Cameron Payne

Cameron Payne totaled 11 points (5-10 FG, 1-4 3PT), three rebounds, nine assists, one block, and one steal in the Suns’ 120-114 win over the Clippers on Sunday.

Fantasy Impact

Payne looks to lead after the Suns’ win over the Clippers in Game One of the Western Conference Finals. With Chris Paul sidelined, someone will have to man the "ship" in the meantime; Payne did an admirable job of playing playmaker and distributing the ball in conjunction with teammate Devin Booker. He brings great energy when he is on the floor and is sure to produce value in several ways, night-in and night-out; however, pinpointing just how he will do that could prove to be difficult. Payne shows great promise and should be considered for your roster anytime the Suns are slated to play.

Cameron Payne totaled seven points (1-8 FG, 1-3 3PT, 4-4 FT), one rebound, one assist, and three blocks in the Suns’ 113-100 win over the Lakers on Thursday.

Fantasy Impact

Payne scored 7.0 points in the Suns’ series finale win over the Lakers ending the series having averaged 23.3 minutes, 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 39.6 percent from the floor and 40.8 percent from beyond the arc. This series is much different without this gentleman’s effort and production. With Chris Paul seemingly less than 100.0 percent the Suns could lean on Payne a lot to add some new dynamic to the rotation and script to off-set the possible limitations of Paul’s contribution.

Cameron Payne totaled 15 points (6-11 FG, 3-5 3PT), three rebounds, six assists, and four steals in the Suns’ 109-95 loss to the Lakers on Thursday.

Fantasy Impact

Payne had four steals in the Suns’ loss to the Lakers, contributing to another strong fantasy effort. Although he has shown up from a statistical standpoint in these past two games, it hasn’t resulted in better outcomes for the Suns. The Lakers are a smart basketball team that manufactures wins through capitalizing on their opponents’ weaknesses and exploiting them. Even if having the potential, Payne doesn’t seem to currently have access to that high level of basketball IQ needed to effectively respond to what the Lakers are throwing at the team. Because of this reason, he could cede minutes to a less than 100.0 percent Chris Paul limiting his ability to put up the necessary fantasy numbers needed to remain competitive. The good news is that it seems as if anytime he gets 25.0 minutes or more on the floor, he produces worthwhile stat-lines by having ample production in several performance categories. Payne is certainly worth considering for your DFS lineups and may even be a necessary "chalk" play to capitalize on the star power on the slate, but be sure to position the right assets around him to safeguard against a "floor" effort from the opportunistic talent.

Cameron Payne totaled 19 points (6-15 FG, 3-7 3PT, 4-4 FT), three rebounds, seven assists, two blocks, and one steal in the Suns’ 109-102 loss to the Lakers on Tuesday.

Fantasy Impact

Payne was the next man up in the Suns’ loss to the Lakers, stepping in for the team's hampered leader Chris Paul as his shoulder injury limited him throughout the night. Payne turned in a solid fantasy performance; however, he was unable to lead the team to a victory. Although Payne may be an excellent value at this time for fantasy, the possible change from Paul could impact the production of other core members of the team. Overall, Payne has shown upside throughout the year and is a logical salary relief play that could create new opportunities for your DFS lineup build.

Cameron Payne totaled 19 points (7-14 FG, 3-6 3PT, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, six assists, and one steal in 27 minutes in the Suns' 123-121 win over the Spurs on Sunday.

Fantasy Impact

Payne scored 19.0 points in the Suns’ win over the Spurs, putting together another respectable performance this month. This season he played in 60 games and averaged 18.0 minutes, 8.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks while shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and 44.0 percent from beyond the arc. Payne has been in fantastic form this month and could see some expanded run in the post-season. It is worth keeping him on your radar as a viable, albeit deep, last-piece flier for your fantasy lineups.