NBA

Embiid looks like a trye game-time decision for Friday’s heavyweight bout with the No. 1 seed Celtics, but if he’s unable to go, expect Marcus Morris Sr., Paul Reed and Robert Covington to take on additional minutes.

Dallas will be severely shorthanded in the frontcourt with both Doncic and Exum out of commission. Kyrie Irving will likely slide over to point guard, with Jaden Hardy and Seth Curry likely to see more minutes in the backcourt. Tim Hardaway Jr. (back) is questionable, so Dallas may have to lean on some of its players further down the depth chart. Olivier-Maxence Prosper (ankle) has been cleared to play, and he may be in line for a few extra minutes in this one.

LaVine’s absence comes after he sustained a foot injury Tuesday and sat out Thursday. He’ll miss Saturday’s matchup with New Orleans and both of Chicago’s games next week at minimum. His next chance to play won’t come again until Week 8. The Bulls play Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday that week, but it’s unclear if LaVine will return after the week off, or if that is the minimum time he’ll be sidelined. His extended absence will surely louden the whispers of a potential trade. While LaVine is out, Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams should benefit from extended minutes.

While a key member of the Thunder starting lineup due to his defensive prowess, Dort tends to be overlooked in fantasy basketball circles. And with good reason. He’s yet to finish a season ranked within the top 100 in either 8- or 9-cat formats, with poor shooting limiting his value. Well, things may be changing. Dort’s shooting 45.6% from the field and 78.9% from the foul line this season, a major reason why he’s currently ranked just outside the top 100 in 9-cat formats. Dort’s value slips a bit in 8-cat due to his not being a high-turnover guy, but his season-long production is at a level that can be used to justify considering him in some standard leagues. This isn’t the best time to add Dort, as he’s been quiet recently (Thursday notwithstanding), and OKC only plays once more in Week 6 and twice in Week 7. But he is worth tracking in the short term.

Holmgren had a good night at the office, but it could have been even better as he was 1-of-6 from three. The rookie is shooting over 40% from three on the season, evidence that nights like Thursday have not been the norm. For Holmgren to be close to a 50/40/90 player after missing all of last season was something very few people expected to see. Having entered the season with a Yahoo ADP of 46, he’s providing 1st-round per-game value in 9-cat formats and 2nd-round value in 8-cat.

In addition to being asked to provide scoring, Williams was the first line of defense in Oklahoma City’s quest to slow down LeBron James. While the future Hall of Fame forward put up 21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block, and four 3-pointers, he was also responsible for five turnovers. Give JDub some of the credit for that, while Oklahoma City’s ability to shut down the Lakers’ supporting cast was what truly blew the game wide open. After struggling in his first game back on Tuesday, Williams was much better two nights later.

With Chris Paul and Gary Payton II out, there were some minutes for Podziemski to fill. Moses Moody entered the starting unit in place of Andrew Wiggins (finger), so Podziemski got to take all of the backup guard minutes. He took advantage of the opportunity and posted a solid line in his 31 minutes. He was also part of the team’s closing lineup, which shows how much Steve Kerr trusts him. Overall, Podziemski hasn’t been a great fantasy option this season, but when he’s gotten the minutes, he has proven that he is capable of producing value. CP3 and GP2 may be out a few more games and have already been ruled out for Saturday’s rematch with the Clippers, which should allow for Podziemski to have another solid performance.

Prince’s production has tailed off after scoring 18 and 20 points in two of the Lakers’ first three games to begin the season. According to Basketball Monster, he’s ranked 250th in 9-cat per-game value over the last month. Rostered in seven percent of Yahoo leagues, Prince is no longer a player whom fantasy managers can justify rostering. And with Jarred Vanderbilt (heel) progressing in his recovery, Prince’s already-low fantasy value will take another hit in the near future.

Zubac dominated the glass when he was on the floor in this game and recorded his third double-double in their last four games. He only played 27 minutes in this game, which has become the norm for him. He is averaging 25.9 minutes per game this year, which has allowed him to produce 11.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 60.9% shooting. Daniels Theis played 15 minutes, which means they played six minutes without a traditional center. Zubac is capable of providing traditional center stats, but Tyronn Lue has made it a point over the last few seasons to manage his minutes. That really limits his upside in fantasy hoops.

Davis recorded his fifth 30-point double-double of the season on Thursday, leading the Lakers in points and rebounds. For the season, he’s exceeded expectations as far as fantasy basketball is concerned. Boasting a Yahoo ADP of 12, Davis is providing top 5 per-game value in 8- and 9-cat formats. And, knock on wood, he’s only missed one of the Lakers’ first 20 games. Davis hasn’t played 60 games in a season since the 2019-20 campaign, and that was a season that had a hiatus of more than four months due to COVID-19.