Cedi

Osman

Osman was an unrestricted free agent after finishing last season in San Antonio. While the seven-year NBA veteran did say “a couple” teams expressed interest in signing him, Osman ultimately decided that heading back to Europe for a guaranteed contract was a better move for his career. Cedi offered limited fantasy value (at best) last season, which would likely be the case this season had he remained in the NBA.

Osman will miss a second straight game, but with Keldon Johnson expected to be back, he will likely fill out most of the forward minutes. Sandro Mamukelashvili started in their last game, but whether he starts again or not, he should fill a decent-sized role. Blake Wesley should also see a few minutes off the bench, but he won’t impact fantasy much.

San Antonio will also be down Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell, leaving the rotation wildly shorthanded. Malaki Branham has started each of the Spurs’ last two games with Johnson on the sidelines, posting averages of 18.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 triples across 34.0 minutes. Cedi Osman (ankle) is also sidelined, so Sandro Mamukelashvili could see expanded playing time.

Osman will miss Friday’s game after exiting early on Tuesday. Keldon Johnson is questionable, so he could end up filling out the majority of the extra minutes. However, if he remains out, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Blake Wesley will likely fill the void.

Osman started Tuesday’s game and played 18 minutes before exiting. He finished with 10 points, three rebounds, one assist, and two 3-pointers. His exit has freed up rotation minutes for Sandro Mamukelashvili, who would be worth a look in deep leagues if Osman misses time. And with the Spurs essentially playing for draft lottery odds, there isn’t much reason for the team not to give Osman a little time off.

This will be a second straight absence for Johnson, and Barlow will join him on the sidelines for this one. Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan were just recently ruled out for the remainder of the season, so this will be a thin perimeter rotation for the Spurs. Malaki Branham, Cedi Osman and Blake Wesley should all see extended minutes.

Sochan injured his ankle during the first half of Friday’s overtime win over the Knicks, with the Spurs announcing at halftime that he would not return. Further examinations have revealed an impingement, and Sochan will undergo a surgical procedure to correct it. Cedi Osman started Sunday’s loss to Golden State and should retain that role moving forward. Entering the season with a Yahoo ADP of 145, the second-year forward finished as a 13th-round player in 8-cat formats and a 15th-round player in 9-cat, according to Basketball Monster. San Antonio began the season with Sochan as its starting point guard, but that experiment was eventually scrapped. He will be worth using a late-round pick on in drafts, but the role will be critical regarding Sochan’s fantasy value.

Osman started Sunday’s game because Jeremy Sochan was sidelined, and the veteran wing shot the ball well. The 18 points are the most in a game for Cedi since January 29 (20 vs. Washington), and this was his third double-digit scoring effort since the All-Star break. Osman will have deep-league value as long as Sochan remains sidelined, even though Sunday’s rebound and assist production was meager.

The Spurs are down two starters, with Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan sidelined due to injury. As a result, Branham and Osman move into the starting lineup, boosting both players’ short-term fantasy values.

Vassell joins Jeremy Sochan and Keldon Johnson on the sideline, leaving the Spurs extremely light on the wing. In this spot, Malaki Branham and Cedi Osman are the players on whom deep-league managers should focus. Both are worth streaming, with the latter likely providing more assists.