Tim Duncan (rest) will sit out on Sunday against the 76ers. Tiago Splitter (back) and Gary Neal (foot) are also out for the Spurs. It's surprising that coach Gregg Popovich decided to hold Duncan out with Splitter also unavailable, but Pop always has his eye on the bigger prize. Newly-acquired Boris Diaw will start in place of Duncan.

The Spurs are leaning toward resting Tim Duncan on Sunday, but it's not guaranteed. "We'll think about sitting him seriously, because he probably shouldn't play three in a row," Popovich said. He also mentioned that the team has tried to rest Duncan before, but they didn't because "[Duncan] has really felt wonderful." Tiago Splitter's (back) status could go a long way toward making up Pop's mind -- if Splitter can play, expect Duncan to watch Sunday's game from the sidelines.

Tim Duncan returned to action on Saturday March 24.

Tim Duncan had 13 points and seven rebounds in 32 minutes on Saturday, but Gregg Popovich said it's almost certain that he will rest on Sunday. We've been repeatedly warning fantasy owers about impending DNP-CDs for Duncan, so hopefully you have a healthy alternative. There's a slim chance that Duncan will be active, especially if Tiago Splitter (back) can't play, so check for confirmation on Sunday.

Tim Duncan scored 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting with 12 rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes on Friday against the Mavs. Next up for the Spurs is the middle-game of a triple-set of games, as the Spurs head to New Orleans to play the Hornets. Duncan took a number of hard fouls in a physical game tonight, so we're marking him as questionable for Saturday's game without any injury. The Spurs are also in the midst of six-day stretch including five games.

Tim Duncan torched the Timberwolves for 21 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block in Wednesday's easy win. The Spurs have five games in six days starting on Friday, and there's almost no way Gregg Popovich is going to use Duncan in all of them. And the problem is, it's impossible to figure out when he'll bench him. In addition to the upcoming five-game run, the Spurs have six sets of back-to-back games in April, when they'll play 16 games in 24 days. Duncan is still a fantasy beast when he plays, but figuring out when that's going to be going forward is going to be very tricky for fantasy owners. Be prepared.

Tim Duncan had 16 points and a season-high 19 rebounds to go along with five blocks in Friday's win. The Spurs have nine sets of back-to-back games on the upcoming schedule, which includes tonight (Saturday) at Dallas. Duncan is going to be a candidate for constant surprise DNPs going forward, just like Manu Ginobili was on Friday. Start him at your own risk.

Gregg Popovich said on Friday, "I'm only concerned with trying to get [his players to the playoffs] healthy." "Whatever that may entail or mean, that's going to be my goal," said Pop. This is not the least bit surprising, and he specifically cited Manu Ginobili's season-ending elbow injury on the final day of the regular season last year. Fantasy owners should be keenly aware of the possibility of DNP-CDs for Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu, but with most fantasy trade deadlines passed we'll just have to wait and see.

Tim Duncan played through flu-like symptoms in Sunday's loss to the Nuggets. Duncan lasted 23 minutes, scoring 14 points to go with nine rebounds. The Spurs are now off until Wednesday, so the veteran has plenty of time to get back to 100 percent. Duncan may be asked to do a little more if DeJuan Blair (knee) misses time.

Tim Duncan played on Thursday after getting a night off on Tuesday, scoring 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting with nine rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. Duncan has been a stud when on the court, posting solid mid-round value with relative consistency from night-to-night. The random DNPs are a drag, and they could become more prevalent down the stretch, but the juice is worth the squeeze right now.