Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • The can’t miss kid: Dereck Lively II scores 12 PTS
    Dereck Lively II shot 5-of-5 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line in Wednesday’s 123-93 win over the Clippers, finishing with 12 points, even rebounds, one assist, and one blocked shot in 25 minutes.

    Advice: Lively did not miss a shot in Dallas’ Game 5 rout, with that production being a byproduct of where he got his looks. Four of the rookie’s five makes from the field were dunks, with the fifth being a nine-footer. While there have been some injury-related hiccups, the tandem of Lively and Daniel Gafford (8/5/0/1/1 in 19 minutes) has been just what the doctor ordered for the Mavericks. Dallas will look to close out the series when they host Game 6 on Friday night. Rotoworld Today, 9:45 pm
     
  • Maxi Kleber gets hot, hits five 3-pointers Weds.
    Maxi Kleber made the most of his 19 minutes in Wednesday’s Game 5 win over the Clippers, scoring 15 points (5-of-7 FGs) with three rebounds, one assist, and five 3-pointers.

    Advice: After scoring 15 points in the first four games of this series, Kleber matched that output in an impressive shooting performance in Game 5. While he did enter Wednesday shooting 4-of-8 from deep, to put up 15 points with solid volume was something the Clippers may not have expected from Kleber. Whether or not he can carry this performance over into Game 6 remains to be seen, but at the very least, Maxi has given the Clippers something else to think about as they prepare for Friday’s game. Rotoworld Today, 9:41 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 Today, 7:10 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 Today, 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 Today, 6:59 pm
     
  • Able to return after stitches
    Wright went to the locker room in the first quarter of Wednesday's Game 5 against the Celtics after taking an elbow to the face. However, he'll be available to return after receiving stitches, the Heat announced.

    Advice: Wright was elbowed in the chin as Jaylen Brown went up for a shot and ended up going back to the locker room after the play. He'll have stitches put on the inside of his lower lip/chin and will then return to the contest. Patty Mills and Duncan Robinson should see more minutes while Wright is absent. Rotowire.com Today, 5:01 pm
     
  • Starting sans Porzingis
    Horford will enter the starting lineup for Wednesday's Game 5 against the Heat.

    Advice: Horford played 34 minutes in Game 4 with Kristaps Porzingis (calf) going down with an injury in the first half. With Porzingis sidelined Wednesday -- and likely longer -- Horford will step into the starting center role, where he's expected to remain until Porzingis returns. Rotowire.com Today, 4:11 pm
     
  • Starting Game 5
    Wright will enter the starting lineup for Wednesday's Game 5 against Boston, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

    Advice: Wright will enter the first unit in place of Jaime Jaquez (hip) for just his second start of the season. The guard has been a sizeable part of the rotation throughout the first-round series, averaging 8.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists across 25.0 minutes per game, and should see an even larger workload Wednesday. Rotowire.com Today, 4:07 pm
     
  • MIA starting Wright, Herro, Martin, Jovic, Adebayo
    Delon Wright, Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin, Nikola Jovic, and Bam Adebayo will start Wednesday’s game against the Celtics.

    Advice: Another injury has forced Miami to change its starting lineup, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. (hip) joining Terry Rozier (neck) and Jimmy Butler (knee) on the sideline. As a result, Wright moves into the starting lineup for Game 5 as the Heat look to keep their season alive. He’s worth a look in DFS tournaments due to his low price tag, but players should not expect too much production-wise. Rotoworld Today, 4:05 pm