Julian

Phillips

Giddey plans on returning from a two-game layoff against the Heat for Wednesday’s play-in game. Julian Phillips started Chicago’s final two regular season games, but with Giddey likely back, he won’t play a significant role against Miami. This is a win-or-go-home game for both teams, so expect Giddey to play extra minutes in order to keep the Bulls’ season alive.

Giddey will miss a second-straight game, and with Chicago locked in as the ninth seed in the East, Sunday’s game is inconsequential. Julian Phillips started in place of Giddey on Friday and should once again play a significant role.

Phillips used a big third-quarter performance to help Chicago close the door on this game and set a new career-high for scoring. He scored 15 of his 23 points in the third quarter alone to help lead the Bulls to a 30-point victory. The 2023 second-round pick didn’t play a significant role as a rookie, but he has played a larger role in year two. He started in place of Josh Giddey, and with Chicago locked in as the ninth seed in the East, Phillips will likely start against the 76ers in the season finale on Sunday with the veterans resting in preparation for the Play-In Tournament.

Buzelis is the lone typical starter for Chicago in this game. They will be incredibly shorthanded against Cleveland, which makes the rotation difficult to predict. However, these five will surely play significant roles, with Zach Collins, Julian Phillips and Talen Horton-Tucker among the reserves that should play big minutes.

Under normal circumstances, Carter and Phillips’ absences would not impact fantasy basketball. However, with the Bulls missing multiple perimeter players, the available options will likely log significant minutes on Tuesday. Talen Horton-Tucker and Patrick Williams should see their minutes increase due to the absences.

The Bulls list no fewer than nine players on their injury report, so the team could be thin at a number of positions. If Smith and Phillips sit, Patrick Williams and E.J. Liddell could absorb additional minutes.

With Lonzo Ball and Tre Jones also sidelined, Huerter’s injury could free up some additional playing time for Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips.

Phillips hasn’t contributed much since being drafted with the No. 35 pick in 2023, but everything came together on Thursday. He played a career-high 34 minutes and set new career-highs for points, rebounds and assists. It was an impressive performance from the 21-year-old forward, and it would be surprising if Chicago didn’t further explore his upside over the final month of the season. The production will be inconsistent, but he should have a consistent role moving forward.

Williams has missed the last eight games with a quad injury, with February 12 being the last time he’s played. His continued absence will mean more rotation minutes for Julian Phillips, which does not impact fantasy basketball.

Williams will miss an eighth-straight game. In his absence, Julian Phillips should continue to see increased run.