Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Chet Holmgren records 21/3/1/2 line in Game 6 loss
    Chet Holmgren finished Saturday’s Game 6 loss to the Mavericks with 21 points (9-of-15 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), three rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one 3-pointer in 35 minutes.

    Advice: Despite scoring 21 points, Holmgren’s final game of the season wasn’t his best. More concerning than the 1-of-7 night from three was the rebounding, with the rookie only grabbing three. By comparison, Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II grabbed 15 by himself. Holmgren’s struggles to rebound prompted Thunder coach Mark Daigneault to go with a bigger lineup down the stretch, with Jaylin Williams (6/2/2/1/1 with one 3-pointer in 18 minutes) joining the rookie in the frontcourt. Overall, Holmgren had an excellent rookie campaign, finishing second to Victor Wembanyama in Rookie of the Year voting and providing top-20 per-game value in 9-cat formats. Based on his Yahoo ADP, Chet was expected by many to be a 4th-round player. Those days are over; he should not get out of the third round in standard league drafts, and that’s being conservative. Rotoworld 5 minutes ago
     
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 36 in Game 6 loss
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot 14-of-25 from the field and 4-of-7 from the foul line in Saturday’s 117-116 loss to Dallas, accounting for 36 points, three rebounds, eight assists, two blocks, and four 3-pointers in 43 minutes.

    Advice: Gilgeous-Alexander’s foul of PJ Washington on a 3-point attempt proved to be the difference in Game 6, as the Mavericks forward hit two free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining to end the series. That final play should not take away from SGA’s performance throughout the series, as the MVP runner-up was outstanding. As for Gilgeous-Alexander’s fantasy season, he was all that managers hoped he would be. SGA provided top-5 per-game value, which is unlikely to change anytime soon. While Victor Wembanyama is viewed by many as the player who should be selected first in drafts next fall, SGA should be, at worst, a top-5 pick. Rotoworld 10 minutes ago
     
  • PJ Washington sinks series-winning free throws
    PJ Washington shot 2-of-6 from the field and 3-of-5 from the foul line in Saturday’s win over Oklahoma City, scoring nine points with five rebounds, two assists, and two 3-pointers in 30 minutes.

    Advice: Scoring-wise, Game 6 was Washington’s worst of the series. However, more will remember the two free throws with 2.5 seconds remaining that clinched the game (and the series) for Dallas. Washington had a good series overall, scoring 21 points or more in Games 2 through 4 and recording three double-doubles. Next will be another difficult matchup, with the Mavericks facing the Nuggets or Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. Rotoworld 18 minutes ago
     
  • Dereck Lively II grabs 15 rebounds in Game 6 win
    Dereck Lively II accumulated 12 points (5-of-6 FGs, 2-of-3 FTs), 15 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one blocked shot in 30 minutes in Saturday’s 117-116 win over Oklahoma City.

    Advice: He may not have been a starter like fellow rookie Chet Holmgren, but that did not prevent Lively from impacting the action in this series. He was outstanding in Game 6, establishing a new playoff high with 15 rebounds while dishing out three assists. Lively hit double figures in scoring in three of the series’ final four games, and the Game 6 double-double was his first. Lively’s play meant he took the lion’s share of the playing time on Saturday, with starter Daniel Gafford (10/7/1/0/1) playing 19 minutes. The partnership has worked well for the Mavericks, and that will also need to be the case in the Western Conference Finals. Rotoworld 22 minutes ago
     
  • Kyrie Irving extends closeout record to 14-0
    Kyrie Irving finished Saturday’s 117-116 win over the Thunder with 22 points (9-of-23 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, and four 3-pointers in 42 minutes.

    Advice: As in the series’ first five games, Irving picked up the production after halftime on Saturday. He made seven of his nine field goals in the second half, finishing as one of three Mavericks with at least 22 points. The win pushed Irving’s record in closeout games to 14-0, the best mark in NBA postseason history. The chemistry between him and Luka Doncic has been strong, and the supporting cast has come into its own. Dallas advances to the Western Conference Finals, where they will play Denver or Minnesota. Rotoworld 28 minutes ago
     
  • Derrick Jones Jr. contributes 22 points, full line
    Derrick Jones Jr. shot 8-of-13 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line in Saturday’s 117-116 win over the Thunder, accumulating 22 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, and four 3-pointers in 40 minutes.

    Advice: After scoring 19 points in the first three games of this series, Jones picked up the production significantly. He scored 17, 19, and 22 points in the final three games, shooting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in Game 6 while also recording a full stat line. Having produced the best regular season of his NBA career, Jones fits nicely next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. He and the Mavericks are headed to the Western Conference Finals, which begin on Wednesday night. Rotoworld 38 minutes ago
     
  • Luka Doncic posts 29/10/10/2 line in Game 6 win
    Luka Doncic played 44 minutes in Saturday’s 117-116 win over the Thunder, tallying 29 points (9-of-15 FGs, 7-of-7 FTs), 10 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals, and four 3-pointers.

    Advice: Doncic and the Mavericks are headed to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in three years. He struggled with multiple injuries throughout this series, but Luka continued to shoulder a heavy workload. The lone negative for Doncic in Game 6 was the turnovers, as he was responsible for seven. There was some early frustration with the officials, but Doncic managed his emotions well as the game progressed. Next up for Dallas is Denver or Minnesota, with Game 1 scheduled for Wednesday night. Rotoworld 41 minutes ago
     
  • Mike Conley (calf) questionable for Game 7 Sunday
    Mike Conley (right soleus strain) is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Nuggets.

    Advice: Conley returned to the Timberwolves’ lineup for Game 6, and his presence also benefitted Anthony Edwards in the 45-point victory. If the veteran point guard cannot play in Game 7, Nickeil Alexander-Walker will move into the starting lineup. Rotoworld Today, 4:59 pm
     
  • Luka Doncic (ankle, knee) available for Game 6
    Luka Doncic (left ankle soreness, right knee sprain) is available for Saturday’s game against the Thunder.

    Advice: Doncic’s status upgrade is unsurprising, as the Mavericks have taken the same approach throughout this series. Dallas will stick with the same starting five, with Luka being joined by Kyrie Irving, Derrick Jones Jr., PJ Washington, and Daniel Gafford. Rotoworld Today, 4:33 pm