Matas

Buzelis

Buzelis injured his ankle during the third quarter, and while he wasn’t officially ruled out during the game, he didn’t end up checking back into the game. Head coach Billy Donovan said after the game that it is an ankle sprain, but Buzelis, who hasn’t missed a game this season, hopes that he won’t have to miss any time. Leonard Miller, who played 21 minutes off the bench in this game, could slide into the starting unit if he does.

Buzelis was one of the bright spots for the Bulls as their losing streak reached 11 games, having scored at least 15 points in four straight games entering Sunday. The second-year forward put forth another quality effort on Sunday, making it three consecutive games with at least 20 points, as he helped snap the skid. All that Buzelis’ stat line lacked was a blocked shot, but there won’t be many fantasy managers who complain about that. The Bulls begin a three-game Week 19 on Tuesday against the Thunder.

After scoring 32 points in Tuesday’s loss to the Hornets, Buzelis put up 20 more on Thursday. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t enough to prevent an 11th straight defeat, capping the worst month in franchise history. Given where the Bulls are in the standings, the last month-plus should be a time when they lean heavily on Buzelis, figuring out what he can (and can’t) do with an eye toward the 2026-27 season. If so, that would benefit fantasy managers, even if the shooting efficiency can be problematic at times.

In a blowout loss to Charlotte, Buzelis was the line bright spot. He accounted for nearly one-third of Chicago’s points, which was a new season high for him. This was a spectacular showing for him, but it wasn’t enough to snap the Bulls’ 10-game losing streak. He hasn’t had the breakout season that many were expecting from him, but more outings like this down the stretch could make him a league-winner.

Buzelis finished with a complete stat line, and his increased blocked shot production has given his fantasy value a nice boost. Over the past two weeks, the second-year forward has averaged 2.1 rejections per game, which has factored into Buzelis being a third-round player in eight-cat formats. One could argue that the final two months will be a good time for the Bulls to determine if Buzelis can be a focal point moving forward. If they choose to evaluate him through that lens, it should ensure that he plays plenty the rest of the way.

Buzelis did not have a good night shooting the basketball, but he did provide excellent value in the blocks category. The second-year forward recorded at least three blocks in three of the five games he’s played in February, a nice haul, considering that Buzelis met or exceeded that number four times in December and January combined. Given the guards that Chicago added to the roster at the trade deadline, and Josh Giddey’s potential return, Buzelis will need to up his production in some of the other categories to boost his fantasy value.

Buzelis had 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the first three quarters as the Bulls led by six entering the fourth quarter. The 21-year-old forward had six points, one rebound and no assists in the fourth quarter and the Bulls lost by 16. Bulls coach Billy Donovan spoke after the game about how Buzelis has to adjust to losing so many teammates at the trade deadline. Essentially playing with all new teammates could lead to some inconsistencies, but Buzelis should get more comfortable with his comrades eventually.

Buzelis became the first Bulls player in franchise history to have five three-pointers and five blocks in a game. In an exaggerated parody of Michael Jordan’s shot over Bryon Russell in the 1998 NBA Finals, clearly shoved a defender to the floor with no foul called before making a three-pointers toward the end of the third quarter. Buzelis has provided ninth-round per game value this season, though with game like this at age-21 he obviously has a sky-high ceiling.

Buzelis delivered a couple critical baskets in the closing moments of regulation, including a three-pointer with 39 seconds left that gave Chicago a commanding five-point advantage. The dynamic 21-year-old has been a bit inconsistent from a scoring standpoint but he’s averaging 15.1 points through 49 games. He’s topped 20 points in six of 16 games since the start of January.

A top-100 fantasy player for most of the season, Buzelis has provided top-75 value in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks. The ability to fill a stat line is why, and the Bulls’ forward has been more productive from beyond the arc. Over the past two weeks, Buzelis has made 2.9 three-pointers per game, one more than his average for the season. The Bulls head to Miami for their final two games of Week 15, a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday.