NBA Player News

The Wizards are without Jordan Poole for Sunday’s game, as he’s been ruled out with left hip flexor soreness. George will fill the starting lineup void, boosting his streaming value in deep leagues. Fellow rookie Bub Carrington also becomes more important to Washington’s rotation.

Washington has consistently stepped up offensively when Luka Doncic is out of the lineup and more is expected from him. He scored 21 points on 14 shots and had a double-double. It was basically a repeat performance from Friday, when he had 22 points and a double-double against the Nuggets. The Mavs have four games in Week 6, starting with the Hawks on Monday. Doncic is set to miss a few more games and Washington is certainly worth streaming until Luka returns.

With Luka Doncic out of the lineup on Sunday, Kyrie was the No. 1 option on offense for Dallas and led the team with 27 points. He took 21 shots and was only 3-of-12 on attempts from behind the 3-point line. Still, Irving had six assists and was +5 in 39 minutes in the overtime loss. The Mavs have four games in Week 6, starting with the Hawks on Monday in the second game of a back-to-back.

Furphy played 11 minutes before the injury, finishing with five points, one rebound, and one 3-pointer. While the rookie was available to return, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after the game that Furphy’s body language “did not make it seem like the right call.” That likely factored into Bennedict Mathurin playing 39 minutes, the most of any Pacers player. Indiana hosts New Orleans on Monday, and it feels safe to assume that Furphy will get the night off.

Bam scored just five points on eight shots in Jimmy Butler’s return game on Monday, but ended up taking 20 shots in the overtime game Sunday. His usage shouldn’t take a significant hit with Butler back in the lineup. Bam’s fantasy value will remain steady as he’s added range to his offensive game in recent years. He knocked down 3-of-6 attempts from behind the 3-point line Sunday. Miami has four games in Week 6, starting with the Bucks on Tuesday.

Joe did not play in either of Oklahoma City’s two games in Week 5, with Cason Wallace replacing him in the starting lineup. If Joe plays, Wallace’s minutes should not decrease too much, as the Thunder will be without Alex Caruso (hip). Ajay Mitchell may take a slight hit, but at best, he’s a deep-league option.

Caruso aggravated a prior hip injury during Wednesday’s win over Portland. Oklahoma City hasn’t played since, but the time off hasn’t been enough to get Caruso back to full strength (or close enough to play). Isaiah Joe (calf) is questionable for Monday’s game and can absorb some of the minutes if made available.

Herro’s usage hasn’t been impacted by Jimmy Butler’s return, though that’s also because Terry Rozier has missed both games since Butler returned. Herro had a double-double with 11 rebounds, but only managed 18 points on 25 shots. He made only 1-of-10 attempts from behind the 3-point line. Herro was -1 in 42 minutes in the overtime win. Miami has four games in Week 6, starting with the Bucks on Tuesday.

Butler’s dunk with four second left in the fourth quarter tied the game and the Heat were able to force overtime. It was a vintage Jimmy Buckets performance. Butler had 33 points on 17 shots, didn’t attempt a 3-pointer and made 11-of-16 free throws. He’s now had two games with at least 30 points since returning after a four-game absence due to an ankle injury. Miami has four games in Week 6, starting on Tuesday with the Bucks.

Maxey heading into Week 6 as a 4th-round player in 9-cat formats isn’t the worst thing in fantasy basketball. The absences of Paul George and Joel Embiid have meant more responsibility for the 76ers point guard, negatively impacting his efficiency. The good news for fantasy managers is that they’ve only taken a hit in field-goal percentage, as Maxey is averaging just 1.6 turnovers per game. The 76ers only play twice in Week 6, beginning with the Rockets on Wednesday.

It’s a good thing plus/minus isn’t a scoring category in fantasy basketball because Oubre tossed up a minus 40 on Sunday. The blame does fall solely at his feet, but Sunday’s performance was a microcosm of Philadelphia’s season thus far. With Paul George (knee) sidelined, Oubre should remain in the starting lineup until that changes. Unfortunately, he hasn’t proven to be the most valuable fantasy option, whether starting or coming off the bench.