Moses

Brown

After putting up a double-double in his first start as a Maverick on Thursday, Brown had another solid night on Saturday. The negative for the few who have him rostered is the lack of defensive stats, especially after Brown tallied three steals and two blocks against the Hornets two nights prior. Rostered in 11 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Brown should be rostered in deep leagues while under contract with the Mavericks. However, his 10-day contract expires on Sunday, so fantasy managers willing to take the risk should avoid rushing to use a transaction to add Brown.

Washington is back after missing Thursday’s win over the Hornets, which means Naji Marshall will head to the bench. However, PJ is restricted to 25-30 minutes, so the hit Marshall takes may not be as severe as some fantasy managers may have anticipated. Brown will get another start at the center position as the Mavericks continue to play without Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II.

Brown, who signed a 10-day contract with Dallas on February 19, made his third appearance and first start for the Mavericks on Thursday. He didn’t provide much value in his first two games, but he was a streaming superstar on a night with only five games. Brown split the center minutes with Dwight Powell, who contributed six points, six rebounds and three assists in 16 minutes off the bench. Brown may be worth streaming against the Bucks on Saturday, unless he isn’t brought back on a second 10-day deal.

PJ Washington is out, leaving the frontcourt rather thin. Marshall will replace him, and the Mavs will go with a different look at center, replacing Kessler Edwards with Brown. Dante Exum is available, but he’ll come off the bench. Brown could provide some value as a blocks and rebounds streamer.

Powell has been out for more than a month with a hip injury that he suffered on January 17. With Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II all out, the Mavericks can use Powell, even if he doesn’t offer much fantasy value. The doubtful tag suggests the veteran center will miss another game, likely resulting in rotation minutes for Moses Brown.

Powell has been sidelined for over a month, and he was initially listed as doubtful for this game. His absence shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it does open the door for Moses Brown, who recently signed a 10-day contract, to play a role for Dallas down low.

The move makes sense for a Dallas team that will be without Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and Anthony Davis for an extended period of time. Brown may see action at center immediately, though it’s unclear how many minutes he’ll play when he debuts. Dallas plays Friday against the Pelicans and Sunday against the Warriors, and Brown is worth a look for deep-league teams in need of blocks, boards and field goal percentage.

Brown signed with the team in mid-November and saw a few minutes off the bench early on, but he never played enough to impact fantasy basketball. He didn’t see the floor at all over their last two games, and now he’ll be looking for a new team.

Experienced fantasy managers know Brown’s ability to provide value in limited minutes. That was the case on Sunday, as he scored 15 points on 75% shooting from the field while recording a blocked shot. Brown isn’t a must-add by any means, but he’s worth watching due to Rick Carlisle’s willingness to go deep into his bench.

Brown was in training camp with the Knicks on an Exhibit 10 deal but was waived just before the start of the season. Injuries in the frontcourt have decimated the Pacers. James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson are out with season-ending Achilles injuries, and a calf injury has sidelined starter Myles Turner. If Turner is sidelined for an extended period, Brown may be able to provide value in deep leagues.