Detroit

Pistons

THJ’s role is to be a source of floor spacing for them, but he has struggled in recent weeks. It culminated with a full Tony Snell performance in their last game, but he was able to bounce back in this one. In fantasy hoops, THJ is only a source of 3-pointers, but he hasn’t been consistent enough this year to justify a roster spot. If he gets hot, then you can stream him for a stretch, but as of now, he should be left on the waiver wire.

After being a late scratch in their last game, Cunningham was up to his usual tricks in this one. He was the leading scorer and the offensive engine, but he didn’t get enough help to make this a close game. Aside from the uncharacterstic poor night at the free throw line, Cade had a solid performance. The Pistons will play the second night of a back-to-back in Boston on Wednesday, so keep an eye on the injury report to see if Cunningham will be able to play, or if the sacroiliac joint sprain will keep him sidelined.

Harris did a bit of everything in this game, but it didn’t help the Pistons make this a close game. However, he was able to respond well after an atrocious performance in their last game. He was held to a season-low four points in 23 minutes on Saturday, and this was a much better outing for him. Harris hasn’t been the stellar option that he was expected to be in Detroit, and his numbers have suffered. He has barely been a top-100 player in 9-cat leagues, which is nowhere near his Yahoo ADP of 64.7.

With Cunningham back after being a late scratch in their last game, Malik Beasley will return to playing his role as the team’s sixth man. He has still been able to pour in the triples as a reserve, so this move won’t have a dramatic impact on his output.

It’s worth noting that Cunningham wasn’t on the injury report ahead of their last game and was ruled out about 15 minutes before tipoff. Hopefully that won’t happen twice in a row, but as of now, he should be back, which would push Malik Beasley back to the bench.

Fontecchio didn’t shoot the ball well, going 1-of-8 from beyond the arc, but he was highly productive on the glass. He corralled a career-high 11 rebounds, providing a little value off the bench. This performance isn’t enough to make Fontecchio a player worth rostering, but seeing him be productive on a night when his shot wasn’t falling was nice.

Due to Cade Cunningham being a late scratch, Beasley made his fourth start in Detroit’s last five games. The points and 3-pointers were where fantasy manages like to see them, with the rebounds and assists being excellent bonuses. Over the previous two weeks, Beasley has provided top-60 per-game value in 9-cat formats. He’s likely to return to the bench when the Pistons host Milwaukee on Tuesday.

No one connected to the Pistons would be blamed if they labeled Saturday’s defeat a “schedule loss.” After blowing out the Pacers on Friday, they faced the 76ers at home, and Cade Cunningham was a late scratch. Ivey didn’t have his best game, but he’s been much-improved this season. He’ll look to be better on Tuesday when the Pistons host Milwaukee in a pivotal NBA Cup game, the first of three Detroit will play during the first segment of Week 7.

There was optimism that Cunningham would play after returning to the lineup on Friday in a win over the Pacers. Unfortunately, he was scratched about 15 minutes before Saturday’s tip time. Malik Beasley moves into the starting lineup, with Jaden Ivey sliding into the point guard role.

Duren stayed out of foul trouble on Friday and still ended up only playing 26 minutes, though it was a 24-point blowout. Still, he managed to have a double-double and block four shots. Duren was effective on both ends once again, but simply doesn’t play enough minutes to be a top-100 fantasy player.