While there’s never a good time for a team to be down two starters, there are some matchups that prove easier to navigate than others. That was the case for Cleveland, which entered Tuesday’s game in Charlotte without Jarrett Allen (eye) and Donovan Mitchell (finger). With the Cavs hosting Philadelphia on Wednesday, an injury management day (which may not have been the case for Allen) made sense. And this didn’t keep Cleveland from taking care of business, as they won by a 120-104 final score. Two of the key contributors entered Tuesday rostered in no more than 40% of Yahoo leagues: Caris LeVert (40%) and Cedi Osman (2%).
With Mitchell sidelined, LeVert was an obvious streaming choice, even though the production hasn’t been consistent. He was efficient in Charlotte, playing 27 minutes and accounting for 22 points, four rebounds, seven assists, four steals, one block, and four 3-pointers. LeVert’s likely to be asked to come off the bench Wednesday night, but he’ll remain on the radar of many just in case Mitchell misses another game anytime soon. While Mitchell and Osman don’t play the same position, the resulting shuffle of the rotation when Spida sits gives Osman opportunities to shine. Osman finished Tuesday’s game with 24 points, two rebounds, three assists, and six 3-pointers in 31 minutes.
Also taking on an increased workload due to the absences, Lamar Stevens started in place of Allen and put up 11 points, four rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer in 26 minutes. Stevens was solid but not good enough to merit being added in the aftermath of Tuesday’s game. Ricky Rubio (3%) played well off the bench, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and one block in 21 minutes. Still, it’s unlikely that he’ll be available on Wednesday, regardless of what happens with Mitchell. Now, let’s get into some of Tuesday’s top pickups. Counting Wednesday, the Cavs have two more games to play in Week 21.
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Jeremy Sochan (35%)
Games remaining this week: 3
Sochan is a player with availability concerns down the stretch, as the Spurs have not hesitated to sit a key player down. Whether it’s due to a serious injury or the team’s unstated quest to improve its odds for this spring’s draft lottery, we’ve seen multiple Spurs held out of games. Sochan was on the court for Tuesday’s win over the Magic, and he finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and three 3-pointers. Clearly valuable when in the starting lineup, Sochan is nowhere near a sure thing for Wednesday’s game against Dallas.
Malik Beasley (40%)
Games remaining this week: 3
Beasley had it rolling offensively during the first quarter of Tuesday’s win over the Pelicans, shooting 7-of-10 from the field and scoring 21 points with seven 3-pointers. Beasley finished the rout with 24 points, two rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 31 minutes. Shooting just 35.4% from the field over the last two weeks, he needed a night like this to get back on track. The recent shooting slump has a lot to do with Beasley’s rostered percentage being as low as it is, despite the fact that he’s a fixture in the starting lineup.
Matisse Thybulle (23%)
Games remaining this week: 2
Thybulle still isn’t a prolific offensive weapon, but he’s looked better than many expected in Portland. Shooting 6-of-11 from the field and 1-of-2 from the foul line, he finished Portland’s loss to the Knicks with 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals, one block, and two 3-pointers in 38 minutes. Over the last two weeks, Thybulle has been a 7th-round player in 9-cat formats. The defense is always going to be there, but improved (and sustained) offensive production changes the equation for Thybulle.
Deni Avdija (18%) and Corey Kispert (7%)
Games remaining this week: 2
Washington did not have Kyle Kuzma (knee) for Tuesday’s game against the Pistons, which led to Kispert moving into the starting lineup. Shooting 6-of-14 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line, he scored 16 points in the Wizards’ 20-point victory while also accounting for two rebounds, one steal, and two 3-pointers in 34 minutes. Kispert has largely been a points and 3-pointers player this season, with Avdija being the better fantasy option for managers needing a bit more. In 28 minutes off the bench, Deni scored 13 points with six rebounds, two assists, and one 3-pointer. While both were solid pickups for Tuesday, neither was good enough to justify being held onto until Washington’s next game, Friday night in Cleveland.
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