Last Updated on December 21, 2025 1:21 pm by Mike Passador | Published: December 21, 2025

A busy Saturday turned sour at the end as Luka Doncic left the Lakers’ loss to their cross-town rivals with a leg contusion. LeBron James was the only normal starter by the end of the night, and while Deandre Ayton, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura aren’t expected to be out much longer (Doncic could fit in this group too, we just didn’t get an update), last night showed how difficult scoring will be with that loss of talent. If there’s a positive for fantasy managers it’s that James stepped up with 36 points, and has enough gas in the tank to be that guy if the team needs.

Elsewhere, the Rockets and Nuggets delivered a great, chippy game that led to a war of words in the press between Kevin Durant and Bruce Brown. Neither Nikola Jokic nor Alperen Sengun stepped up with massive games, but there were big lines all over the box score thanks to Jabari Smith, Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson.

Amen wasn’t the only Thompson to break out a bit, as Ausar had three steals and four blocks in an easy win over the Hornets. That’s the kind of stuff we’ve been waiting to see from him and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come for a player who isn’t meeting expectations thanks to suppressed playing time and no per-minute growth. Oh, and Cade Cunningham triple-doubled in that one too, not that that’s big news anymore.

Zion Williamson looked like he was back at Duke in 23 minutes (off the bench) vs. Indiana, dropping 29 points on great efficiency. Herb Jones followed up a career-high eight steals with a 12-minute night, as he left with a head injury. There’s one easy path to getting Williamson back into the starting five, though he has looked good off the bench. Food for thought.

Kyshawn George went absolutely nuts with 28-7-7 and three triples in a Wizards win, but he wasn’t the star of that game — that honor goes to Santi Aldama, who caught fire for 37 points, 10 rebounds and five 3-pointers in 36 minutes off the bench. Brandon Clarke got hurt in that one so Aldama figures to rise to the starting five, not that his nominal role is limiting his playing time.

There’s a lot more to dig into from the slate, which we’ve done on the blurb feed. Go check that out for your full recap of the night while we turn to the moves and stories for Sunday and beyond.

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.

Reed Sheppard (41%)

Usually we save this space for guys who are a little more available in most leagues, but Sheppard was just too good and remains far under-rostered given that he’s a middle-round value on the whole season. He had 28 points, six assists, three steals, two blocks and six triples while shooting 9-for-15 from the field. It’s his first 20-point game in almost a month and while we acknowledge that December hasn’t been filled with great lines, Sheppard is a clear must-roster and has been since the offseason.

 Santi Aldama (43%)

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