of “good, not great” news about the evaluation before a potential return into the surprise activation. Jokic held up his end of the bargain too, posting 31 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two 3-pointers in under 25 minutes of action, shooting 8-of-11 from the field and 13-of-17 at the free throw line. Only five assists and 13-of-17 on free throws? What a bum!

Jokic’s return wasn’t even the best superstar performance from Friday, as Luka Doncic had 26-10-11 against the Wizards… in the first half. He finished 37-11-13, three steals and six triples in 30 minutes, and it’s safe to say that he didn’t suffer any serious injury on Cleveland’s raised court the other night.

The Knicks picked up a big win but Karl-Anthony Towns still seems out of sorts. He’s doing a decent Andre Drummond impression lately — 14 points, 20 rebounds, one block on 5-of-12 FG — but this isn’t quite what fantasy GMs need out of a borderline first-round pick. The rebounding binge is helpful but this isn’t the KAT that we’ve grown accustomed to. It feels like the trade rumors are weighing heavily on the entire group right now, and fantasy GMs have to hope that Towns can get back on track if he makes it past the deadline and knows that the Knicks are committed to him for what should be a deep run.

Unfortunately the night ended with some bad news to two star PGs, as Keyonte George (left ankle) and Steph Curry (right knee) both exited in the second half of the two late games. George left with just a couple minutes left on the clock and while X-rays came back negative after the contest, a bright young star on a team that was already going to tank picking up an injury suggests that absences are coming. As for Curry, the Warriors are going to tread lightly here. The immediate future for the entire franchise is all about getting Curry one last kick at the can, so they’re not going to risk his health. Keep your fingers crossed for good news on both fronts.

Top Pickups

This is the “general must-add” section regardless of the slate. If these players are being overlooked and remain chilling on the waiver wire, consider adding them to your squad.

Egor Demin (9%)

Demin posted his first career double-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and six 3-pointers in 29 minutes vs. the Jazz on Friday, shooting 8-of-16 from the field and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. The quality of competition wasn’t all that great as both teams raced to sit their best players when the injury report was released, but Demin can only play who shows up to the gym. The Nets have let him run with the starting PG spot for most of the year and while his assists haven’t been great, Demin has been a lot better as a shooter than anticipated. With more usage likely heading his way in the very near future, Demin is a strong pickup with serious upside down the stretch.

Herb Jones (22%)

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