Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Xavier Tillman tallies four boards, two blocks
    Xavier Tillman logged 11 minutes in Wednesday’s 106-99 win over Dallas, accumulating three points (1-of-1 FGs), four rebounds, two blocks, and one 3-pointer.

    Advice: With Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) sidelined, Tillman was the first big off the Celtics bench on Wednesday. While there were a few hiccups on the defensive end, he still offered solid production in the rebound and blocked shot categories. Starter Al Horford also benefitted from Porzingis’ absence, logging 37 minutes and recording a line of eight points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block, and two 3-pointers. While Horford is a more viable DFS option if Porzingis remains out for Friday’s Game 4, Tillman is not. Rotoworld Wednesday, 8:32 pm
     
  • Luka Doncic scores 27 points before fouling out
    Luka Doncic shot 11-of-27 from the field and 4-of-4 from the foul line in Wednesday’s loss to the Celtics, accounting for 27 points, six rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one 3-pointer in 38 minutes.

    Advice: Doncic failed to hit the 40-minute mark in Game 3, as he fouled out with 4:12 remaining in the fourth quarter. He did produce a solid point total, but the efficiency was lacking, especially from beyond the arc. Doncic shot 1-of-7 from three and was visibly frustrated with the officiating throughout. No team has even come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-7 series in the NBA, so there’s no denying that Dallas faces near-impossible odds. If they’re to send the series back to Boston for Game 5, they need a more focused Doncic, especially defensively. Rotoworld Wednesday, 8:01 pm
     
  • Luka Doncic (chest) available for Game 3 Wednesday
    Luka Doncic (thoracic contusion) is available for Wednesday’s game against the Celtics.

    Advice: As expected, Doncic is good to go after being considered probable on the initial injury report. He’ll take on his usual workload, likely logging at least 40 minutes as the Mavericks look to defend their home court. Rotoworld Wednesday, 4:02 pm
     
  • Available for Game 3
    Doncic (chest) is available for Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Celtics on Wednesday.

    Advice: As expected, Doncic has been upgraded from probable to available for the first matchup in Dallas after Boston took the first two games at home. Doncic needed a pain-killing injection before Game 2 and might require something similar for Game 3, but no specifics were released ahead of tipoff. Doncic posted 32 points (12-21 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 4-8 FT), 11 rebounds, 11 assists and four steals in 42 minutes during Game 2. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 4:00 pm
     
  • Finds opportunity in Japan
    Watanabe agreed Wednesday to a contract with the Chiba Jets of the Japanese B.League, Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com reports.

    Advice: The terms of Watanabe's deal aren't clear, but he should immediately become one of the B.League's top players after spending parts of the last six seasons in the NBA with the Grizzlies, Raptors, Nets and Suns. The 29-year-old forward appeared in 34 games for Phoenix in 2023-24 and averaged 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.7 three-pointers in 13.6 minutes but didn't make an appearance for Memphis after being sent to the Grizzlies in February on a deadline deal. Watanabe holds a $2.65 million player option for 2024-25, but he'll presumably decline that to facilitate his return to his home country of Japan. He's also expected to suit up for the Japanese national team during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 6:30 am
     
  • Muted impact in Finals
    Lively registered two points (1-3 FG) and seven rebounds across 19 minutes during Sunday's 105-98 loss to the Celtics in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

    Advice: Through two Finals games, Lively has totaled just four points, 12 rebounds, one assist and one steal with no blocks and four turnovers. Dallas has tried more Maxi Kleber minutes to combat the Celtics' floor spacing, but the results have been less than stellar. Game 3 will be on the Mavericks' home floor, where Lively is averaging 9.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 blocks in the postseason. Rotowire.com Monday, 9:09 am
     
  • Decent outing in Game 2 win
    Horford contributed five points (2-4 FG, 1-3 3Pt), seven rebounds, two assists and one steal across 28 minutes during Sunday's 105-98 win over Dallas in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

    Advice: Horford scored only five points -- his fewest since Game 3 against the Cavaliers -- but it was enough to get the job done against the Mavericks. Though his scoring can be inconsistent, the veteran has grabbed at least five rebounds in nine straight games and recorded at least one defensive stat in eight consecutive games. Now he and the Celtics go on the road for Game 3, with Horford averaging 9.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in road postseason games this season. Rotowire.com Monday, 9:05 am
     
  • Solid in Game 2
    Jones notched 11 points (4-7 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT), three rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal in 32 minutes during Sunday's 105-98 loss to the Celtics in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

    Advice: Jones improved on his five-point performance from Game 1, but he struggled from distance. He also didn't offer much defensive resistance despite managing a block and a steal. The forward will look to improve again in Game 3 at home, where he's averaged 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 blocks in the postseason. Rotowire.com Monday, 8:51 am
     
  • Report: Sasha Vezenkov will not return to Kings
    Sasha Vezenkov has informed the Kings that he does not intend to return for the second year of his contract, per Mihalis Stefanou of Euro Hoops.

    Advice: Vezenkov is under contract for this upcoming season, so he can’t simply “not return”. However, there is plenty of time for them to trade him or buy out his contract. Stefanou’s report also indicates that Vezenkov hasn’t decided if he will continue to play in the NBA or return to Europe. Vezenkov averaged 5.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 triple in 11.9 minutes per game across 44 appearances. He may have some upside if he lands with a different team that will grant him a larger role, but this shouldn’t have a direct impact on fantasy hoops at this point. Rotoworld Saturday, 9:03 am