Jared

McCain

McCain injured his knee in mid-December and underwent surgery on December 17. The rookie is making positive progress in his recovery, but he will not play again this season. While more minutes have been available to Eric Gordon and Reggie Jackson in McCain’s absence, neither is worth rostering in most fantasy leagues.

There is no official timeline for McCain, but this is definitely a step in the right direction. There will be plenty of minutes open in his absence, which may be filled by Reggie Jackson and Eric Gordon, though neither player will impact fantasy basketball much.

McCain exited Friday’s loss to the Pacers with what was initially announced to be a sore knee. Unfortunately, an MRI on Saturday revealed a meniscus tear, which will require surgery. McCain will be out indefinitely, leaving a massive hole in the 76ers’ bench rotation. Reggie Jackson and Eric Gordon may pick up rotation minutes, but neither needs to be rostered in most leagues.

Absent from the initial injury report for Friday’s game, Lowry is trending in the wrong direction. His potential absence would free up additional minutes for Jared McCain, while Reggie Jackson could enter the rotation. McCain is the player fantasy managers should focus on adding before lineups lock.

When Philadelphia’s “big three” is available, McCain will fall in the offensive pecking order. Due to this, fantasy managers will need production in categories outside of points and 3-pointers to derive value. McCain finished Sunday’s win with four assists and three steals, exceeding his season averages in both categories. Philadelphia only plays once more in an expanded Week 7 (Friday vs. IND), limiting McCain’s fantasy value in the short term. However, he should be a factor for most of the season due to Philadelphia’s need for his scoring ability.

Both veterans sat out on Wednesday night against Orlando, but they’ll be back in the rotation for the rematch. Lowry doesn’t play enough to impact fantasy, but George’s return will push Jared McCain back to playing a role off the bench, where he hasn’t been as impactful in the box score.

McCain was back in the starting lineup on Wednesday, and the rookie was Philadelphia’s best performer by a considerable margin. The 24 points were the most he’s scored in a game since November 22, when McCain dropped 30 on the Nets. Paul George (knee) should be available for Friday’s rematch with Orlando, which will likely drop McCain to the bench. He’s worth rostering regardless of role, but fantasy managers would be thrilled if McCain were moved into the starting lineup permanently.

This is Philadelphia’s second game in as many nights, and Paul George will not play. McCain, one of the most productive rookies in the NBA this season, will fill the resulting void in the starting lineup.

The 76ers - particularly the star duo of Embiid and Podcast P - can’t stay healthy this season, and a number of key players will be out against the Magic. Philly started Kelly Oubre, Tyrese Maxey, KJ Martin, Guerschon Yabusele and George on Monday. He could be replaced by rookie Jared McCain alongside the four aforementioned starters.

McCain’s production took a hit in their last game due to his move to the bench, but he got back on track in this one. It is a head scratcher that Nick Nurse moved him out of the starting lineup at all, but he showed in this game that he can still be a productive player in a reserve role. He played 29 minutes in their last game and played 22 in this one, so even though he isn’t starting the minutes should continue to be there. McCain just needs to continue to play like he did in this one.