Dereck Lively II

While Gafford did not start Saturday's game, San Antonio's lack of Victor Wembanyama led to him doing whatever he wanted against the Spurs' second unit. Gafford only missed one shot, needing 18 minutes to tally 20 points, seven rebounds, and four defensive contributions. Starter Dereck Lively II wasn't as productive, finishing with seven points, four rebounds, two assists, and four blocked shots in 21 minutes. As long as Lively and Gafford split the minutes at center, their fantasy values will be acceptable. However, things get shaky when Jason Kidd throws Maxi Kleber or Dwight Powell into the mix. Dallas plays three games in Week 5, beginning with New Orleans on Tuesday.

With Kyrie Irving sidelined Grimes will make his first start as a Maverick. This gives him a shot at achieving fantasy relevance, at least for one night. Another change is Kleber, who replaces Naji Marshall. While a capable contributor, Kleber is returning from a hamstring injury that cost him nine games. Lively replaces Daniel Gafford, but this should not significantly impact either's fantasy value, as the minutes should be split evenly.

Lively moved into the starting lineup on Thursday, replacing Daniel Gafford in a move that wasn't surprising. Those two are interchangeable due to their skill sets, so there wouldn't be much change. Unfortunately for Lively, he got into early foul trouble and could not get anything going before the fourth quarter. Fantasy managers will be happy with the defensive stats, but the offense and rebounding were not there. As for Gafford, he finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and two blocks in 19 minutes. He and Lively are late-round players, especially if the Mavericks insist on giving Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell credible rotation minutes.

Lively has missed the last four games with the shoulder. He'll make his return in the big matchup with Klay Thompson facing his former team for the first time. Lively will bump Dwight Powell from the Mavericks' big man rotation.

Lively has missed their last four games, but it appears that he's on track to make his return to the lineup in the Mavs' next game. Daniel Gafford will likely lose out on some minutes, while Dwight Powell will be bumped out of the rotation.