Cole

Anthony

Harris will miss the fourth quarter of Game 5, and his status for Game 6 is now in question. Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz should see a few extra minutes in his absence.

Suggs injured his knee during the first quarter of Monday’s game and could not put any weight on his left leg while being helped off the court. Should he not return, Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz will absorb most of the minutes that would usually go to Suggs. Fultz’s ceiling is limited due to Orlando’s desire to manage his playing time because of prior injuries.

Starting for Gary Harris, Houstan had little to offer in Milwaukee. All five of his misses came from beyond the arc, and the second-year wing was limited to 11 minutes. Cole Anthony has been one of Orlando’s most effective guards this season, and that was also the case on Wednesday. Shooting 9-of-14 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line, he tallied 23 points, four rebounds, four assists, one block, and three 3-pointers in 33 minutes. If Harris is available for Friday’s game in Philadelphia, Houstan will drop out of the rotation.

Isaac and Harris’ injuries won’t cause huge waves in the world of fantasy hoops, but additional minutes should be available for the likes of Caleb Houstan and Cole Anthony. Fultz should pick up some additional mintues in his return for this favorable matchup.

Due to a combination of his play and starting point guard Markelle Fultz’s minutes being restricted, Anthony surpassed the 30-minute mark for a second straight game. He has reached double figures in four consecutive games, scoring 20 or more twice. Over the past week, Anthony has provided 5th-round per-game value in 8-cat formats, and he has been one round better in 9-cat. Despite the recent uptick in production, he’s still rostered in 27% of Yahoo leagues. Given the health of Fultz and Gary Harris, the latter remaining sidelined, a few more deep-league managers may want to consider hopping onto the Anthony bandwagon.

Anthony remained in his usual reserve role to begin Saturday’s game. However, Caleb Houstan’s ankle injury led Anthony to start the third quarter on the court. The 31 minutes are the most he’s played in a game since January 7 (31 vs. Atlanta), and this was his first game of at least 30 minutes since February 25 (also against Atlanta). Depending on what happens with Houstan and Gary Harris (foot), Anthony’s fantasy value could increase in Week 22, even if he remains in a reserve role. The Magic play three games in Week 22, beginning with the Warriors on Wednesday.

Houstan got the start in this game in place of Gary Harris, but he won’t return for the second half. Jonathan Isaac had a big first half with 17 points in eight minutes, and he should see some extra minutes after the break. Cole Anthony and Joe Ingles should also make up for Houstan’s absence.

This matchup was never in doubt, as Orlando led by as many as 41 points. Anthony led five Magic players in double figures with 21 points, the first time he’s scored 20 or more in a game since January 5 (23 vs. Denver). Rostered in 25% of Yahoo leagues, he is ranked outside the top 200 in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. Standard league managers can afford to leave Anthony on the waiver wire on nights when the Magic rotation is close to whole. Also coming off the bench and finishing in double figures was Moritz Wagner, who accounted for 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, and one block in 14 minutes.

Both players practiced Tuesday, and according to Magic reporter Dan Savage, “their availability for the game tomorrow will depend on how they respond to [Tuesday’s] session.” If one or both players are sidelined against the Nets, Gary Harris, Caleb Houstan, Cole Anthony and Anthony Black would all be candidates to handle additional minutes.

Black shot the ball well on Wednesday, but the spot start did not significantly increase his playing time. His minutes decreased compared to Tuesday’s win over Charlotte, in which the rookie played 28 minutes. Rostered in one percent of Yahoo leagues, Black is ranked outside the top 250 in 9-cat per-game value over the past two weeks. Cole Anthony was a better choice for fantasy managers needing a streamer with Gary Harris (calf) sidelined, as he tallied 11 points, seven rebounds, and one blocked shot in 24 minutes off the bench. Anthony is rostered in 27% of Yahoo leagues but is not worth adding, as Harris should be available for Friday’s game against the Knicks.