Dallas

Mavericks

Washington did not play in Tuesday’s win over the Kings, which moved Naji Marshall into the starting lineup. That should remain the case on Thursday, with Marshall’s fantasy ceiling being raised.

Williams entered Tuesday shooting a career-worst 18.8 percent from beyond the arc. However, his struggles did not prevent Cooper Flagg from passing the ball to the Mavericks’ guard, whose three-pointer with 33.9 seconds remaining proved to be the game-winning shot. Just as encouraging for the few who did not drop Williams is that his playing time has been solid recently. Despite coming off the bench, he’s played at least 24 minutes in five straight games, while Ryan Nembhard (three rebounds and four assists) has lost significant playing time and been bumped to the bench. For those who held onto Williams, keep doing so.

Davis didn’t have a good night shooting the basketball, but rebounds and blocked shots helped compensate. The 16 rebounds were one shy of his season-high, and the Mavericks’ forward/center has blocked seven shots over his last two games. With Daniel Gafford (10 points, 13 rebounds, one steal and one blocked shot) in the starting lineup, Davis can lurk more defensively, giving more opportunities to block shots from the weak side. While being the lone big on the floor may boost Davis’ offensive value, sharing the court with another big helps him defensively.

Flagg’s second stint as the primary playmaker in Dallas’ starting lineup has gone well. Through two games, the rookie has recorded 12 assists with just three turnovers. One of his six helpers on Tuesday set up Brandon Williams’ game-winning three-pointer with 33.9 seconds remaining. If Flagg can continue on this path of efficient playmaking, reaching his Yahoo! ADP (42) before the season concludes should not be difficult. There was an injury scare during Tuesday’s game, as Flagg left during the third quarter after banging knees with Sacramento’s Precious Achiuwa. However, after some time on the exercise bike, the rookie was back on the court later in the quarter.

The Mavericks are without P.J. Washington, who suffered a sprained right ankle during Saturday’s win over the Rockets. He’ll be replaced in the lineup by Marshall, who started the second half of that victory. That’s the lone change to the starting lineup, with Flagg once again serving as the primary playmaker.

While Washington was present at Dallas’ pregame shootaround, he was still listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s game with a sprained right ankle. He’s officially out, which could result in Naji Marshall moving into the starting lineup. Marshall started the second half of Saturday’s win over the Rockets, and he would be worth streaming if allowed to start.

Washington exited early from Saturday’s game against Houston and is expected to remain out against Sacramento. Naji Marshall started the second half of that game in his place and should remain in that role against the Kings. Marshall typically shines as a starter and should be streamed in that role.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd’s decision to drop Ryan Nembhard to the bench did not result in Williams being moved into the starting lineup. However, he played 24 minutes, while Nembhard (five points, three assists and one three-pointer) played 13. Neither guard has been exceptionally reliable in fantasy basketball this season, with both ranked outside the top-200 in eight- and nine-cat formats. For that reason, fantasy managers should not rush to add either, especially ahead of a three-game Week 12.

Anthony Davis may have been the headliner on Saturday, but he received ample help from Christie. The Mavericks guard has scored at least 18 points in three consecutive games, providing third-round fantasy value over the past week. Christie appears well-positioned to hold onto his starting job for the foreseeable future, which makes him worth a look in 14-team leagues. He’s currently rostered in 12 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

The decision to replace Ryan Nembhard in the starting lineup with Daniel Gafford (9/8/1/0/2 in 19 minutes) pushed Davis to his preferred power forward role, and he had one of his most impactful games of the season. In addition to recording his 11th double-double of the season, the Mavericks’ forward/center tallied a season-high five blocked shots. Davis is more comfortable at the four, but how much he gets to play there depends on Gafford’s availability. The Mavericks play three games in Week 12, starting with the Kings on Tuesday.