Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Stuffs stat sheet in Game 5 defeat
    Dort finished with 12 points (4-11 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 38 minutes during Wednesday's 104-92 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Dort didn't have his best shooting performance and was particularly woeful from three-point range, but he still delivered decent fantasy value due to his ability to fill the stat sheet. Dort will need to be better Saturday, as the Thunder will try to avoid elimination in a pivotal Game 6 in Dallas, but the odds are against him. Through five games in the series, Dort is averaging just 10.4 points while shooting a meager 31.4 percent from the field. Rotowire.com Today, 9:09 am
     
  • Steps up offensively in win
    Jones had 19 points (7-9 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), one rebound, one assist, one block and one steal across 28 minutes during Wednesday's 104-92 win over Oklahoma City in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: The Mavericks needed someone to step up offensively due to P.J. Washington's cold shooting and Kyrie Irving's struggles throughout the series, and Jones embraced that role to deliver a playoff-best scoring mark. Jones has scored in double digits in back-to-back contests, setting him up for having a solid role Saturday in Game 6. He's averaging 9.8 points per game in the current postseason run. Rotowire.com Today, 9:05 am
     
  • Efficient off bench in Game 5
    Lively totaled 11 points (3-4 FG, 5-6 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 23 minutes during Wednesday's 104-92 win over the Thunder in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Lively has been playing off the bench due to the solid play of Daniel Gafford down low, but the rookie out of Duke made his presence felt on both ends of the court Wednesday. Aside from missing just one shot from the field, Lively was active defensively and recorded the first playoff double-double of his career. Lively is averaging 7.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in the postseason, and while he looked very good in this pivotal win, he's not expected to move to a starting role ahead of Game 6 on Saturday. Rotowire.com Today, 9:04 am
     
  • Poor offensive showing in loss
    Williams registered 12 points (6-13 FG, 0-3 3Pt), six rebounds, three assists and three steals across 39 minutes during Wednesday's 104-92 loss to Dallas in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Williams hasn't been able to repeat the same numbers he posted during the first-round series against the Pelicans, and he's yet to surpass the 20-point mark in the current series against the Mavericks -- an alarming figure given he averaged 19.1 points per game in the regular season and 21.3 points per contest against New Orleans. Williams is also shooting a meager 40.8 percent from the field in the current series against Dallas. Rotowire.com Today, 9:02 am
     
  • Jalen Williams limited to 12 points in Game 5 loss
    Jalen Williams shot 6-of-13 from the field in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks, scoring 12 points with six rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 39 minutes.

    Advice: After scoring at least 19 points in all four games of Oklahoma City’s first-round sweep of New Orleans, JDub has been held in check by Dallas. Game 3 was the only game in which he scored 20 points or more, and he shot 11-of-32 from the field in Games 4 and 5. The steals production has provided DFS players with some production, but Williams has to be more productive as a scorer if Oklahoma City is to force a decisive Game 7. Game 6 is on Saturday night in Dallas. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:39 pm
     
  • Isaiah Joe offers minimal value in spot start
    Isaiah Joe played 21 minutes in Wednesday’s Game 5 loss to the Mavericks, accounting for six points (2-of-9 FGs), three rebounds, and two 3-pointers.

    Advice: Thunder coach Mark Daigneault changed the starting lineup for Game 5, with Joe replacing the ineffective Josh Giddey. Joe picked up two quick fouls and could not offer much value in his 21 minutes on the court. While Giddey (11 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one 3-pointer) shot 5-of-8 from the field, the minutes total (12) is a clear sign that he isn’t trusted in this series. The question ahead of Saturday’s Game 6 is whether or not Daigneault will stick with Joe as the fifth starter. And even if Giddey receives the nod, he’s unlikely to get the minutes needed to be of value to DFS players. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:32 pm
     
  • Dereck Lively II records 11/10/1/1/1 stat line
    Dereck Lively II shot 3-of-3 from the field and 5-of-6 from the foul line in Wednesday’s 104-92 win over the Thunder, accounting for 11 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one blocked shot in 23 minutes.

    Advice: Dallas received 48 minutes of solid basketball from its rotation centers, with Lively recording a double-double off the bench and Daniel Gafford (9/7/1/0/1 in 25 minutes) shooting 4-of-4 from the field. Oklahoma City has continued to foul Lively intentionally during crunch time, and the rookie delivered in Game 5. He shot 5-of-6 from the foul line in Game 5 and is now 14-of-21 (66.7%) over the last three games. That percentage isn’t great, but it is much higher than Lively’s number during the regular season (50.6%). Dallas leads the series three games to two and will look to close out the Thunder on Saturday. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:14 pm
     
  • Derrick Jones Jr. tallies 19 points, full line
    Derrick Jones Jr. played 28 minutes in Wednesday’s win over the Thunder, tallying 19 points (7-of-9 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), one rebound, one assist, one steal, one block, and three 3-pointers.

    Advice: Jones may not have offered much outside of the points and 3-pointers, but the scoring output was much-needed on a night in which only one other Maverick (Luka Doncic) scored more than 12 points. Airplane Mode was efficient with his scoring opportunities while also playing solid defense. PJ Washington only scored 10 points, but he was also responsible for 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers in his 37 minutes on the floor. Dallas will need those two to remain productive in Game 6 on Saturday, with the Mavericks looking to close out the series. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:09 pm
     
  • Max Strus hits three 3-pointers in Game 5 loss
    Max Strus scored 12 points (3-of-10 FGs, 3-of-3 FTs) with seven rebounds, nine assists, and three 3-pointers in 44 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Celtics.

    Advice: Strus didn’t have a good night shooting the basketball, but the overall line was solid for DFS players who may have slotted him into their lineups. The nine assists were a postseason high for the Cavaliers wing, who was asked to take on additional offensive responsibilities with Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert unavailable. Based on his Yahoo ADP, Strus was expected to provide late-round value this season, and that’s precisely what he did. Starting 70 games during the regular season, Strus established career-high averages in points (12.2), rebounds (4.8), assists (4.0), steals (0.9), and blocks (0.4). The best way for Strus to threaten top 100 status would be to improve the field-goal percentage, as he shot just 41.8% in 2023-24. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:21 pm