Elfrid Payton Doubtful Sunday vs. Pistons
Payton has missed the past two games due to a sore right hamstring, and he’s doubtful for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Pistons. Derrick Rose has replaced Payton in the starting lineup in both contests, and he’s coming off 42.7 FanDuel points over 37.7 minutes in his last outing. That will make him a very appealing fantasy option if Payton is ruled out once again. Emmanuel Quickley hasn’t seen as large a bump in playing time without Payton, with head coach Tom Thibodeau instead choosing to add Frank Ntilikina to the rotation. That’s a disappointing decision for Knicks fans, but it’s hard to argue the results after two straight wins.
Taj Gibson has already been ruled out vs. the Pistons after suffering a sprained ankle during Saturday’s win. Nerlens Noel and Julius Randle should play huge minutes in his absence, while Obi Toppin and Kevin Knox could see a few additional minutes off the bench.
The Knicks are currently listed as one-point underdogs vs. the Pistons on FanDuel Sportsbook.