Chimezie

Metu

Metu reached career highs of 10.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game during his 14 games with the Pistons last season. Whether he can carve out a role with a new team remains to be seen.

Duren sat out on Friday, but there is a chance that he returns to play in the season finale on Sunday. If he remains sidelined, James Wiseman will continue to start in his place after he had a double-double with two blocks in 37 minutes on Friday.

Metu has now tallied at least 15 points and seven boards in three of his previous four outings. The Pistons forward appears poised to get one more chance to star as a featured player when Detroit closes out its season against the Spurs on Sunday.

Duren will miss Friday’s game after being available to play in their last two. James Wiseman should return to the starting unit, though he only had four points and five rebounds in 26 minutes in his last start. However, he has been productive in other starts, so he should be in for a solid night.

The Pistons remain without Cade Cunningham, but Duren is back after sitting out Saturday’s loss to the Nets. Due to his return, James Wiseman heads to the bench, considerably lowering his fantasy ceiling. Sasser continues to start for Cunningham and is worth holding onto throughout the final week of the regular season.

Duren did not play in Saturday’s loss to the Nets, with Chimezie Metu replacing him in the starting lineup. Metu’s value in active leagues will take a hit, as he will not reach the 43 minutes he played in Brooklyn. However, he’s worth holding onto, as the rotation minutes will be there.

Metu was a perfect 9-of-9 from the floor in this one, including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. He led the Pistons in scoring, rebounds and steals and came away with another strong performance as a starter. In three games with the first unit since arriving in Detroit, Metu has averaged 15.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 three-pointers. Keep an eye on Metu for the final week of the season if your fantasy league is still running.

Duren was a late addition to the injury report, and now he has been ruled out for this game. Chimezie Metu and James Wiseman are both currently listed as starters, and both should provide solid value with Duren out of the rotation.

Duren wasn’t on the initial injury report, but now there is a chance that he sits out against Brooklyn. If that ends up being the case, James Wiseman and Chimezie Metu should fill out the minutes at center.

Duren has recorded a double-double in four of his last six appearances, one reason why he has provided top 100 per-game value in 8- and 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. And his improvement at the foul line should encourage dynasty league managers ahead of the 2024-25 season (and beyond). After making 61.1% of his attempts as a rookie, the Pistons center went 5-of-5 on Friday and is up to 78.6% in 2023-24. Given what Duren provides in the points, rebounds, and field-goal percentage categories, improved foul shooting will give his fantasy value a nice boost. The Pistons end Week 23 with a road game against the Nets on Saturday, which should put Chimezie Metu on the radar in deep leagues despite an underwhelming Friday night. Playing 22 minutes, he finished with six points, six rebounds, and four steals.