Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Scores only nine points in win
    Banchero racked up nine points (4-14 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT), four rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal across 29 minutes during Saturday's 112-89 victory over the Cavaliers in Game 4 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

    Advice: Banchero struggled to find an offensive rhythm and scored his fewest points since Nov. 29, but the Magic still evened the series at 2-2. The budding superstar averaged 25.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 37.0 minutes over the first three matchups of the opening-round series and scored in single digits only twice during the regular season. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 8:04 am
     
  • Christian Wood (knee) picks up DNP-CD Saturday
    Christian Wood (left knee surgery) did not play in Saturday’s win over the Nuggets.

    Advice: Wood has not appeared in a game since February 14, so inserting him into a game of this magnitude may have been far-fetched. Lakers coach Darvin Ham stuck with his usual nine-man rotation, which may be the case as long as this series continues. Game 5 is on Monday in Denver. Rotoworld Saturday, 8:03 pm
     
  • Strong performance Saturday
    Giddey notched 21 points (8-13 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, six assists and one steal in 31 minutes during Saturday's 106-85 victory over New Orleans in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

    Advice: Giddey put together his best performance of the postseason, helping guide the Thunder to a comfortable victory. He was one of three Oklahoma City players to score at least 20 points, a feat achieved by no one for the Pelicans. Now leading the series 3-0, the Thunder will look to end things in Game 4 on Monday. Rotowire.com Saturday, 5:14 pm
     
  • Will play Saturday
    Wood (knee) will be available for Game 4 against the Nuggets on Saturday, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: Wood will finally return after a prolonged absence, as he hasn't stepped on the court since Feb. 14. He's expected to have a role off the bench and will compete for frontcourt minutes with Jaxson Hayes, though by all accounts, his role will be minimal Saturday. Rotowire.com Saturday, 3:56 pm
     
  • Christian Wood (knee) will play in Game 4 vs. DEN
    Christian Wood (left knee surgery) will make his return to lineup for Game 4 against the Nuggets on Saturday.

    Advice: Wood will be available to play for the first time since before the All-Star break. However, Jaxson Hayes wasn’t in the rotation in Game 3, and they may not want to include Wood in their rotation in an elimination game. He will be available if needed, but he may not see the floor. Rotoworld Saturday, 3:55 pm
     
  • Josh Giddey produces 21/8/6/1 line with 4 triples
    Josh Giddey stuffed the stat sheet on Saturday and finished with 21 points (8-of-13 FGs), eight rebounds, six assists, one steal and four 3-pointers against the Pelicans in Game 3.

    Advice: Giddey played better in Game 2 than he did in Game 1, and he was even better in this one. He produced a solid stat line, and he was a threat from beyond the arc, which has been a weakness for the team. If Giddey can consistently knock down open shots, they’ll be a difficult team to slow down during this postseason. It is unlikely that he will continue to be this productive as a scorer, but he was an important piece in their big win on Saturday. If he can have another game like this, they won’t have any issues closing this series out in Game 4 on Monday. Rotoworld Saturday, 3:19 pm
     
  • Upgraded to questionable
    Wood (knee) has been upgraded to questionable for Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against Denver, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.

    Advice: Wood has been sidelined since Feb. 14, but he's been trending towards a return for a while. It sounds like if he makes it through the shootaround without any setbacks, he could get the green light to return with Los Angeles' season on the line. Rotowire.com Friday, 5:17 pm
     
  • Christian Wood (knee) questionable for Game 4
    Christian Wood (left knee surgery) is listed as questionable to play in Game 4 against the Nuggets on Saturday.

    Advice: Wood has been sidelined for over a month and initially was targeting a return in Game 3. He could end up making his return on Saturday, though he will only see a limited role off the bench. Rotoworld Friday, 5:17 pm
     
  • Records double-double in Game 3 win
    Banchero closed with 31 points (13-26 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 14 rebounds, five assists and one steal over 29 minutes during Thursday's 121-83 victory over the Cavaliers in Game 3 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

    Advice: There's no question that Banchero is the engine that keeps the Magic going on offense, and the star forward made his presence felt on both ends of the court Thursday, leading the Magic in both points and rebounds en route to a blowout win. Banchero has surpassed the 20-point mark in his three appearances in the series, averaging 25.3 points per game while shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from three-point range. Rotowire.com Friday, 6:03 am