Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • 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
     
  • 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 Wednesday, 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 Wednesday, 9:09 pm
     
  • Marcus Morris goes off for 25 points in Game 5
    Marcus Morris Sr. shot 10-of-13 from the field and 0-of-1 from the foul line in Wednesday’s loss to the Celtics, accumulating 25 points, three rebounds, and five 3-pointers in 33 minutes.

    Advice: With Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Caris LeVert sidelined, the Cavaliers needed additional scoring from someone. Enter Morris, who went off for a season-high 25 points. To say this was a departure from the norm for the veteran center would be an understatement; he scored 30 points total during the regular season and reached double figures once during the postseason (Game 5 against Orlando). Morris will be a free agent this summer, and his days as a reliable fantasy option are in the rear-view mirror. Rotoworld Wednesday, 7:00 pm
     
  • Shines off bench in Game 5 loss
    Morris finished with 25 points (10-13 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 0-1 FT), three rebounds and two steals over 33 minutes during Wednesday's 113-98 loss to Boston in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Morris provided the shorthanded Cavaliers with a much-needed boost off the bench in Game 5, leading all bench players in scoring while connecting on a team-high handful of threes in a bench-leading minute total. Morris recorded his best outing of the postseason Wednesday, surpassing double figures in scoring for the second time in these playoffs. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 6:52 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
     
  • Craig Porter Jr. (left ankle) ruled out Wednesday
    Craig Porter Jr. (left ankle sprain) is out for Wednesday’s game against the Celtics.

    Advice: Porter has not appeared in a game since Cleveland’s regular-season finale, and his absence has not impacted the rotation. That remains the case for Game 5, with the Cavaliers trailing three games to one. Rotoworld Wednesday, 3:36 pm
     
  • Won't play Wednesday
    Porter (ankle) won't suit up for Wednesday's Game 5 in Boston, Spencer Davies of SI.com reports.

    Advice: Porter is set to miss his 12th straight game, and with Caris LeVert (knee) and Donovan Mitchell (calf) also out, Darius Garland will get all the run he can handle. There should also be ample minutes for Max Strus and Dean Wade. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 3:27 pm