P.J. Washington
P.J. Washington is a starting-caliber forward in Dallas, and he started in the Mavericks' reported opening lineup, but coach Dusty May has not committed to him as a permanent starter.
Role
The Yahoo Sports lineup report, about a day old, has him starting at power forward in a game where Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving were out, alongside Max Christie, Naji Marshall, Zaccharie Risacher and Daniel Gafford. In a preseason report, Rotowire (Oct 11) had him starting next to Flagg, Risacher, Irving and Gafford after he missed the Oct 9 preseason game with a left ankle sprain. That sprain is the Friday wire note, which is now stale, and he returned two days later. He has started 137 of 142 regular-season games with Dallas, per the Dallas Sports Journal and Yardbarker camp reports. May said that back-to-backs and injuries will keep lineups changing, and that he does not expect to settle on a starting five soon. May also called Washington versatile: he can play center in small lineups and forward in bigger ones, and he is a possible ball-handler against weaker defenders. I found no minutes or usage figures for this season. I have not read a current rotation tracker or depth chart.
May says Washington checks many boxes: physicality, defensive instincts, positional flexibility and some point-forward duty. He has a record of nearly constant starting, and Fox Sports cited a clear edge for the starting four spot. Injuries to Flagg, Irving and others also keep opening lineup slots for him.
The Smoking Cuban argues his shaky three-point shooting is a poor fit beside Flagg, who also shot under 30 percent from three as a rookie. Rookie Morez Johnson and newcomer Santi Aldama are cited as possible starters at power forward. CBS Sports said he could end up coming off the bench regularly this season, with a drop in production. Durability is also a concern: CBS notes he played 56 games last year, though our own data line shows only 3 games.
Where analysts split
The disagreement is whether Washington keeps the starting power forward job once Flagg and Irving are healthy, or whether Dallas starts Johnson or Aldama for floor spacing. May is explicitly noncommittal.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
Others at PF
Fantasy Memo reads your league and answers that every Monday, and checks your lineup on the days you play.
Connect your league: 14 days free