Jaden

Ivey

It’s a brutal injury for Ivey who is enjoying the most productive season of his three-year career. Shams didn’t provide a timeline for recovery, but given the severity of the injury, it’s unlikely Ivey returns any time soon. In his absence, Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley and Marcus Sasser should absorb his minutes.

Ivey was injured when Orlando’s Cole Anthony dove for a loose ball and rolled up on the Pistons guard’s left leg. A stretcher was required to take Ivey off the court, and players from both teams were visibly shaken at the sight of the injury. If he’s sidelined for an extended period, Malik Beasley and Ausar Thompson are the Pistons who will have added fantasy value.

Ivey didn’t have a huge game, but he came up big in the clutch. He was 2-of-6 from behind the 3-point line until the Pistons’ final possession when Ivey hit a 3-pointer to tie the game from the corner while he was fouled. With only three seconds left, Ivey hit the free throw to convert the four-point play and give the Pistons the lead and the win. Ivey has had a few game-winners this season and this was perhaps the most exciting. His play has picked up a little since returning from a knee injury, but he’ll need to do more to change his season-long fantasy value.

Ivey had missed two games with knee inflammation, but returned in a big way Saturday. Ivey certainly hasn’t been great in fantasy this season, but he was just two rebounds and two assists shy of a triple-double against the Suns. Ivey also had four 3-pointers and one steal. It was a high-scoring game, though, and Ivey will need more performances like this one to change his season-long fantasy value.

Ivey returns after a two-game absence, which pushes Ausar Thompson back to the bench. Thompson and Malik Beasley will take hits to their respective fantasy values, but they’re worth holding onto in deeper leagues.

Ivey is on track to return after missing Detroit’s last two games. If he can play, Ausar Thompson is the most likely player to be headed to the bench, which limits his fantasy value in standard leagues.

Ivey was a late scratch for Monday’s win over the Heat and will remain sidelined on Thursday. Ausar Thompson will remain in the starting lineup, and he is worth streaming whenever he is allowed to start games.

Initially announced as a starter, Ivey was scratched minutes before tipoff on Monday. Malik Beasley replaced him in the starting lineup and will have added fantasy value if Ivey misses more time.

Ivey’s had better nights shooting the basketball, but the shot from the field isn’t why his fantasy value has decreased recently. Ranked outside the top 200 in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks, Ivey’s shot 69.2% from the foul line and averaged 3.6 turnovers per game. Remove those categories, and he’s been an 11th-round player.

No one connected to the Pistons would be blamed if they labeled Saturday’s defeat a “schedule loss.” After blowing out the Pacers on Friday, they faced the 76ers at home, and Cade Cunningham was a late scratch. Ivey didn’t have his best game, but he’s been much-improved this season. He’ll look to be better on Tuesday when the Pistons host Milwaukee in a pivotal NBA Cup game, the first of three Detroit will play during the first segment of Week 7.