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35 articles
WAS • Small Forward • #
16 days ago
While the final game of his rookie season was not particularly good, Riley played well more often than not over the last month. The 6-foot-8 wing scored in double figures in 11 of his last 12 games, providing seventh-round fantasy value during that stretch. The Wizards have a lot of young wings on their roster going into the offseason, making it challenging to project Riley’s value in redraft leagues next fall. Not to mention a likely high lottery pick in what’s projected to be a loaded draft. However, Riley is unquestionably worth holding onto in dynasty leagues.
WAS • Small Forward • #
18 days ago
Riley has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 11 appearances, including Friday’s defeat. With multiple Wizards wings sidelined due to injury, the rookie has been allowed to do more offensively, whether he’s coming off the bench or starting. For fantasy managers in active leagues, Riley is worth a look for the Wizards’ season finale on Sunday against the Cavaliers.
WAS • Small Forward • #
19 days ago
While he struggled with his shot on Thursday, going 1-of-9 from three, Riley’s overall stat line would be valuable in category leagues. The rookie wing recorded six “stocks” and offered solid value in rebounds and assists. Kyshawn George had a similar finish to last season, which boosted his ADP going into drafts last fall. The Wizards’ wing rotation is a bit more crowded going into this offseason, so Riley may not be able to do the same, but there’s a lot to like about the 20-year-old wing.
WAS • Small Forward • #
19 days ago
Four of the Wizards’ five starters are unchanged from the quintet that the Bulls blew out on Tuesday. Bilal Coulibaly (heel) is out, and he has been replaced in the lineup by Riley. The rookie wing should play plenty in the Wizards’ final three games of the season.
Source: Washington Wizards
WAS • Small Forward • #
23 days ago
Riley’s minutes and scoring have taken an uptick as the regular season comes to a close. The 20-year-old forward has played at least 32 minutes in each of the last four games and scored 30, 31, 18 and 20 points in those games. Riley had no blocks or steals, though, after recording five steals in Saturday’s loss to the Heat. The Wizards have four games in the final week of the regular season, starting with a matchup against the Bulls on Tuesday.
WAS • Small Forward • #
24 days ago
Riley put forth the best offensive effort of his rookie season on Saturday, recording his first 30-point game. Add in the five steals, which were also a career-high, and Riley gave fantasy managers an excellent line to work with. And the Wizards still have another game to play in Week 23, as they visit the Nets on Sunday.
WAS • Small Forward • #
27 days ago
Riley has been consistently productive as a scorer, having recorded 18 points or more in four of his last five appearances. And he was efficient on Wednesday, shooting 66.7 percent from the field in 32 minutes of play. As long as their pick does not fall outside of the top-8, the Wizards will add another young talent to their coffers in the summer. The question is how the team’s currently crowded wing rotation, which includes Riley, will shake out. And depending on who the Wizards draft, the competition for rotation minutes could become even more fierce in 2026-27.
WAS • Small Forward • #
29 days ago
Riley was the only Wizard to reach 20 points on the evening, which marked the fifth time in March that he reached that scoring mark. He didn’t shoot efficiently, especially from beyond the arc, but had enough volume to provide production. Aside from the scoring, the rookie wasn’t active in many other areas. Still, he’s shown over the past couple of months to be a reliable bucket getter with some upside.
WAS • Small Forward • #
about 1 month ago
Riley has been playing big minutes for Washington for a while now, but he was pushed to the bench for this game. However, it ended up being one of his best performances of the year, and he ended up having one of his most efficient shooting performances of the season. Riley should continue to be productive as the season comes to a close, though he may not be able to maintain this level of efficiency moving forward.
WAS • Small Forward • #
about 1 month ago
Reese fell one point shy of a 20/10/5 stat line, but few fantasy managers are going to lose any sleep over that. The rookie wing’s double-double was his second as a pro, and he posted the numbers on solid percentages. Also, Riley combined with fellow rookie Julian Reese to become the first Wizards rookie duo to post double-doubles in the same game since John Wall and Jordan Crawford on March 23, 2011, against the Clippers.
