Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Jalen Williams limited to 12 points in Game 5 loss
    Jalen Williams shot 6-of-13 from the field in Wednesday’s loss to the Mavericks, scoring 12 points with six rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 39 minutes.

    Advice: After scoring at least 19 points in all four games of Oklahoma City’s first-round sweep of New Orleans, JDub has been held in check by Dallas. Game 3 was the only game in which he scored 20 points or more, and he shot 11-of-32 from the field in Games 4 and 5. The steals production has provided DFS players with some production, but Williams has to be more productive as a scorer if Oklahoma City is to force a decisive Game 7. Game 6 is on Saturday night in Dallas. Rotoworld 24 minutes ago
  • 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 32 minutes ago
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores team-high 30 points
    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander logged 43 minutes in Wednesday’s 104-92 loss to the Mavericks, accounting for 30 points (12-of-22 FGs, 4-of-6 FTs), six rebounds, eight assists, two steals, one block, and two 3-pointers.

    Advice: Gilgeous-Alexander had another big scoring night, as he’s scored at least 29 points in all five games in this series. However, he didn’t have as much help as needed, with Chet Holmgren (13/4/1/0/1 with one 3-pointer) being the best of the rest. Dallas is making SGA work, but he continues to get his numbers. Whether or not the Thunder can force a Game 7 on Saturday night depends on whether SGA’s supporting cast increases its production. Rotoworld 46 minutes ago
  • Luka Doncic rebounds, posts 31/10/11/0/1 stat line
    Luka Doncic shot 12-of-22 from the field and 2-of-3 from the foul line in Wednesday’s 104-92 win over the Thunder, accounting for 31 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, one blocked shot, and five 3-pointers in 41 minutes.

    Advice: Injuries have been an issue for Doncic throughout this series, but there was also the habit of focusing too much on the officials. Playing with an apparent laser focus, the Mavericks point guard came up huge in Dallas’ Game 5 victory. Doncic recorded an efficient triple-double, shooting better than 50% from the field and controlling the action. With Kyrie Irving (12/2/4/1 with two 3-pointers in 39 minutes) taking a back seat offensively, the Mavericks need Doncic to be at his best. That was the case on Wednesday, and Game 6 isn’t until Saturday in Dallas. Doncic will get a welcome respite before the Mavericks look to end the series at home. Rotoworld Today, 8:58 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 Today, 7:21 pm
  • Darius Garland struggles in season-ending defeat
    Darius Garland accounted for 11 points (4-of-17 FGs, 3-of-3 FTs), nine assists, and two steals in 43 minutes in Wednesday’s 113-98 loss to the Celtics.

    Advice: Boston eliminated Cleveland in five games, an unsurprising outcome given the Cavaliers’ many injuries. What was incredibly disappointing about Game 5 was Garland’s performance. After scoring 30 points and dishing out seven assists in Game 4, he shot 4-of-17 from the field and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. As with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, injuries were a significant factor for Garland, as he was limited to 57 regular-season games. While his value in 8-cat formats wasn’t far from his Yahoo ADP (40.3), he failed to crack the top 100 in 9-cat. Selecting Garland within the top 50 of standard league drafts wouldn’t be a bad idea, but fantasy managers can’t be blamed if they decide to look elsewhere next fall. Rotoworld Today, 7:10 pm
  • Nears 20 points in Game 5 victory
    White closed with 18 points (7-17 FG, 4-9 3Pt), five rebounds, six assists and two blocks in 36 minutes during Wednesday's 113-98 victory over the Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: White had a strong outing from deep in Wednesday's series-clinching win, connecting on a quartet of threes to go along with a half-dozen assists, a handful of rebounds and a pair of blocks in a near 20-point showcase. White stepped up for Boston in the semifinals, tallying at least 18 points in two of the five contests. White could be a key factor once again for the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals as an additional option offensively behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Rotowire.com Today, 7:04 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 did a little bit of everything to help Cleveland come away victorious in Game 5, 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 Today, 6:54 pm
  • Derrick White hits four triples, scores 18 points
    Derrick White shot 7-of-17 from the field in Wednesday’s win over the Cavaliers, accounting for 18 points, five rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and four 3-pointers in 36 minutes.

    Advice: All five Celtics starters finished Game 5 in double figures, with White being one of three to score at least 18 points. And this was a much-needed performance, as he shot 8-of-30 from the field in Games 2 through 4. White helped make up for Jaylen Brown, who finished with just 11 points while accounting for four rebounds, seven assists, one steal, one block, and one 3-pointer. Brown took on more of a facilitator role, opening up scoring opportunities for his teammates. White having a better night in Game 5 should give him some positive momentum heading into the conference finals, with the Celtics set to host either New York or Indiana in Game 1 next week. Rotoworld Today, 6:33 pm