Jarrett

Allen

Allen has been excellent over the past month, averaging 21.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting nearly 74 percent from the field. While the foul line has been an issue during this run, with the Cavaliers’ center making 67.1 percent of his attempts, fantasy managers can absorb that hit. While the arrival of James Harden certainly boosted Allen’s value, his play had begun to improve before the Cavaliers shook up their roster. Cleveland visits Brooklyn on Sunday in its final game of Week 18.

With Wednesday’s game being the team’s second in as many nights, the Cavaliers were unsurprisingly without Evan Mobley. That, combined with the absences of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, opened things up for Allen offensively, and he took advantage. The 29 points were the most he’s scored in a game in nearly three weeks, having last hit that number in a February 7 win over the Kings. Allen also recorded his fifth straight double-double, continuing to flourish as a fantasy option.

Mobley will sit out the second leg of this back-to-back, and he will be joined by Donovan Mitchell (groin), while James Harden (thumb) is questionable. Jaylon Tyson and Sam Merrill should step into the starting unit, with another spot potentially up for grabs. Jarrett Allen should also see a bump in production as the only big in the starting unit.

Allen continues to flourish, with the double-double being his fourth in as many games and sixth since the Cavaliers acquired James Harden. While Evan Mobley (12/7/1/1 with one three-pointer) being under a minutes limit has been a factor, that doesn’t nullify the work that Allen has done. Since the trade, he has provided top-50 per-game value in nine-cat formats, according to Basketball Monster, while sitting just outside of that threshold in eight-cat. With the Cavaliers visiting the Bucks on Wednesday, Mobley may sit for injury management reasons. If so, Allen’s fantasy ceiling will be raised.

Allen has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the James Harden trade, as he’s been fed the ball consistently. Of course, only one of the five games played since the trade included Allen and Evan Mobley in the lineup, but the former still recorded a double-double in Thursday’s win over the Nets. He put up an even more impressive double-double against the Cavaliers on Friday. Over the past two weeks, Allen has been a top-25 player in nine-cat formats.

For the first time since the Cavaliers acquired James Harden, both of their talented post players were in the starting lineup. The good news for Allen managers is that Evan Mobley’s return didn’t keep the center from recording a double-double with three “stocks.” The sample size is just one game against an overmatched opponent, but it bodes well for those hoping to get consistent value from Allen in the fantasy playoffs.

Mobley will return from a calf injury to log his first minutes alongside the newly-acquired James Harden. Jarrett Allen has thrived in Harden’s three games since arriving via trade, so it’ll be interesting to see if Mobley’s return changes things. Regardless, the Cavs will look to secure a sixth-straight win on Thursday.

Allen has scored at least 21 points in each of the last three games, which aligns with the acquisition of James Harden. The two have established immediate chemistry, which has raised Allen’s fantasy ceiling in the short term. The question now is what happens when Evan Mobley (calf) returns, which is expected to happen on February 19 against the Nets.

It seems that Allen is going to enjoy playing with James Harden. Through two games with Harden in Cleveland, Allen is averaging 25.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. This was his fourth straight double-double, and Cleveland has won all four games. Allen is in the midst of arguably his best stretch of production this season, and he’ll look to stay hot against the Wizards on Wednesday.

On Saturday, Allen had his ninth career game with at least 25 points while shooting at least 90 percent from the field. He trails only Wilt Chamberlain all-time with 12. Allen has now had at least 29 points in two of his last three games. The 27-year-old center has provided second-round per game value over the last two weeks, according to Basketball Monster.