Dru

Smith

The third-year man appeared in 14 games for the Heat this season and posted career highs across the board. It’s a gut-wrenching injury for a player so close to earning a standard contract. Smith averaged just over 19 minutes per game for Miami, and that playing time could be absorbed in part by Pelle Larsson.

Smith had a pretty nasty injury that some reports are calling a knee injury, while others are saying that it’s an Achilles. The team is saying lower left leg, so we’ll have to wait and see what the diagnosis ends up being. For now, Pelle Larsson should play some extra minutes in place of Smith for this game.

With Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier sidelined, there will be some new faces in Miami’s starting unit. Both Jaquez Jr. and Highsmith will be back in the opening lineup, which will push Dru Smith and Nikola Jovic back to the bench. Expect Smith and Pelle Larsson to play a significant role off the bench.

Rozier was initially listed as probable for this game, so his absence does come as a surprise. With Jimmy Butler also sidelined, there will be plenty of minutes for Dru Smith, Pelle Larsson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. on the perimeter.

Monday’s game will be the second straight that Butler will miss due to a stomach illness. His absence likely means Dru Smith will remain in the starting lineup, and Terry Rozier’s fantasy value will receive a welcome boost. While the latter is rostered in most standard leagues, the former is only worth a look in deep formats.

Butler missed their last game, which allowed Dru Smith to move into the starting unit. However, Terry Rozier ended up receiving the biggest fantasy boost, as he scored 23 points in 33 minutes. If Butler is back, Smith will return to a reserve role.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has made two changes to his starting lineup, one of which was prompted by an injury. Smith steps in for Jimmy Butler, who is out with a stomach illness. The other change is Jovic, who will replace Haywood Highsmith. Of the two replacements in the starting lineup, Smith offers slightly higher streaming potential.

Butler played just seven minutes in Friday’s game before exiting due to this illness, though he did also twist his ankle in that game. The illness is what is expected to keep him sidelined, which will mean more minutes for Jaime Jaquez Jr., Dru Smith and Terry Rozier.

Larsson has missed three games with a sprained ankle. Terry Rozier, Dru Smith and Jaime Jaquez Jr. have handled the perimeter bench minutes themselves. If Larsson were to miss Friday’s game, Smith would make sense as a streaming option on a short slate.

After a solid first half, Smith ended up starting the third quarter in place of Duncan Robinson. This was likely just a one-time change to give the team a much-needed jolt, and it helped them start the second half on a 7-0 run. However, it didn’t help them get a win. Smith was one of the bright spots, but he still didn’t have a great night in fantasy hoops. This was also his first time in the rotation in a couple weeks, though he played well in that game too. Even if he earned minutes with his performance in this game, he isn’t a player to add off the waiver wire.