Jayson

Tatum

Tatum is one of three key rotation players who will sit out Monday’s game, with Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford being the others. Sam Hauser will likely move into the starting lineup, where he can provide upside as a three-point shooter. Payton Pritchard will also have increased value, and he’s already rostered in most standard leagues.

After going off for 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in Saturday’s win over the Lakers, Tatum is on the initial injury report for Monday night. The Celtics star is dealing with right knee tendinopathy, and the matchup with the Jazz may be viewed as an opportunity to get Tatum an additional day of rest. If he cannot play, Sam Hauser will take on a more prominent role within the rotation, potentially as a starter.

Volume was the name of the game for Tatum in this one, as he shot just 12-of-28 from the floor, including 6-of-16 from beyond the arc. He cashed 10-of-12 shots from the charity stripe on his way to a monster scoring effort. Saturday’s performance marks his third game with 35 or more points across his last four, and his second 40-point effort in that span. Tatum gets a phenomenal chance to keep up his hot scoring when the Celtics host the Jazz on Monday.

Though Boston won this one handily, Tatum’s scoring was certainly needed. He scored 35 on 14-of-23 shooting while the other four starters combined for 27 points on 12-of-31 shooting. Tatum went 5-of-11 from downtown, while the other starters hit just 2-of-13. Fortunately for Tatum, the bench trio of Torrey Craig, Baylor Scheierman and Payton Pritchard delivered 46 points and nine three-pointers, but this was a game in which Tatum needed to step up, and he answered the call.

Tatum sat out Wednesday, and Hauser replaced him in the starting five. Hauser will head to the bench as Tatum returns, and the latter should handle his typical workload for the second night of Boston’s back-to-back set.

Tatum was held out of Wednesday’s win over the Trail Blazers, with Sam Hauser replacing him in the starting lineup. However, Hauser is also questionable for Thursday night. If both can play, Hauser will likely remain a starter because Jaylen Brown (knee) is unavailable. Payton Pritchard logged heavy minutes due to the absences, and Jordan Walsh was also part of the rotation off the bench.

While Brown played in Wednesday’s win over the Trail Blazers, Holiday has missed Boston’s last three games. Thursday makes four straight on the sideline for Holiday, and his absence boosts the values of Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, who combined to score 84 points on Wednesday. As for Brown, Jayson Tatum is questionable after not playing against Portland. He would undoubtedly help account for JB’s absence, and Jordan Walsh should again play rotation minutes off the bench.

Tatum and Holiday are among the Celtics starters who will not be available for Wednesday’s game. The latter will miss a third-straight game with a finger injury and does not have a timeline for return. Tatum’s availability has not been as problematic recently, so this may be a case of the Celtics resting him for the first game of a back-to-back. Payton Pritchard has added importance due to the injuries, even if he continues to come off the bench.

Boston could be without four starters on Wednesday, as Tatum and Jaylen Brown are questionable while Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday are doubtful. Sam Hauser, Torrey Craig and Jordan Walsh would all be in line for more minutes if Tatum were to be sidelined, though the status of Brown will also be a factor in how many minutes are available.

Tatum didn’t have the best afternoon shooting the basketball, but he provided value in the rebound and assist categories. Since the All-Star break, he has averaged 10.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game, which has factored into Tatum’s value sitting just outside the first-round in 12-team formats. That aligns with his season-long ranking, and the consistent production makes Tatum an excellent asset to have rostered in fantasy basketball.