Tyrese

Maxey

Maxey will miss a second-straight game after suffering a lower back sprain on Monday. Jared Butler, who played 25 minutes off the bench in Tuesday’s loss to the Timberwolves, should take on a similar role. However, fantasy managers must target Quentin Grimes before considering Butler or Lonnie Walker IV.

Edwards did not play in Tuesday’s loss to the Timberwolves, sitting out the second game of Philadelphia’s back-to-back with a sprained left ankle. If allowed to play on Thursday, the rookie could be part of the starting lineup. Paul George is questionable, and Tyrese Maxey has already been ruled out due to a back injury.

Maxey injured his back and left Monday’s game against the Trail Blazers midway through the third quarter. It’s unclear how long the injury might keep him out for, but the 24-year-old point guard has been ruled out for the second game of the back-to-back. Jeff Dowtin Jr. will pick up additional minutes and is worth considering as a streaming option in Maxey’s absence.

Grimes shot a pitiful 6-of-15 from the floor, including 0-of-5 from beyond the arc. It was an anticlimactic follow-up to the career-high 44 points he posted in Saturday’s win over Golden State. Despite the dip on offense, Grimes showed that he has fantasy value as a rebounder and facilitator, and he could be more involved in the latter category if Tyrese Maxey is forced to miss time moving forward.

Maxey was forced to leave Monday’s game with just under seven minutes remaining in the third quarter with a back contusion. His exit means more minutes for Jeff Dowtin Jr., who will only have fantasy value moving forward if Maxey misses time. In 23 minutes, Tyrese accounted for five points (2-of-13 FGs), six assists, one steal and one three-pointer.

Maxey’s scoring production over the last few weeks has been inconsistent, which is surprising after his dominant run in January. Maxey scored an inefficient 30 points in Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks, but he tied his season-low for scoring on Saturday, which he initially set in his final appearance before the All-Star break. Maxey has been dealing with an injury to his right pinky finger which is clearly impacting his ability to shoot the ball. He has only hit one three-pointer over his last three games and has shot 30.4 percent from the floor during that stretch. Still, he was able to provide some assist value to make up for his lack of scoring on Saturday.

Saturday’s game will be the sixth straight Lowry has missed due to right hip injury management. Tyrese Maxey has consistently exceeded 40 minutes as the starter, while rookie Justin Edwards played 28 minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks. Expect more of the same on Saturday.

Maxey finished Wednesday’s defeat with a gaudy point tally, the tenth time in 14 games that he’s scored at least 30 points. However, it’s clear that Maxey’s injured pinky finger on his right (shooting) hand is having an impact. The 76ers guard missed all 10 of his three-point attempts Wednesday night, but the Knicks could not stay in front of him defensively. With Philadelphia suffering a ninth consecutive defeat, it’s fair to question if there will be a point when the team uses Maxey’s finger injury as a reason to shut him down. We haven’t reached that point yet, which is good news for those who have him rostered.

While Maxey was deemed healthy enough to play in Monday’s game, the injured finger on his right (shooting) hand did the 76ers guard no favors. He shot 30 percent from the field in the blowout loss, and Maxey’s night ended with about five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Given Philadelphia’s losing streak (eight games) and Joel Embiid’s undetermined status, Maxey’s minutes are worth watching the next few games. The 76ers aren’t currently a play-in team, and even if they found a way there they aren’t playing like they’re going to make the legitimate playoffs.

Maxey recently sprained the pinky finger on his right hand, which is why he was listed on the 76ers’ injury report. He will play against the Bulls, which likely means that Jared Butler will not get the minutes needed to achieve fantasy relevance. There’s no need to stash Butler before the “silly season.”