Jimmy

Butler

Butler did not provide much scoring on Sunday, but category league managers received excellent value in the assist and steals categories. He’s dished out eight assists or more on five occasions since joining the Warriors, so the production in that category was unsurprising. However, the four steals matched his season-high, with Butler hitting that number for the first time since February 10. Over the past two weeks, Butler has provided fifth-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats.

Butler stunk it up against the Heat as the Warriors lost their second straight game. Fortunately for Golden State fans and fantasy managers alike, Butler got back on track with a strong statistical showing. He’ll look to keep the positive momentum going on Sunday against the Spurs.

Yikes. To call Butler’s performance underwhelming would be a monster understatement. Making his return to Kaseya Center for the first time since getting traded to Golden State, all eyes were on Butler, and he played arguably his worst game since joining the Warriors. Butler was deferential on offense, taking only 12 shots and failing to get to the charity stripe with regularity. As if the poor scoring wasn’t bad enough, he did next to nothing in the peripheral categories as his team got blasted on the road. This surely wasn’t the homecoming that Butler (or his fantasy managers) was expecting, but he’ll look to bounce back in Friday’s tilt with the Pelicans.

Butler recorded solid numbers in the points and assist categories, but he may have done a little too much attempting to compensate for Stephen Curry’s absence. Butler attempted a season-high seven three-pointers, and he only made one. Given the available shooters on the Warriors’ roster, Butler is well-positioned to provide greater value in the assist category besides what he can do as a scorer. Next up is a return to Miami to face his former employer on Tuesday in what should be a charged environment.

Butler continues to fit in flawlessly with Golden State, and he was able to record his second triple-double as a Warrior in this game. It wasn’t his most efficient shooting night, but he was able to make up for it with his well-rounded production on both ends. He may continue to be a focal point of the offense if Stephen Curry (pelvis) remains out against the Hawks on Saturday after exiting early on Thursday. Butler turned in a 24/8/10 line without Steph on Tuesday.

With Stephen Curry unavailable for Tuesday’s game, the basketball was in Butler’s hands more often. And fantasy managers undoubtedly benefitted, as Butler finished two rebounds shy of a triple-double. Since joining the Warriors in early February, he has recorded one double-double and one triple-double, and he has been a top-75 player since the All-Star break. Golden State has two more games to play during Week 20, starting with the Raptors on Thursday.

With Stephen Curry struggling, Butler picked up the slack on the offensive end to lead Golden State in scoring. However, he had his own uncharacteristic struggles at the free throw line, which prevented him from having a better night. Steve Kerr said that they will consider resting Curry against Milwaukee on Tuesday, which should mean extra usage for Butler. However, there is a chance that Butler also gets a rest night. Keep a close eye on the injury report.

Butler, undoubtedly the big winner of the trade deadline at this point, came off back-to-back games with at least 25 points to have his best game as a Warrior yet. The 35-year-old small forward dropped a triple-double on the Trail Blazers. Butler also contributed three steals on the defensive end. He’s had only one turnover in three of the last four games while playing at least 35 minutes in every game. Butler continues to trend upwards as we approach the fantasy playoffs.

Since his first few games with Golden State, Butler hadn’t been as aggressive as a scorer in recent games. However, he had some success on Thursday and had his second 25-point game since being traded to the Warriors, with the first coming in his debut for them almost a month ago. It’s unlikely that this continues to be the norm for him, though it wouldn’t be surprising if he started to pick things up with the playoffs approaching. Golden State will close out the week against Detroit on Saturday.

The Warriors are now 9-1 with Jimmy Butler on the court, as his presence on the offensive end gives the team an element it sorely needs. While the stat line wasn’t robust, he has provided top 100 value in eight- and nine-cat formats as a Warrior. He may not be the “elite” Butler that some fantasy managers grew accustomed to, but at least they’re receiving value, which wasn’t the case before the trade.