Isaiah Taylor Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections
Lock and Load Value Play
Taylor isn't any great shakes as a basketball player at this level, but he should see extended run again tonight with Dennis Schroder doubtful to play. The lower minutes the other night were largely a result of first half foul trouble, and he still finished with a 20/2/8 line. On a tanking Hawks squad, there's no reason why he won't continue to get minutes, so fire him up with confidence as a value pick.
Higher Floor Than Most
With Dennis Schroder already ruled out, there is a lot of usage and minutes to go around for the Atlanta guards tonight. Schroder has a 32% usage rate this season, and he's averaging 31 minutes per game. Taylor started for Schroder on Sunday, and finished with 32 minutes. He had 17 shot attempts and finished with over 30 fantasy points. I love his floor with the potential minutes, and I think he's in play in all formats tonight.
Isaiah Taylor (ankle sprain) available to play Tuesday
Taylor has officially been cleared to play and will suit up for Tuesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder after previously being listed as probable on the Atlanta Hawks' injury report with a sprained left ankle. With Kent Bazemore sidelined for the remainder of the season with a right knee bone bruise, head coach Mike Budenolzer confirmed with reporters that Tyler Dorsey will draw the start at shooting guard alongside Schroder in the backcourt, while Damion Jones was signed to a 10-day contract to take the place of Bazemore on the active roster. The Hawks are also still without Malcolm Delaney because of an ankle injury, so Taylor will continue to serve as the primary backup point guard after logging 27 minutes in a spot start on Sunday afternoon. The sample size isn't drastic, but Dennis Schroder and Taurean Prince have been the clear beneficiaries with Bazemore off the court this season as each own at least a +8.6% usage rate differential in this scenario, while Schroder has also averaged 1.55 fantasy points per minute on DraftKings and 1.51 on FanDuel.
Isaiah Taylor (ankle) available to play Friday
Taylor is officially available to play and will suit up for Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers after previously being listed as questionable on the Atlanta Hawks' injury report with an ankle issue. The Hawks are already without Malcolm Delaney due to a knee injury, so the availability of Taylor is a much-needed boost to their backcourt depth for tonight's matchup, and he should slot in as the primary backup behind Dennis Schroder at point guard. Other inactives include Ersan Ilyasova, Tyler Cavanaugh, and recently-signed Antonius Cleveland, so the Hawks have recalled Josh Magette and Andrew White from the G-League to assume their places on the active roster for at least one game. If Taylor is limited by any sort of minute restriction, Magette may actually find his way onto the court in a nominal end of the rotation role, while Kent Bazemore may see some minutes at the point in this scenario as well. Elaborating on Ilyasova's unavailability, he and the Hawks have reached a tentative buyout agreement and will sit out of Friday's contest as the team plans to place him on waivers in the coming days. Ilyasova missed the Hawks' final game prior to the All-Star break with a sprained right shoulder, and John Collins ended up drawing the start at power forward in his absence, making him the leading candidate man the four spot in the starting unit for the second time in as many games.
Luke Babbitt (back) probable for Thursday; Isaiah Taylor (retina) available to play
Babbitt has been upgraded to probable on the Atlanta Hawks' injury report for tomorrow's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to lower back spasms that had forced him to miss three consecutive games, while Mike Muscala will remain sidelined with a sprained right ankle and Isaiah Taylor has been removed from the injury report, enabling him to be available to return from a torn right retina. With Dewayne Dedmon expected to miss three-to-six weeks with a left tibia stress reaction, John Collins will most likely start at the center spot in his absence, while Miles Plumlee, who was recently recalled from the G-League, should be expected to see his minute workload increase as the backup center until Mike Muscala is able to return from his ankle ailment. With Dedmon and Muscala off the court this season, Kent Bazemore has actually been the primary beneficiary and owns a +4.2% usage rate differential, while averaging 1.16 fantasy points per minute and 1.20 on FanDuel in this scenario, adding to his tournament appeal on Thursday's slate and moving forward.
Mike Muscala (ankle) available to play Saturday; Isaiah Taylor (eye) ruled out
Muscala will be available to play in tonight's game against the Boston Celtics after previously being listed as questionable on the Atlanta Hawks' injury report with a sprained left ankle that had forced him to miss six consecutive games, while Isaiah Taylor has been ruled out. However, despite being active, it appears that Muscala will only see the court in the event of an emergency. With Ersan Ilyasova back from injury, head coach Mike Budenholzer has declined to name his starting power forward for Saturday's contest, though Luke Babbitt certainly seems to have the upper hand in that regard, as long as he's healthy, considering Ilyasova came off the bench in his first game back.
Luke Babbitt (back), Mike Muscala (ankle), and Isaiah Taylor (eye) questionable for Saturday; DeAndre Bembry (wrist) probable
Babbitt, Muscala, and Taylor are all officially listed as questionable on the Atlanta Hawks' injury report for tomorrow's game against the Boston Celtics with their respective ailments, while DeAndre Bembry has been upgraded to probable with a fractured wrist that has kept him sidelined for all but one game this season. His role in the rotation will still have to be determined, but Bembry will most likely see some sort of playing time given head coach Mike Budenholzer's propensity to roll with a deep rotation. With Ersan Ilyasova back from injury, Budenholzer has declined to name his starting power forward for Saturday's contest, though Babbitt certainly seems to have the upper hand in that regard, as long as he's healthy, considering Ilyasova came off the bench in his first game back.