Devin

Vassell

Vassell will miss San Antonio’s final two games, a somewhat fitting end to his 2024-25 campaign. Due to injury, he missed 14 of the Spurs’ first 19 games and struggled to get going once wholly healthy. The good news for fantasy managers is that Vassell was far more impactful after the All-Star break, which enabled him to finish as a top-100 player in eight- and nine-cat formats. He’s capable of being much better than that, but Vassell has surpassed 65 games played once in his first five NBA seasons.

Champagnie started Friday’s game as Devin Vassell was out with a sore left ankle. Add in Harrison Barnes (two points, five rebounds and one assist) only playing 15 minutes, and there was ample room for Champagnie to put up numbers. He’s scored 20 points or more in four games this season, one more than his first two NBA seasons combined. While Barnes will likely start Sunday’s season finale against the Raptors, his minutes will likely be limited since the goal is to play all 82 games. That raises Champagnie’s ceiling, especially if Vassell remains out.

Vassell and Johnson have been key members of the Spurs’ rotation throughout the season. Their absences on Friday free up playing time for players such as Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley, but they would not be worth adding in most active fantasy leagues.

Vassell has snapped out of his recent mini-slump, scoring 45 points across his last two appearances. Over the past two weeks, he has been a top-60 player in nine-cat formats, by far the Spurs’ most valuable option in category leagues. However, with the Spurs officially eliminated from postseason contention, it’s fair to wonder if Vassell’s minutes will decrease during the season’s final week. If so, that would be bad news for Vassell managers whose leagues will be active.

Vassell missed Wednesday’s game against the Nuggets with an ankle injury, but returned Friday and played 36 minutes. He appeared to show no ill effects as he poured in 24 points on 18 shots including six made three-pointers. Vassell also added three steals on the defensive end. He’s a productive player when available, though the Spurs could look to cut his playing time as they look ahead to the draft.

Vassell missed Wednesday’s game against Denver, which allowed Julian Champagnie to slide into the starting lineup. With Vassell back and Keldon Johnson probable, Champagnie will return to playing a reserve role, which will eliminate the streaming value that he held.

Vassell will get the night off on Wednesday, which will be his first absence since December. Julian Champagnie should take advantage of his absence, especially with Keldon Johnson listed as questionable and Jeremy Sochan also sidelined.

The Spurs received little production from their starters on Sunday, with Vassell being the only one to score in double figures. He shot 50 percent from the field, continuing to improve his efficiency on the offensive end of the floor. Over the past two weeks, Vassell has offered third-round value in nine-cat formats and fourth-round value in eight-cat formats. With the Spurs playing four games during Week 22, Vassell managers are in a good spot, provided San Antonio doesn’t cut his playing time for draft lottery reasons.

Vassell has carried a large portion of the Spurs’ offense recently, with Thursday’s loss marking the fourth-straight game that he has finished with at least 20 points and three triples. March has been a phenomenal month for Vassell, and it gives Spurs fans plenty of optimism heading into next season despite their postseason chances being dashed by the injuries to Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. Vassell’s numbers overall this season are down from last year, but March has been one of the best stretches of his young career.

While it wasn’t enough to get the Spurs another victory, Vassell remains on an offensive tear. He’s scored 20 points or more in three straight and five of his last seven appearances, providing second-round value in nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. While the season-ending injuries for Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox weren’t good, the improved play of Vassell and Stephon Castle has been a positive for the Spurs during the post-break portion of the schedule.