Source: Washington Wizards
WAS • Small Forward • #
about 1 month ago
Riley was initially listed as questionable, but has since been ruled in for Saturday’s game against the Thunder despite an adductor injury. He’s been productive lately. While the 20-year-old small forward had just 15 points in Thursday’s loss to the Pistons, he still made four three-pointers. Riley had 21 points in both of his previous games before Thursday.
WAS • Small Forward • #
about 1 month ago
After consecutive 21-point outings, Riley was limited to 15 points on Thursday. Of the ten games he’s played in March, the rookie has reached double figures in seven. While Riley’s fantasy value since the All-Star break has been low, he’s one of the players whose minutes should not be an issue during the final weeks of the fantasy season. Riley’s a better option for dynasty leagues than redrafts at this stage in his career, which is the case for most rookies.
WAS • Small Forward • #
about 1 month ago
Riley has been a large part of the rotation for most of the past two months, but he only recently became a full-time starter. He has started five straight games, which includes three 20-point games, including two straight. The rookie will continue to see plenty of opportunities over the final month of the season, which should lead to plenty of productive outings like this one.
WAS • Small Forward • #
about 1 month ago
Riley’s playing time and production in Monday’s defeat were encouraging. The rookie recorded his fourth 20-point stat line of the season, and he played a team-high 37 minutes. Riley has played at least 29 minutes in six of the Wizards’ eight games in March. While fantasy managers certainly hope that continues, Wizards head coach Brian Keefe’s handling of the rotation has been unpredictable at times.
WAS • Small Forward • #
about 2 months ago
Riley led the Wizards in minutes on Tuesday, and he’s scored at least 19 points in four of his last six appearances. Interestingly, the rookie was used in a reserve role in the two games before that, with Leaky Black as the starter. One would think that starting Riley would be a priority for the Wizards the rest of the season, but you never know. Hopefully, Tuesday’s performance convinces the Wizards to leave Riley in the starting five.
WAS • Small Forward • #
about 2 months ago
Riley will return to the starting unit after coming off the bench the last two games. Leaky Black started on Sunday, but he will be in the G League and unavailable for this game. Carrington returns to the starting unit with Trae Young (knee) sitting this one out.
Source: Washington Wizards
WAS • Small Forward • #
about 2 months ago
This was only the fourth start of Riley’s young career, but it was another productive outing for him. It was a nice response after he was held to just seven points in Monday’s loss to the Rockets. Washington’s rotation has been inconsistent, though Riley has been playing big minutes as of late. If he continues to play this well, he could be a difference maker during the fantasy playoffs.
WAS • Small Forward • #
about 2 months ago
The Wizards won’t have Kyshawn George for Tuesday’s game after he suffered a sprained left elbow during Monday’s loss to the Rockets. He’s been replaced in the lineup by Riley, who stands to have increased fantasy value over the final month of the season. Also, Reese gets a second consecutive start with Tristan Vukčević and Anthony Gill still sidelined.
Source: Washington Wizards
WAS • Small Forward • #
about 2 months ago
While Kyshawn George’s return pushed Riley back to the bench, the rookie still played starters’ minutes on Saturday. Not only did he lead the Wizards in points and minutes, but Riley was also the only player on the team to surpass 30 minutes. Even if Riley continues to come off the bench, playing time should not be an issue, given that multiple players — including George — are under minutes restrictions and the Wizards’ focus on holding onto their first-round pick. Washington plays four games in Week 19, starting with the Rockets on Monday.
WAS • Small Forward • #
about 2 months ago
Riley is available to play after being listed as questionable with a right ankle contusion. With Kyshawn George (knee) also available, Riley is likely headed back to the bench for Saturday’s game against the Raptors.
