Jalen

Smith

Richards was excellent against Portland, recording his first double-double of the season in 27 minutes off the bench. He played so well that Bulls head coach Billy Donovan inserted him into the lineup to begin the third quarter, with Guerschon Yabusele (six points, five rebounds, one assist and one block) being moved to the bench. With Jalen Smith (calf) out for the foreseeable future, Richards would be worth the risk in deep leagues if he can hold onto that starting center role.

Donovan said that is when Smith’s ramp-up period will begin, which means he will be sidelined for more than that. That means Guerschon Yabusele will continue to start at center for at least four more games, likely more, with Nick Richards filling out the backup minutes.

While Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said on Wednesday that he expects Smith to miss some time after straining his right calf during Sunday’s loss to the Knicks, he is officially listed as doubtful for Thursday’s game. Guerschon Yabusele played 27 minutes as the starting center in Tuesday’s loss to the Hornets, with Nick Richards logging 22 as the backup. Expect a similar setup on Thursday.

Smith missed Tuesday’s game against the Hornets after exiting early from Sunday’s game against the Knicks. It appears that he may miss a few games, at least. Guerschon Yabusele and Nick Richards will be the center options for Chicago moving forward.

Smith sustained a right calf strain in Sunday’s loss to the Knicks, and it will cost him at least one game. In Smith’s absence, Guerschon Yabusele should see additional run, making him a worthwhile pickup off the waiver wire.

Playing against the Knicks for the first time since being traded at the deadline, Yabusele was productive in his 30 minutes on the floor. Shooting 50 percent from the field, the 6-foot-8 forward recorded his second double-double since joining the Bulls. And with Jalen Smith (calf) exiting Sunday’s game halfway through the third quarter and not returning, Yabusele and Nick Richards (nine points, 13 rebounds and one blocked shot) stand to play more if Smith misses time. The Bulls play three games in Week 18, starting with the Hornets on Tuesday.

Smith, who missed Chicago’s final three games before the All-Star break with a strained right calf, had to exit Sunday’s game due to tightness in the same calf. Clearly, that is a concern for the Bulls and for fantasy managers who hoped to rely on Smith during the silly season. Guerschon Yabusele has benefited the most from Smith’s early exit, and his fantasy value would increase if Smith has to miss time.

Richards may be sidelined for the second night of this back-to-back. Both Jalen Smith and Guerschon Yabusele started on Saturday, and if Richards is out, they’ll split the minutes at center.

Yabusele was initially probable for Saturday’s game, so the status upgrade was expected. With Jalen Smith back in the Bulls’ lineup, Yabusele is unlikely to get the minutes needed to affect fantasy basketball.

Giddey, Okoro and Smith are back after missing time before the All-Star break due to injury. As a result of their returns, Collin Sexton, Patrick Williams and Guerschon Yabusele head to the bench. Simons and Buzelis are the holdovers from the quintet that started Chicago’s February 11 loss to the Celtics.