Skylar

Mays

Signing Mays gives the Lakers additional depth at point guard, which is much-needed with Gabe Vincent recovering from knee surgery and rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino having his own injury issues. Mays appeared in 21 games for the Trail Blazers before being waived on January 6, averaging 6.3 points and 3.6 assists in 17.0 minutes.

While Mays played a large role for Portland in November, he hasn’t been part of the rotation since Malcolm Brogdon and Anfernee Simons returned to the lineup. Wainright has spent a large portion of the season injured, so his release won’t impact the rotation either. However, the Blazers went from 15 players rostered to just 13, which is a sign that another move may be coming soon. They also avoided having to fully guaranteeing those contracts by waiving them before Sunday at 5pm ET.

Portland’s guard situation is continuing to improve. Malcolm Brogdon returned to the lineup and played 25 minutes on Tuesday night, and now Scoot is back as well. Henderson will come off the bench, but both guards will be on a minutes restriction. That will leave Skylar Mays as the other point guard option, though with both Scoot and Brogdon playing, it’s hard to imagine Mays seeing enough minutes to produce worthwhile value in standard-sized leagues.

Brogdon was back in action for the first time since November 8, with Blazers coach Chauncey Billups not hesitating to put him in the starting lineup. Brogdon’s finishing was a bit off, but he did make four of his five 3-point attempts. His minutes will increase as he gets healthier, which will boost his value as Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson remain sidelined. Skylar Mays, who had been starting, finished Tuesday’s loss with six points, two rebounds, three assists, and two 3-pointers in 21 minutes. Under normal circumstances, he would be a “drop” in most leagues. However, with Portland playing again Wednesday night against the Jazz, managers who were streaming Mays should hold onto him for another game.

Scoot has been out for nearly two weeks, but he is inching closer to a return. It still may be another week or two as he gets back in game shape, but Portland is in no rush. Skylar Mays has done well at point guard, and Malcolm Brogdon is set to return soon as well. Henderson will start when he’s back in the rotation, which should push both players to the bench.

Brogdon was left off of the initial injury report, but it appears that it may have been accidental. There is still a chance that he plays for the first time in nearly two weeks, but it is no longer guaranteed. If he is back, he will cut into Skylar Mays’ minutes and probably replace him in the starting unit. Mays will still have a role off the bench with Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons sidelined, but it will be limited in comparison to his last five games.

Brogdon’s absence from the injury report means he’s good to go Tuesday night. The veteran guard has not appeared in a game since November 8, and fantasy managers should expect some restrictions to be in place. Skylar Mays will remain in the rotation since Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson remain out, but his minutes will decrease with Brogdon back in the fold.

Despite the blowout, Mays was able to continue his run as a solid fantasy option with Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons sidelined. Across his five starts, Mays is averaging 12 points, 3.4 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.4 triples per game. It’s unclear when Scoot or Simons will be back, and yet Mays is rostered in less than half of Yahoo leagues. If he’s sitting on your waiver wire, he’s worth an add and should continue to provide plenty of dimes, even when the score is lopsided.

With regard to taking care of the basketball, Mays has been very good as the fill-in at point guard. His eight assists on Friday were accrued without a turnover, and over the last five games he has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5.6. The only negative for fantasy managers on Friday were the minutes, as Mays only played 26. He logged 31 or more in each of the four games prior. Rostered in 47% of Yahoo leagues, he’s been a top 100 player over the last week. Portland plays once more in Week 4 and three times in Week 5; if Mays is sitting on your league’s waiver wire and you need another point guard, pick him up.

Making his first start of the season, Mays did a good job of running the show for the shorthanded Trail Blazers. The 12 assists, which matched a career-high, were countered by just one turnover. Mays missed all four of his 3-point attempts, but the overall stat line and assist tally make him a must-stream until Anfernee Simons (thumb), Scoot Henderson (ankle), or Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring) is cleared to return. Sunday’s game was also the debut for new backup point guard Jamaree Bouyea, who played 12 minutes and finished with six points, four rebounds, and three assists. Mays is rostered in 23% of Yahoo leagues, and that number should increase substantially, especially with Portland playing four games in Week 4.