Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Improved performance Friday
    Nembhard finished with 15 points (6-12 FG, 3-4 3Pt), six rebounds, six assists and one block over 38 minutes during Friday's 116-103 win over New York in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Nembhard put together arguably his best performance of the postseason, especially when it comes to his efforts on the defensive end. Having been worked over by Jalen Brunson in the past couple of games, Nembhard appeared as though he was focused on making amends for his recent shortcomings. Although Brunson ended with a game-high 31 points, many of those came with the game already in the bag for Indiana. If the Pacers are to walk out of Madison Square Garden with a victory Sunday, Nembhard may need to again be more than a traffic cone on defense. Rotowire.com Saturday, 3:52 am
     
  • 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 Wednesday, 9:32 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 Wednesday, 7:21 pm
     
  • All-around outing in Game 5 defeat
    Strus ended Wednesday's 113-98 loss to the Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals with 12 points (3-10 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), seven rebounds and nine assists in 45 minutes.

    Advice: Strus put up a well-rounded stat line, handing out a team-high-tying assist total to go along with a team-high-tying rebound mark in a near double-double outing. Strus reached double figures in scoring in three of the five games against Boston, adding at least seven rebounds and seven assists in the final two games of the series. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 6:54 pm
     
  • Thunder starting SGA, Joe, Dort, JDub, Holmgren
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Joe, Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren will start Wednesday’s Game 5 against the Mavericks.

    Advice: Oklahoma City has changed its starting lineup, with Joe replacing the ineffective Josh Giddey. With the defensive-minded Dort on the court, playing two non-shooters together wasn’t working for the Thunder. Giddey has lost minutes to Joe, Cason Wallace, and Aaron Wiggins throughout the series. He might remain in the rotation, but it’s unlikely that Giddey will reach 15 minutes. Rotoworld Wednesday, 6:09 pm
     
  • Making first playoff start
    Joe is part of the starting lineup for Wednesday's Game 5 against Dallas, Brandon Rahbar of DailyThunder.com reports.

    Advice: Joe replaces Josh Giddey in the first unit, a relatively unsurprising move considering Joe has played more minutes than Giddey in three straight games. Despite his starting status, fantasy managers shouldn't expect the three-point specialist to see normal starter's minutes. Instead, he'll likely settle in at around the high teens or low twenties. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 6:06 pm
     
  • Logs 28 minutes in victory
    Braun closed Tuesday's 112-97 victory over Minnesota in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals with 10 points (4-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-3 FT), five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal over 28 minutes.

    Advice: Braun continues to play meaningful minutes for the Nuggets, scoring double-digits for the second straight game. After failing to play more than 19 minutes during the first eight postseason games, he has now played 25 and 28 minutes respectively in each of the past two games. After reeling off three straight victories, the Nuggets now sit one win away from a trip to the Conference Finals. Rotowire.com Tuesday, 11:48 pm
     
  • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hits four triples Tuesday
    Kentavious Caldwell-Pope logged 38 minutes in Tuesday’s win over Minnesota, amassing 16 points (6-of-8 FGs), five rebounds, four assists, one steal, and four 3-pointers.

    Advice: With Michael Porter Jr. (6/7/1/0/2 with two 3-pointers) shooting 2-of-10 from the field, the Nuggets needed additional production from Caldwell-Pope. The veteran guard stepped up, with the 16 points and four 3-pointers being series-highs for him. KCP entered the series at less than full strength, impacting his production early on. But he looked sharp in Game 5, and the Nuggets are now one win away from a return to the Western Conference Finals. Game 6 is on Thursday night in Minneapolis. Rotoworld Tuesday, 10:18 pm
     
  • Alec Burks hits five 3-pointers, scores 18 points
    Alec Burks finished Tuesday’s 121-91 win over the Pacers with 18 points (6-of-11 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), five rebounds, and five 3-pointers in 23 minutes.

    Advice: Injuries have thrust Burks into the Knicks’ rotation, and the veteran wing has taken advantage of his opportunity. He’s scored at least 14 points in each of the series’ last three games, giving New York much-needed production. While Burks scoring 20 points in Sunday’s Game 4 defeat did not matter much, that wasn’t the case in Game 5. The Knicks effectively run a seven-man rotation, so Burks won’t lack playing time or opportunities to shine. He’s shown that there’s still something left in the tank. Rotoworld Tuesday, 8:14 pm