Cason

Wallace

The reigning MVP is officially back after missing nine games with an abdominal strain. While he’s likely to be under a minutes restriction, SGA’s return likely means that Isaiah Joe will come off the bench after starting Oklahoma City’s last three games. Cason Wallace’s fantasy value will also take a hit, but he should remain in the starting five due to Jalen Williams’ continued absence.

Wallace has been on a bit of a heater recently, scoring at least 20 points in three consecutive appearances. The absences of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell have propelled Wallace into a more prominent role, and the third-year guard has answered the call multiple times. Close to a top-50 player over the last month, Wallace is rostered in 31 percent of Yahoo! leagues. That’s far too low a percentage, considering his recent play and the current state of Oklahoma City’s perimeter rotation.

Wallace has been an excellent source of steals all season, but he has stepped up offensively recently with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal) sidelined. He matched his career high for scoring in this game, which he initially set earlier this month. This outing came two days after he set a career high for assists. He has been on quite the heater recently and should be a strong option as long as the Thunder are shorthanded.

With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal) still sidelined, Wallace has taken on extra usage as the lead ball handler. In this game, that led to him setting a new career high for assists. His last few games prior to this one had been rough, but he had a few other strong performances with SGA out before that. SGA will miss at least two more games before he is re-evaluated, so Wallace should continue to occupy a high-usage role.

Gilgeous-Alexander missed Oklahoma City’s final five games before the All-Star break with an abdominal strain. Thursday’s update means the reigning league MVP will miss at least four more games before he’s re-evaluated. Cason Wallace has taken on a more prominent role in the Thunder rotation, and minutes have also been available for Jared McCain. Wallace is the superior fantasy option and should be rostered in 12-team leagues.

Injured during a January 17 loss to the Heat, Williams has been removed from the Thunder injury report for Monday’s game. For Oklahoma City’s most recent game, a February 7 loss to the Rockets, Aaron Wiggins was the fifth starter. Either he or Cason Wallace will head to the bench if the Thunder put J-Dub into the starting five immediately.

Wallace continues to produce with the Thunder missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is out through the All-Star break at least. The 22-year-old guard led the Thunder with 23 points on 16 attempts and chipped in four rebounds and four assists. He also had four steals. Wallace is worth rostering in most leagues until SGA returns.

While he wasn’t one of Oklahoma City’s three 20-point scorers, Wallace recorded a complete stat line as the lone holdover in the starting lineup. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be out until the All-Star break at least, and Ajay Mitchell is also out due to injury. As a result, Wallace will be worth rostering in some 12-team leagues. Even with the Thunder playing just one more game in Week 16, he’s worth adding now due to the team’s injuries on the perimeter.

As a team, the Thunder shot 8-of-11 from beyond the arc, but Wallace was hot all night. The third-year guard finished with career-highs in points and three-pointers while also providing solid value in the rebound and steal categories. With Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell out, Wallace has more room to provide value offensively, raising his fantasy ceiling. The Thunder play three games in Week 16, starting with the Magic on Tuesday.

After coming off the bench in Thursday’s loss to the Timberwolves, Wallace and Hartenstein are in the starting lineup for Sunday’s matchup in Denver. Their moves into the lineup push Aaron Wiggins and Jaylin Williams to the bench. While Wiggins can still offer tangible fantasy value in his role, JayWill is worth leaving alone.