Caris

LeVert

LeVert has not played since November 17, missing Cleveland’s last four games. Ty Jerome has been a fantasy revelation in his absence, providing top-50 per-game value in 9-cat formats over the previous two weeks. Rostered in 19% of Yahoo leagues, it won’t be too challenging to find Jerome on the waiver wire in most standard leagues.

This will be a fourth straight absence for both players, which means that Isaac Okoro should continue to get the fifth starting spot, with Ty Jerome, Sam Merrill and Georges Niang filling out the majority of the bench minutes.

Both players missed practice on Saturday and have now officially been ruled out for Sunday’s game. Sam Merrill will be back after a one-game absence, and Isaac Okoro has a chance to return as well. They’ll fill most of the minutes that LeVert and Wade would normally see, though with the core four, doing most of the production, their upside as streamers is limited.

Both players have missed the team’s last two games, and their absence from practice doesn’t bode well for their chance of playing on Sunday against the Raptors. Sam Merrill and Isaac Okoro practiced and both will see extra minutes if they play and LeVert and Wade remain out.

Garland and LeVert will join Sam Merrill, Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade on the Cavaliers’ injury report for the second leg of a back-to-back set. Cleveland is a heavy favorite, and the team is likely giving Garland and Co. some extra time off. Garland’s injury shouldn’t be considered serious. Craig Porter Jr. and Ty Jerome are expected to see increased run in Garland’s absence.

Cleveland’s depth will be tested on Tuesday. Already down Max Strus, the Cavaliers will be missing Isaac Okoro and LeVert on Tuesday against Boston. Sam Merrill is a decent streaming option with plenty of bench minutes up for grabs in the big game against the Celtics.

Injuries suffered during Sunday’s win over Charlotte forced Okoro’s early exit, while LeVert played 32 minutes off the bench (Merrill did not play due to his injury). Even though Okoro has been starting recently, LeVert’s availability will be most impactful among Cleveland’s wings. Okoro and Merrill are essentially deep-league specialists and aren’t must-roster players.

Okoro sprained his ankle during the second quarter and was not on the court to begin the third. Caris LeVert filled the void in the starting lineup, but the boost he’d experience if Okoro missed time would be minimal. Donovan Mitchell is sitting out Sunday’s game for rest reasons and will be available on Tuesday when the Cavaliers visit Boston.

LeVert will be back after missing their last two games, which means that Sam Merrill and Georges Niang will likely lose out on a few minutes each. LeVert has gotten off to a strong start this season and will look to keep it up against a depleted Pelicans roster.

LeVert’s status is more impactful regarding fantasy value, as he’s the sixth man when healthy. Sam Merrill and Georges Niang played more minutes off the bench in Monday’s win over Milwaukee, with the former providing slightly higher value. As for Tyson, he’s unlikely to be in the rotation when healthy.