James

Wiseman

Wiseman will join his fourth team since being selected No. 2 in 2020. He’ll provide depth behind Myles Turner and will scrap for minutes with Isaiah Jackson. Wiseman could get a slight boost in fantasy value if he’s able to secure the top backup spot behind Turner, but he’s a deep-league dart-throw at best. Detroit’s center depth consists of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, which means that unless the Pistons make a move for another big man, Beef Stew should play more minutes at the five in 2024-25. That could lead to more rebounds and a higher FG%.

With Jalen Duren out once again, Wiseman remained in the starting unit for this game. He had one of his best games of the season as he recorded a double-double before halftime and set a new career-high for rebounds. Wiseman has had some solid games to close the year, especially as a starter. However, if he returns to Detroit this summer, he won’t be an intriguing fantasy option with Duren healthy. If they don’t re-sign him or match an offer sheet, and he finds a team that needs a starting center, he may have some upside. The odds of that happening are incredibly slim.

Detroit currently has the worst record in the league, though they could lose out on the best odds if they get a win today. There is no reason for Cade or Duren to suit up, so it isn’t shocking that they’ll both remain sidelined. Marcus Sasser and James Wiseman should remain in the starting unit and take on large roles once again.

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.

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.

Duren returned to the Pistons lineup after sitting out Saturday’s loss to the Nets, resulting in James Wiseman coming off the bench. Duren has recorded a double-double in five of the last seven games he’s appeared in, and he exited one of the other two after five minutes with an injury. Duren is the lone Pistons player providing top 100 per-game value in 8- and 9-cat formats this season. As for Wiseman, he played 20 minutes off the bench on Tuesday, finishing with eight points, six rebounds, and two assists.

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 lost his tooth during the first quarter of Monday’s loss to the Grizzlies and did not return, freeing up additional minutes for James Wiseman and Chimezie Metu. Those two will miss out on potential boosts to their fantasy values with Duren cleared to play.

Metu’s minutes did not increase much compared to Friday’s win over the Wizards, but Jalen Duren’s early exit did impact his role. Metu hit double digits in shot attempts for the first time since signing with the Pistons, and the points (17) and rebounds (eight) matched his previous highs. James Wiseman (10 points, 10 rebounds, and one block in 28 minutes) started the second half and would benefit the most if Duren misses time. Still, Monday’s performance showed that Metu should not be overlooked.