WAS • Small Forward • #
2 months ago
Riley, who has been diagnosed with a right ankle contusion, started and played 36 minutes in Thursday’s loss to the Hawks. The rookie was in the lineup because of Kyshawn George’s absence, and he is also questionable for Saturday. The Wizards may need to call on Justin Champagnie or Leaky Black to fill the void if Riley and George can’t play.
Source: NBA Injury Report
WAS • Small Forward • #
2 months ago
The rookie made his third ever start in place of Kyshawn George, who was sidelined with a left knee contusion. Riley set a new career high for rebounds, which led to the first double-double of his career. The rookie has had some productive outings throughout the year and should continue to play a large role for the remainder of the season, giving him plenty of upside as a silly season target.
WAS • Small Forward • #
2 months ago
The Wizards won’t have Kyshawn George for Thursday’s game, as he is out with a left knee contusion. Riley, who tallied 18 points in Tuesday’s loss to the Hawks, moves into the starting lineup. The rookie wing is a player who should be rostered throughout the silly season, whether he starts or comes off the bench.
Source: NBA Lineups
WAS • Small Forward • #
2 months ago
The rookie had some excellent performances prior to the All-Star break, but he had struggled recently. However, he was one of the few bright spots in a blowout loss. Riley should be one of the premier silly season options over the final seven weeks of the season, though it may come inconsistently in the near future. Still, he proved in this game that he is worthy of being stashed.
WAS • Small Forward • #
2 months ago
Before Friday’s game, Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said that he hoped to use Riley some at the point during Thursday’s win over the Pacers. Why the inability to do so led to the rookie playing for only four minutes was a question that went unanswered. And for those hoping to see more of Riley on Friday, he played 12 minutes. The good news is that the 6-foot-8 wing was productive, but this is something to watch moving forward. Hopefully, the low minutes don’t become the norm for Riley.
WAS • Small Forward • #
3 months ago
Like his teammates, Riley got off to a slow start on Saturday. But the Wizards were able to make Saturday’s defeat more respectable, thanks in part to their rookie wing. After scoring 20 points in a win over the Pistons on Thursday, Riley recorded a new season-high on Saturday and has reached double figures in five straight. Unlike Kyshawn George, Riley feels like a safe bet to play significant minutes the rest of the season. Don’t hesitate to pick him up if he’s sitting on the waiver wire.
WAS • Small Forward • #
3 months ago
Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr are out for Saturday’s game, opening up three spots in the starting lineup. The resulting voids are being filled by Riley, Watkins and Vukčević, with the former being the most valuable fantasy option.
Source: NBA Lineups
WAS • Small Forward • #
3 months ago
If how Wizards head coach Brian Keefe handled the playing time in Thursday’s win is an indication of what’s to come, Riley will be an attractive “silly season” option. While starters Alex Sarr (12/6/1/0/1 with two three-pointers) and Kyshawn George (8/3/3 with one three-pointer) were limited to 18 minutes, the rookie out of Illinois played 29 off the bench. And he was productive, enjoying one of his best performances of the season. Washington plays its last game of Week 16 on Saturday against the Nets.
WAS • Small Forward • #
3 months ago
For the first time in his NBA career, Riley has reached double figures in three consecutive games. However, the rookie wing has only made 40 percent of his shot attempts over the past two weeks. And with Riley’s production being limited on most nights outside of points and three-pointers, he doesn’t have much room for error in terms of his fantasy value. Riley isn’t a must-stash player ahead of the “silly season,” but he is worth watching.
WAS • Small Forward • #
3 months ago
Riley’s opportunities to contribute began to increase in early December, but there may be a little more room for him to show his offensive skill with Tre Johnson (ankle) currently out. The 21st-overall pick in June’s draft, the former Illinois wing had the most productive night of his rookie campaign on Sunday. Riley recorded new highs in points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers. The Wizards play four games in Week 16, and Riley is worth keeping an eye on for those seeking silly season value.