Milwaukee

Bucks

Already without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks won’t have AJ Green for Saturday’s game, either. His absence means Kuzma moves into the starting lineup, raising his fantasy ceiling.

Green injured his left shoulder during Friday’s loss to the 76ers and will not play on Saturday. Kyle Kuzma started the second half in Green’s place and will likely move into the starting lineup. While not the most consistent player, Kuzma is worth rostering given the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Green injured his shoulder in Friday’s game against the 76ers and didn’t return. The 26-year-old shooting guard will be replaced in the lineup by Kyle Kuzma if he’s ruled out against the Pistons on Saturday.

Rollins put together a nice two-way performance, despite the loss to Philadelphia on Friday. He was efficient from beyond the arc and was one of the Bucks’ more reliable playmakers as well. The fourth-year guard has remained productive with Kevin Porter Jr. back from injury — the two are co-existing nicely in the starting backcourt so far, which should be a relief for those fantasy managers who had their doubts.

Porter Jr remained productive in his fourth game back from his early-season knee injury. While he didn’t score as well as the previous two outings, he utilized the charity stripe to make his way to 20 points for the third straight game, while tallying his most productive numbers as a rebounder and facilitator since returning. The sample size has been small this season for Porter, but he’s put up good fantasy numbers more times than he hasn’t. With Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) out of the lineup, Porter Jr. will have even more freedom to create on the offensive end.

Portis was one of Milwaukee’s most productive players on Friday. In 23 minutes, he led the team in scoring and made three-pointers, and was one of five Bucks players to score in double figures. The veteran forward didn’t make many contributions elsewhere, however — he didn’t record an assist, had minimal impact on the glass, and finished with one stock on the defensive end. Portis has had one of his least productive seasons in quite some time, from a statistical standpoint, but with the Bucks down Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf), he should have opportunities to pick up his production.

Green was initially questionable to return, and now he has officially been ruled out. Kyle Kuzma started the second half in his place.

Green shot 0-for-4 in the first half in 14 minutes and may not be available to close out this game. Gary Harris or Gary Trent Jr. will likely start the second half in his place, though both should see extra minutes.

Sims started the second half on Wednesday after Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) exited early. Sims finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds in 30 minutes, and he’ll have an opportunity to post another double-double in this one. If he plays well and continues to start, he could be a reliable streaming option until Giannis returns in two-to-four weeks.

Giannis went down just three minutes into Wednesday night’s game, and the Bucks were fortunate enough to quickly rule out an Achilles injury. However, it turns out that the calf injury could keep him on the shelf for an extended period of time anyway. With reports coming out that Giannis has also asked the Bucks for a trade, we’d expect the team and player to both be cautious with his return, which will likely keep him out until the beginning or middle of January. In the meantime, Bobby Portis Jr. figures to see an uptick in minutes, and both Kevin Porter Jr. and Kyle Kuzma will be leaned on for higher usage. Giannis’ recovery timeline could be additionally interesting because players who signed offseason extensions, like Knicks wing Mikal Bridges, aren’t eligible to be traded until February. With Giannis sidelined for a few weeks, that could open up new trade possibilities for the Bucks, if they choose to move their star.