Detroit

Pistons

Robinson bounced back from a less-productive seven-point outing against the Bucks by draining four three-pointers and finishing as one of Detroit’s top scorers in the blowout victory. He was one of eight Pistons to score in double figures, and accounted for one quarter of Detroit’s three-point production as a team. Robinson has started in all games he’s appeared in during his first season with the Pistons. He continues to help the team offensively.

Tobias Harris’ return from injury sent Stewart back to Detroit’s second unit, but that didn’t stop the sixth-year center from putting up good fantasy numbers. Off the bench, he logged 21 minutes and shot efficiently en route to finishing as the Pistons’ scoring leader. He also tallied a season-high in assists along the way and put together a second consecutive strong fantasy performance. Stewart will remain in a reserve role as long as Detroit’s roster is healthy. He likely isn’t worth rostering in fantasy leagues unless injuries lead him to start and consistently log heavy minutes.

Cunningham’s fantasy production was limited due to a one-sided contest on Friday between the Pistons and Hawks. Detroit led in this one by as many as 35 points, thus holding the former No. 1 overall pick to 23 minutes of game action. Friday marked the third time in the last five games that Cunningham finished with fewer than 20 points, which had happened only once previously this season. The Pistons will face the Celtics on Monday, which is the next time Cunningham will have a chance to put forth fantasy numbers that more closely align with the dominant ones he’s tallied so far this season.

Harris will make his return to the starting lineup after being out for a week with an ankle injury. His return gives the Pistons their opening-night starting unit, which will move Isaiah Stewart back to a reserve role to bolster Detroit’s bench. The Pistons have won four of their past five games and currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 19-5 record.

With Tobias Harris (ankle) unavailable, Stewart made his seventh start of the season on Saturday. After shooting 4-of-10 from three in his previous nine appearances, Beef Stew shot 3-of-5 against the Bucks. If there was a disappointing aspect of his performances, it was the lack of rebounds. Over the last two games, Stewart totaled three rebounds, a poor return for a player averaging 6.0 per game on the season. Recent rebounding production aside, he remains a player who should be rostered in deep leagues.

After a streak of four straight double-doubles, Duren entered Saturday having totaled 14 rebounds in his last two outings. Rebounding wasn’t a problem against the Bucks, especially with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo unavailable due to injury. Duren has recorded at least 16 rebounds in five games this season, with Saturday’s effort being the first since November 26. The Pistons play once during Week 8 but will have four games in fantasy leagues that combine Weeks 8 and 9 due to the NBA Cup knockout rounds.

After playing 36 minutes in Friday’s win over the Trail Blazers, Cunningham logged 32 on Saturday, spending most of the fourth quarter on the bench. The Pistons point guard is up to 12 double-doubles on the season and fifth in his last 10 games. The negative for Cunningham managers is the upcoming schedule, as Detroit plays only once in Week 8. However, this won’t be a significant issue for those competing in leagues that combine Weeks 8 and 9 to account for the NBA Cup knockout rounds.

Sasser is officially available to make his season debut on Saturday, improving Detroit’s depth on the perimeter. However, he’s unlikely to get the run needed to impact fantasy basketball. Daniss Jenkins may fall out of the rotation entirely with Sasser available.

Harris will not play on Saturday after logging 31 minutes in Friday’s win over the Trail Blazers. Isaiah Stewart is the most likely replacement in the starting lineup, and Beef Stew would be worth a look in deep leagues.

Sasser is closing in on his season debut, which is likely to come Saturday against the Bucks given his probable listing. The 25-year-old point guard will improve the Pistons’ depth, but isn’t relevant for fantasy managers.