Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Back in rotation Saturday
    Williams provided two points (1-1 FG) and one rebound across three minutes during Saturday's 117-116 loss to the Mavericks in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Williams played for just the second time in the past five games, logging four minutes as Luguentz Dort was benched due to foul trouble. Despite a somewhat fantasy-friendly game, Williams is nothing more than a depth piece for a Thunder team with high aspirations heading into next season. There is no reason to think he will play a significant role moving forward. Rotowire.com Saturday, 9:04 pm
     
  • 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 Saturday, 7:52 pm
     
  • Cracks rotation in victory
    McDermott supplied zero points (0-1 FG) in three minutes during Friday's 116-103 victory over the Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: McDermott played three minutes to close the game Friday, at which point the Pacers had the game sealed up. Having played a total of just 19 minutes in the series, it's safe to say that McDermott is not going to play a role in determining the outcome of what has been a fantastic series between two bitter rivals. Rotowire.com Saturday, 3:55 am
     
  • Rare appearance in loss
    Sims racked up one rebound, one assist and one block across four minutes during Friday's 116-103 loss to the Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Sims played four minutes of garbage time as the Knicks were soundly beaten by the Pacers. Though he is known for playing his stars heavy minutes, even in losses, common sense prevailed with Tom Thibodeau closing with his second unit. Despite another ankle injury to Mitchell Robinson, Sims has been unable to carve out a consistent role, something that doesn't bode well for his future when looking beyond this season. Rotowire.com Saturday, 3:42 am
     
  • Remains out
    Prosper (ankle) won't play in Saturday's Game 6 against the Thunder.

    Advice: Prosper has yet to suit up this postseason while dealing with a left ankle sprain. While it is unclear when the rookie forward will return to action, it seems unlikely he will receive significant playing time even when available. Rotowire.com Friday, 2:34 pm
     
  • Moves to bench
    Alexander-Walker will move to the bench for Thursday's Game 6 versus Denver.

    Advice: This is an expected move with Mike Conley back from his injury. Alexander-Walker fared well in his spot start in Game 5, producing 14 points (5-12 FG, 4-8 3Pt), two rebounds, five assists and two blocks across 39 minutes. Rotowire.com Thursday, 5:04 pm
     
  • Steps up offensively in win
    Jones had 19 points (7-9 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), one rebound, one assist, one block and one steal across 28 minutes during Wednesday's 104-92 win over Oklahoma City in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: The Mavericks needed someone to step up offensively due to P.J. Washington's cold shooting and Kyrie Irving's struggles throughout the series, and Jones embraced that role to deliver a playoff-best scoring mark. Jones has scored in double digits in back-to-back contests, setting him up for having a solid role Saturday in Game 6. He's averaging 9.8 points per game in the current postseason run. Rotowire.com Thursday, 9:05 am
     
  • 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
     
  • 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