Ausar

Thompson

According to Pistons lead executive Trajan Langdon, the team is working with the NBA due to the type of injury that ended Thompson’s rookie season in March. He can go through non-contact drills, but that’s the extent to which Thompson will be allowed to participate in practice until cleared. Depending on how long this process lasts, Thompson is a late-round option at best in most fantasy leagues. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Simone Fontecchio are two players who could have increased opportunities to earn rotation minutes under new head coach JB Bickerstaff.

Both players had already been ruled out for Wednesday’s game, with Stewart suffering this injury on Monday and Thompson having already missed five games. Neither will be available during the final 14 games of Detroit’s season due to these ailments. Simone Fontecchio should start when he is available, though he is questionable to play against Indiana. They recently signed Chimezie Metu to a two-way deal, and he should see minutes when he joins the team. Marcus Sasser, Stanley Umude and Evan Fournier should also see a few extra minutes now that the Pistons will be down two starters for the rest of the season.

Thompson and Grimes remain sidelined, and neither has a concrete timeline for concern. Evan Fournier and Stanley Umude have taken on additional minutes recently, with the former doing enough to merit consideration in deep leagues.

The Pistons are playing the second game of a back-to-back set, so it’s not surprising to see Thompson on the sidelines. Fontecchio’s injury is a new one, and if he’s ultimately unavailable, look for Evan Fournier and Troy Brown Jr. to step into larger roles.

Thompson will miss a fourth straight game, and with Grimes out, Simone Fontecchio should be in line for heavy usage once again. Over his last four, Fontecchio has averaged 20.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.5 triples across 35.3 minutes.

Thompson and Grimes remain sidelined, which impacts Simone Fontecchio the most. He has replaced the former in the starting lineup, giving that unit a much-needed floor spacer. Fontecchio is worth rostering in deep leagues. Also, Stanley Umude played 15 minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s win over Toronto, and his minutes could increase slightly with Grimes sidelined.

Thompson will miss a second straight game while dealing with asthma problems. Simone Fontecchio should draw another start, with Quentin Grimes earning some extra minutes off the bench.

Thompson was held out of Detroit’s win over Charlotte on Tuesday, with Simone Fontecchio filling the void in the starting lineup. Because of his perimeter shooting ability, Fontecchio is already worth rostering in deep leagues, so when allowed to start, he can be streamed in some standard leagues. Quentin Grimes was also able to play rotation minutes in his return from a sore knee.

Thompson’s asthma initially became an issue during Saturday’s loss to the Mavericks, with the rookie only playing 11 minutes. His absence frees up additional minutes for Simone Fontecchio and Quentin Grimes, with the latter available after missing multiple games with a knee injury. Fontecchio is the better streaming option, with Ausar sidelined.

Thompson was limited to 11 minutes Saturday against the Mavs, but Sunday’s afternoon injury report listed him as available. The downgrade in status so close to Monday night’s tip-off isn’t encouraging for his availability. If Thompson isn’t able to go, Quentin Grimes and Simone Fontecchio should see expanded roles.