Dallas

Mavericks

Thompson is available after sitting out Saturday’s win over the Rockets with a sore knee. His return likely means fewer minutes for D’Angelo Russell and Jaden Hardy, with the latter possibly falling out of the rotation entirely. Thompson is mainly an option for deep-league managers needing three-pointers.

Gafford has missed two straight and four of Dallas’s last five games as his right ankle continues to be an issue. With Dereck Lively II (foot) done for the season, the Mavericks will continue to start Anthony Davis at the center position. Dwight Powell will pick up rotation minutes off the bench if Gafford remains out.

Lively was reportedly seeking other opinions last week, which is never a positive sign. He’s expected to make a full recovery, but after appearing in just seven games, his third year in the NBA will end up as a lost one. Anthony Davis will be asked to spend more time at center, especially when Daniel Gafford isn’t available. There will also be extra minutes for Moussa Cisse and Dwight Powell, though only as depth pieces. Lively will only be 22 years old at the start of next season and will be an enticing option in fantasy hoops. However, he can be safely dropped in redraft leagues at this point.

In the five games he played after being moved out of the starting lineup, Williams averaged 8.6 points while shooting 32.6 percent from the field. He had no such issues on Saturday, with the 20 points the most the Mavericks guard has scored in a game since October 29. Saturday’s performance won’t be enough to get Williams back on the radar in most fantasy leagues, as Ryan Nembhard continues to start. But he is worth keeping an eye on, as Williams appears to be locked into the backup role ahead of D’Angelo Russell.

Back in the lineup after a four-game absence, Washington recorded one of his best all-around lines of the season. While the scoring was modest, he did a good job on the glass and matched his career-high with five steals. However, this was Washington’s second game this season with more than two steals, so fantasy managers should not expect Saturday’s performance to become the norm. And Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd’s decision to stick with Naji Marshall (15/2/2/1 with one three-pointer) was good news for those who turned to him while Washington was out.

Flagg finished Saturday’s victory with a complete stat line, and his fantasy value continues to improve after a slow start to his rookie campaign. Over the past two weeks, the forward has provided fourth-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats. In addition to him getting more comfortable, Flagg has seemingly benefited from some solidity at the point guard position, with fellow rookie Ryan Nembhard (11/1/7/1 with one three-pointer) making the job his own recently.

Davis finished Saturday’s game with a stat line on par with what many have expected of him, but injuries have been a disappointing issue for him. However, he did play both games of this Friday/Saturday back-to-back, which is immense, given Davis’ struggles to stay healthy. Dallas only plays once during Week 8, which will give Davis and his teammates some time to get healthier.

Washington is back after a four-game absence, but his presence in the starting lineup does not come at Marshall’s expense. Instead, it will be Max Christie who heads to the bench after starting 21 consecutive games. While he will remain in the rotation, Christie’s already-low fantasy ceiling takes a hit with the change.

Washington is available after a four-game absence with a sprained right ankle. If he starts, Naji Marshall will be pushed to the bench, where his fantasy value takes a slight hit. That said, Marshall should still play plenty due to injuries to other Mavericks players.

Gafford was initially doubtful for Saturday night, so the downgrade in status was expected. Anthony Davis will once again handle most of the available minutes at the center position, with Dwight Powell serving as his primary backup.