Caris

LeVert

Niang and LeVert have bolstered their numbers since joining Atlanta and both had solid performances against 76ers. Vit Krejci and Garrison Matthews can absorb some of LeVert’s minutes while Dominick Barlow has a chance to snag some backup power forward minutes.

The Hawks already know their playoff seed and play-in tournament matchup, as they’ll visit the Magic early next week. Niang and LeVert are among the rotation players listed as questionable for Sunday. If they don’t play, the Hawks will likely give Terance Mann and Vit Krejci additional minutes, to name two players absent from the initial injury report.

What a night it was for LeVert. He entered halftime with 18 points while shooting a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor and ended up setting a new season-high for scoring. He combined with fellow reserve Georges Niang to provide 47 points and eight triples off the bench, which helped Atlanta overcome a halftime deficit. LeVert has been a welcomed addition to the Atlanta bench and should play an important role for them in the postseason. However, with the Hawks locked in to the eighth seed, he may not play in the season finale on Sunday against Orlando.

LeVert was one of three Hawks to score at least 21 points in Sunday’s victory, and seven reached double figures. That tends to happen when facing the team with the league’s worst defense. While LeVert’s output in category leagues has not been great, his value has increased in points leagues since moving to Atlanta. The Hawks play four games during Week 23, starting with the Magic on Tuesday, which is good news for LeVert managers whose leagues will be active.

LeVert has reached double figures in three straight and four of his last five appearances for the Hawks. However, over the past two weeks, he’s ranked outside the top 200 in nine-cat formats. The issue has been the field goal percentage. Although LeVert shot the ball well on Saturday, making six of his 11 attempts, he’s been a 38.9 percent shooter over the past two weeks. He’ll look to end Week 22 on a high note when the Hawks host Utah on Sunday.

As has been the case throughout the season, Young is available after being considered probable with the same Achilles issue. LeVert was a late addition to the injury report due to illness, but he’s good to go. He’ll take on his usual role off the bench, where he can provide deep-league value.

LeVert has had a few up-and-down performances as March winds down and his status for Sunday is up in the air. Vit Krejci will likely be the first man off the bench and play a ton if LeVert is ruled out.

Niang had an excellent weekend off the bench. After scoring 23 points in Saturday’s win over the Warriors, he tallied 20 more against the 76ers. However, Niang remains a player who does not need to be rostered in most leagues. Ranked outside the top 200 in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks, the Hawks forward is rostered in just seven percent of Yahoo! leagues. Caris LeVert (7/3/7/1/1 with one three-pointer) remains the superior option among Hawks reserves.

After scoring 18 points on 6-of-23 shooting in the three games prior, Niang was outstanding on Saturday. The 23 points are the most he’s scored in a game since March 6, and this was his first game with at least five three-pointers since February 23. Niang and Caris LeVert (14/2/6 with one three-pointer) have boosted their values since joining the Hawks at the trade deadline, with the latter being the superior deep-league asset. The Hawks play three games during Week 21, starting with the Rockets on Tuesday.

Young and LeVert were initially probable for Saturday’s game, so the status upgrades were expected. While the former will assume his usual duties as the Hawks’ starting point guard, the latter will be a key option off the bench. LeVert is worth rostering in deeper leagues.