Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • James Harden offers little in Game 5 blowout loss
    James Harden played 33 minutes in Wednesday’s 123-93 loss to the Mavericks, accounting for seven points (2-of-12 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), four rebounds, seven assists, and one 3-pointer.

    Advice: After shining in Sunday’s Game 4 victory, Harden put up an absolute stinker in Game 5. He finished with more turnovers (four) than made field goals (two), failing to reach double figures in a postseason game for the first time since Game 7 of the 76ers’ second-round loss to the Celtics last season. We’ve seen Harden have great games before, and he’ll need to do the same in Game 6 on Friday if the Clippers are to extend their season. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:32 pm
     
  • Ivica Zubac posts 15/6/2/1 line in Game 5 loss
    Ivica Zubac tallied 15 points (7-of-8 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), six rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 26 minutes in Wednesday’s 123-93 loss to the Mavericks.

    Advice: While he has reached double figures in points in all five games, Zubac’s influence on the boards has waned since Games 1 and 2. Having grabbed 27 rebounds in those contests, he produced 18 in Games 3 through 5. Add in Dallas’ ability to exploit the Clippers’ defensively in the two-man game, with Dereck Lively II receiving multiple lobs in Game 5, and this wasn’t as good a night for Zubac as the shooting accuracy would lead some to believe. Essentially, it’s known what Big Zu will bring to the table nightly, even if he isn’t going to bring elite production to the table. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:32 pm
     
  • Paul George goes quiet, finishes with 15 points
    Paul George shot 4-of-13 from the field and 5-of-6 from the foul line in Wednesday’s Game 5 loss to the Mavericks, tallying 15 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two 3-pointers in 32 minutes.

    Advice: Like James Harden, George struggled after scoring 33 points in the Clippers’ Game 4 win on Sunday. The good news for DFS managers is that he was productive as a rebounder, but the combination of poor shooting and turnovers (three) was too much to overcome. George will need to play better in Game 6 if the Clippers are to ensure that Wednesday’s stinker wasn’t their last as a tenant of Crypto.com Arena. Game 6 is on Friday night in Dallas. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:30 pm
     
  • He’s back: Luka Doncic scores 35 points in blowout
    Luka Doncic finished Wednesday’s Game 5 win over the Clippers with 35 points (14-of-26 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), seven rebounds, 10 assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers in 39 minutes.

    Advice: Having lamented after Game 4 that he wasn’t giving star teammate Kyrie Irving enough help, Doncic produced a masterclass despite still dealing with a sprained right knee. He shot 12-of-18 from two and dished out ten assists while only committing two turnovers as Dallas handed the Clippers their largest playoff defeat in franchise history. And as Doncic said in his postgame interview, the “job isn’t done,” as the Mavericks take a 3-2 series lead into Friday’s Game 6 in Dallas. Luka getting untracked to the level he did in Game 5 is an ominous development for the Clippers, even if he was just 2-of-8 from three. Rotoworld Yesterday, 9:29 pm
     
  • Al Horford posts modest line in Game 5 victory
    Al Horford played 23 minutes in Wednesday’s Game 5 win over the Heat, finishing with eight points (3-of-4 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one 3-pointers.

    Advice: The Celtics were without Kristaps Porzingis, who suffered a strained right soleus muscle during Game 4. As was the case throughout the regular season, Horford moved into the starting lineup. The veteran big man didn’t have to do much, as Boston got off to a hot start and never looked back in their decisive win over the Heat. Ending this series in five games gets the Celtics additional rest, especially if the Cleveland/Orlando series goes the distance. With Porzingis unlikely to return before the conference finals (should Boston advance that far), Horford will serve as the starting center in the second round. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:10 pm
     
  • Jaylen Brown finishes series with 25-point effort
    Jaylen Brown logged 26 minutes in Wednesday’s 118-184 win over the Heat, amassing 25 points (11-of-19 FGs, 2-of-5 FTs), six rebounds, two assists, and one 3-pointer.

    Advice: Brown recorded a solid point total, shooting well over 50% from the field, but efficiency remains problematic in other areas. In addition to committing five turnovers in the series decider, he shot 40% from the foul line. For the series, Brown was 9-of-20 (45%) from the charity stripe, which will not get it done against stronger opposition. Add in 16 turnovers in the five-game series, and Brown has some things to clean up before the second round begins. Boston will play Cleveland or Orlando, with the Cavs leading that series by three games to two. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:04 pm
     
  • Caleb Martin scores 10 points in Game 5 blowout
    Caleb Martin played 36 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Celtics, tallying 10 points (4-of-9 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), four rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer.

    Advice: Martin reached double figures in three of the series’ five games, including a 21-point performance in Miami’s Game 2 victory. But the inconsistency meant he wasn’t a reliable option for DFS players, mirroring his season-long fantasy value. Martin was a late-round pick, at best, in most fantasy leagues before the season began, and his production bore that out. He finished the regular season ranked outside the top 200 in 9-cat formats and offers a significantly lower fantasy ceiling than Jaime Jaquez Jr. There’s little reason to plan on selecting Martin in drafts next fall. Still, there will be times when he’s worth the streaming risk. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:00 pm
     
  • Nikola Jovic records 8/7/4 line in Game 5 loss
    Nikola Jovic accounted for eight points (3-of-7 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), seven rebounds, and four assists in 27 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Celtics.

    Advice: After reaching double figures in each of the series’ first three games, Jovic faltered in Games 4 and 5. That was the tale of his season, with the second-year forward failing to provide consistent production. It has been said that Miami likes Jovic’s potential, but that didn’t always result in extended minutes this season. He averaged just 19.5 minutes per game in 46 appearances this season, ranking outside the top 250 regarding fantasy value. Unless the Heat were to make drastic changes to their roster, Jovic isn’t a player who should be selected in most leagues. However, he could offer streaming potential at points during the season. Rotoworld Yesterday, 6:59 pm
     
  • Tyler Herro scores inefficient 15 points in rout
    Tyler Herro shot 6-of-19 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line in Wednesday’s Game 5 loss to the Celtics, recording a line of 15 points, three rebounds, three assists, and one 3-pointer in 35 minutes.

    Advice: Miami was without Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. for Game 5, putting even more pressure on Herro to perform with the team’s season on the line. He struggled, as many guards do when dealing with Jrue Holiday. While he established new career-highs in points (20.8 per game), assists (4.5), and 3-pointers (3.1), injuries limited Herro’s fantasy value. Beginning the season with a Yahoo ADP of 68.9, he finished the regular season ranked just inside the top 90 in 9-cat, per-game value, according to Basketball Monster. If Herro can play 65-plus games, as he did during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, he’s capable of approaching top-60 fantasy value. He’ll be worth selecting in the 6th round of standard league drafts, depending on potential changes to the Heat roster. Rotoworld Yesterday, 6:57 pm