Saben

Lee

Gordon will miss a second consecutive game with the knee contusion, and his absence will not significantly impact fantasy basketball. Saben Lee could sneak into the back end of the rotation, but he’s unlikely to get the minutes needed to be worth streaming.

Okogie is unlikely to return on Saturday, and his absence will mean more playing time for fellow reserves Eric Gordon and Saben Lee. Neither offers great fantasy value, although Gordon is worthy of consideration in deep leagues with Devin Booker (ankle) sidelined.

Lee got the starting nod with Phoenix resting Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. He dished out what would’ve been the third-highest assist total of his career with nine dimes. It appears that he’ll slot in as the Suns’ backup point guard as of now, unless Jordan Goodwin ends up with the role. Whichever player that ends up with the role won’t be able to contribute much fantasy value either way.

With their big three all sitting, Phoenix will roll out Lee, Allen and Metu alongside Nurk and Okogie. As of now, it doesn’t appear that guys like Nassir Little and Keita Bates-Diop are in consideration for the fifth starting spot. Okogie should have the job, which isn’t ideal for fantasy, even if he can contribute some steals and 3-pointers.

Phoenix rested four of its usual five starters on Sunday, as the outcome wasn’t going to impact the team’s playoff seeding. That meant a move into the starting lineup for Lee, and he made the most of his 44 minutes on the court. In addition to the 25 points and nine assists, he was responsible for just one turnover. Darius Bazley (16/9/2/0/2 with one 3-pointer) and Jock Landale (15/8/2 with one 3-pointer) played well in the frontcourt, and like Lee, they aren’t guaranteed rotation minutes once the postseason begins. Landale’s the best positioned of the three, as backup center Bismack Biyombo is dealing with a knee injury (that isn’t expected to keep him sidelined for the playoffs). The Suns will host the Clippers in Game 1 of their series next weekend.

The Suns are resting four of their five starters for Sunday’s game, except Okogie. Lee, Shamet, and Landale are worthy of a look in deeper leagues for the final day of the regular season.

Due to the back issue, Payne had to exit Friday’s loss to the Lakers prematurely. His absence from Sunday’s game likely means that Saben Lee will move into the starting lineup. Damion Lee may also take on more playing time due to the Suns’ lack of point guards.

Phoenix is locked in as the 4-seed in the West, which is why they played without Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton in this game. That will likely continue against the Clippers on Sunday, which means that their rotation from this game will likely be used again in game 82. Craig led the team in scoring, though Jock Landale recorded a 17/10 double-double and started the second half after Bismack Biyombo exited with a knee injury. Cameron Payne also exited at halftime due to a back issue, and it wouldn’t be shocking if he missed Sunday’s game. That’ll leave Josh Okogie, Terrence Ross and Saben Lee as other solid options.

Payne played 15 minutes, all in the first half, before the decision was made to shut him down for the rest of the night. And he was productive during that time on the floor, scoring 13 points with one rebound, four assists, and one 3-pointer. Payne’s absence frees up additional minutes for Saben Lee, who moved into the backup role with usual starter Chris Paul among the Suns’ starters sidelined for Friday’s game.

Payne and Shamet have both been sidelined since January, which means their continued absence won’t have a huge impact on Phoenix’s lineup. They’re just trying to stay afloat until Kevin Durant can play. Damion and Saben Lee will fill the guard minutes until Payne and Shamet can play.