Bobby

Portis

Portis hasn’t necessarily been a bad fantasy player this season, but he’s someone many fantasy managers hoped would approach top-100 per-game value. That hasn’t happened, as he’s ranked outside the top 150, and it’s fair to wonder if he’s dealing with a lower ceiling than anticipated. Portis has played 25 minutes or more in six of his first 15 games; in 2023-24, he met or exceeded that number in more than half (42) of his 82 appearances.

Due to a right elbow contusion, Portis was initially doubtful for Saturday’s game after missing Wednesday’s win over the Pistons. He gutted out 24 effective minutes in Charlotte, scoring 21 points on good shooting percentages. While the Bucks have been a disappointment thus far, Portis remains a player worth rostering in most fantasy leagues.

All three players will be available for this game, and while both Giannis and Green were probable, Portis was initially deemed doubtful. However, reports from the team’s PR team indicate that he will be available. It’s unclear if he’ll see his usual workload, but he should play a large role off the bench. Green has started the team’s last two games and may retain that role in this matchup.

Ryan Rollins (shoulder) joins Lillard and Portis on the injury report, and the Bucks will be sorely shorthanded against Charlotte. AJ Green and Delon Wright should continue to hold things down in Milwaukee’s backcourt, and Taurean Prince and Pat Connaughton could see more playing time with Portis presumably sidelined.

This is surprising, as Portis was not included in any of Milwaukee’s injury reports throughout the afternoon. There isn’t a surefire fantasy pickup with Portis sidelined. While MarJon Beauchamp and Chris Livingston could play more minutes, neither is worth gambling on in fantasy.

Portis came off the bench with Giannis Antetokounmpo active. While Portis wasn’t efficient shooting as he scored 17 points on 17 shots, he did all of that in just 18 minutes of play. Without Damian Lillard on the floor, the Bucks spread the ball around. Portis has more fantasy value when Giannis misses games than when Lillard does.

Antetokounmpo is back after sitting out Monday’s loss to the Cavaliers. His return means Bobby Portis will come off the bench, with Portis’ fantasy value taking a slight hit. Also worth considering is that Milwaukee visits the Knicks on Friday. Given Giannis’ adductor and knee issues, it would be in their best interests to take care of the Jazz early.

A limited participant in Wednesday’s practice, Antetokounmpo is officially questionable for Thursday. If he cannot play, Bobby Portis will remain in the starting lineup, which boosts his fantasy value.

Antetokounmpo did not play in Monday’s loss to Cleveland, which dropped the Bucks to 1-6 on the season. During Wednesday’s practice, he was limited to participating in the walkthrough and skeleton (5-on-0) installation portions. If Giannis cannot play on Thursday against the Jazz, Bobby Portis will remain in the starting lineup.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) missed this game, which was their second straight against the Cavs. Portis, who always seems to shine when he gets the chance to start, slid into the opening unit and did just that. He set season-highs for points, rebounds and blocks, and while they came up short on the scoreboard once again, Portis had a huge game. The Bucks have a back-to-back later this week and another one early next week. Giannis didn’t miss Milwaukee’s previous back-to-back, but since he missed this game, there is certainly a chance he misses a leg of each. If that happens, Portis should have more big games coming up.