Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Reclaims rotation spot in return
Rotowire
Watanabe (quadricep) tallied seven points (2-4 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT) in 15 minutes off the bench in Sunday's 116-113 win over the Knicks.
After a four-game absence due to a bruised left quadricep, Watanabe received the green light to play Sunday and helped fill some of the minutes at forward while Kevin Durant (foot) missed his second game in a row. Wing Grayson Allen (illness) also sat out Sunday and is considered day-to-day along with Durant, so Watanabe could be a candidate to lose out on a rotation spot if both players are able to return to action Wednesday in Toronto. Watanabe appears to be competing with Keita Bates-Diop, Josh Okogie and Nassir Little for two available backup forward spots when Phoenix is at full strength.
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Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Good to go
Rotowire
Watanabe (quadriceps) is available for Sunday's game against the Knicks, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Watanabe has been upgraded from questionable to available and will suit up for the first time since Nov. 17. Watanabe has scored in double figures just once through 12 appearances this season, but he is averaging 18.6 minutes per game.
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Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Questionable for Sunday
Rotowire
Watanabe (quadriceps) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Knicks.
Watanabe has missed the past four games for the Suns, but he seems to be trending in the right direction. If Kevin Durant (foot) is unable to play Sunday, Watanabe could step into a sizable role since there are a number of players injured for Phoenix.
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Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Ruled out Friday
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Watanabe (quadriceps) will not play in Friday's game against the Grizzlies.
This will be the fourth straight game on the shelf for Watanabe, and his timetable is still a bit murky. His next chance to play will be Sunday against the Knicks. Nassir Little has picked up a bit of momentum with so many injuries in Phoenix, scoring in double digits in each of his last three games.
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Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Remains out Wednesday
Rotowire
Watanabe (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Wednesday's matchup against the Warriors, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.
Watanabe will miss his third straight matchup due to a bruised left quadriceps. His next chance to suit up will arrive Friday in Memphis, but it's unclear how close he is to playing again. In his absence, Nassir Little and Keita Bates-Diop are candidates for slightly increased bench roles.
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Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Out again Tuesday
Rotowire
Watanabe (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Trail Blazers, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
Watanabe is set to miss his second straight matchup while tending to a bruised left quad. His next opportunity to return will arrive Wednesday against Golden State.
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Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Won't play Sunday
Rotowire
Watanabe (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Sunday's matchup against the Jazz.
Watanabe will miss his first game of the season due to a left quadriceps contusion. His next chance to suit up will come Tuesday against Portland. In Watanabe's absence, Keita Bates-Diop and Josh Okogie are candidates for slightly increased bench roles.
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Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Downgraded to questionable
Rotowire
Watanabe is questionable for Sunday's game against the Jazz due to a left quadriceps contusion.
Watanabe is in danger of missing a game for the first time this season, and even if that's the case, his absence won't make an impact in many fantasy formats. He has scored less than seven points in eight consecutive matchups, averaging 4.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game during that time.
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Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Limited in victory
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Watanabe finished Friday's 131-128 victory over Utah with three points (1-3 FG, 1-2 3Pt) and two rebounds over 10 minutes.
Watanabe played a season-low 10 minutes during Friday's win and was unable to carve out much production. He's scored less than seven points in eight consecutive matchups and has averaged 4.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game during that time.
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Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Plays well off bench
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Watanabe racked up 11 points (4-8 FG, 3-7 3Pt), three rebounds, two assists and one steal in 19 minutes during Tuesday's 115-114 loss to the Spurs.
The Suns have been without Devin Booker (foot) and Bradley Beal (back) lately, opening some minutes in the second unit for Watanabe. The veteran sharpshooter has fared well through four games, averaging 7.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 three-pointers.
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Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Scores 12 points off bench
Rotowire
Watanabe (rest) posted 12 points (4-8 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), three rebounds and one assist in 16 minutes during Thursday's 123-100 preseason win over the Lakers.
Watanabe returned to action Thursday after missing the team's previous exhibition for rest purposes. He was one of three bench players to score at least 10 points for the Suns, and this is exactly the type of production Phoenix hopes Watanabe can deliver during the regular season. However, the sharpshooter has been prone to inconsistencies, so he isn't an ideal fantasy target.
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Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Resting Monday
Rotowire
Watanabe (rest) is out for Monday's preseason contest against Portland, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
Watanabe and Jusuf Nurkic are the only players resting while Phoenix rolls out its stars Monday. Watanabe is a candidate to suit up for Thursday's preseason finale against the Lakers.
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Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Plays 30 minutes in preseason tilt
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Watanabe compiled 10 points (4-9 FG, 2-6 3Pt), five rebounds, two steals and one assist in 30 minutes during Sunday's 130-126 preseason overtime win over the Pistons.
Watanabe joined the Suns on a two-year deal during the offseason, and he led the team in playing time during Sunday's preseason opener. He averaged 5.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game over 58 appearances with the Nets last year but could have trouble carving out regular production with his new team during the regular season.
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Suns' Yuta Watanabe: Joining Phoenix
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Watanabe agreed to join the Suns on Friday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Watanabe is coming off a career-best season with the Nets, averaging 5.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 three-pointers on 49.1 percent shooting from the field. He'll provide valuable floor spacing for the revamped roster in Phoenix, particularly from his favorite spots in the corners.
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Nets' Yuta Watanabe: Back to bench
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Watanabe is slated to come off the bench in Saturday's Game 1 matchup with Philadelphia.
Watanabe got a spot start in Brooklyn's regular-season finale due to the usual starters being rested. Now, look for him to return to his usual role of providing depth at forward.
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Nets' Yuta Watanabe: Starting Sunday
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Watanabe will start Sunday's regular-season finale against the 76ers, Alex Schiffer of The Athletic reports.
Watanabe will draw his first start of the season and will be joined by Patty Mills, Mikal Bridges, Cam Thomas and Day'Ron Sharpe. Watanabe should get some decent run with Brooklyn resting so many of their main guys, but he's not much more than a low-end, 3-point streamer in deep leagues.
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Nets' Yuta Watanabe: Available Sunday
Rotowire
Watanabe (back) is available for Sunday's game against Charlotte, Meghan Triplett of GrindCityMedia.com reports.
Watanabe has been dealing with back soreness recently but will be able to suit up against the Hornets. However, he hasn't been a consistent part of Brooklyn's rotation following the trade deadline, and he isn't guaranteed to see much playing time Sunday.
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Nets' Yuta Watanabe: Questionable vs. Hornets
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Watanabe (back) is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Hornets.
Back soreness has kept Watanabe out during the past four games. It remains to be seen what his role will be on the new-look Nets.
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Nets' Yuta Watanabe: Won't play Friday
Rotowire
Watanabe has been ruled out for Friday's game against Boston due to back soreness, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports.
Watanabe was available for Wednesday's game against the Knicks but didn't see any playing time. He continues to deal with back soreness and won't suit up Friday, but his absence shouldn't significantly impact Brooklyn's rotation.
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Nets' Yuta Watanabe: Cleared Wednesday
Rotowire
Watanabe (back) is available for Wednesday's game against the Knicks, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reports.
Watanabe will be available after missing the previous contest due to back soreness, but it's unclear if he'll be part of the rotation. Before his absence, he made just three appearances over five games and totaled seven points in 18 minutes during that stretch.
