Enes Freedom Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Derrick Jones Jr. and Enes Kanter will start alongside McCollum, Powell and Covington on Tuesday. Kanter is one of the top $/point plays at C on Tuesday, joining CJ McCollum as an elite play in all formats. Derrick Jones Jr. will start, but isn't a recommended DFS option with playing time most likely to land in the mid 20s.

As expected, Hayward and Kanter will be available to play in Wednesday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic despite dealing with their respective ailments, while Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart were already ruled out, marking the second straight game they’ve both been sidelined. In Walker and Smart’s absences, Javonte Green ended up receiving the start, but he was replaced at the beginning of the second half by Brad Wanamaker and only totaled 18 minutes of action in Monday’s win. Wanamaker was easily the more effective of the two on both ends of the floor, so it’s certainly possible he is apart of the starting lineup from the outset in tonight’s contest following his stellar fantasy performance in just over 27 minutes last time out. It comes as no surprise that Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum benefit the most with Walker, Smart, and Daniel Theis off the court, and they each see a minimum of a +4.1% increase in usage rate and are averaging at least +0.09 more fantasy points per minute over their normal season-long numbers.

As expected, Smart has officially been downgraded from questionable and won't play in Monday's matchup against the Atlanta Hawks due to a right thigh contusion, while Kanter will be available to play after missing five games with a right hip contusion. This will be the first time Smart and Kemba Walker have both been unavailable for the same game this season, so it's a bit unclear how head coach Brad Stevens will handle the point guard position, but Brad Wanamaker appears to be the overwhelming candidate to join the starting lineup and is coming off of a stellar fantasy performance in 26 minutes of action off the bench in Saturday's win. When Wanamaker is on the bench, Stevens would either be forced to rely upon one of his rookie guards like Carsen Edwards or Tremont Waters as the backup point guard or he could utilize a non-traditional lineup with Gordon Hayward or Jaylen Brown manning the point, which would lead to more playing time for the reserve wings and forwards.

Walker has officially been downgraded from questionable and won't play in Saturday's matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a sore left knee that is also expected to keep him sidelined for at least one more game, while Kanter remains sidelined for a fifth straight game with a right hip contusion. In Walker's absence, Marcus Smart will almost certainly receive the starting nod at point guard, and he's coming off two recent spot starts where he was solid for fantasy purposes in at least 36 minutes of action. This means that Brad Wanamaker will step into the primary backup guard role, but he's typically been limited to minutes in the low-20s unless multiple Boston guards are sidelined. Other than the projected increase in playing time for Wanamaker off the bench, Smart and Jayson Tatum have clearly benefitted the most with Walker and Kanter off the court, as they each own a minimum of a +3.3% increase in usage rate and are averaging at least +0.16 more fantasy points per minute over their normal season-long numbers.

Kanter confirmed with reporters at shootaround that he has officially been cleared to play in Monday's matchup against the Dallas Mavericks after missing seven games due to a left knee contusion. There's yet to be any inclination from the Celtics or head coach Brad Stevens whether Kanter will be subject to a minute restriction in his return, but given how well Daniel Theis and Robert Williams have filled in at center in his absence, it'd be surprising if Kanter saw anywhere close to the 25 minutes he logged in the Celtics' season-opening loss.

As expected, Brown will play in Thursday's matchup against the Charlotte Hornets after missing two games due to an illness, while Enes Kanter remains sidelined with a left knee contusion. The continues absence of Kanter will enable Daniel Theis and Robert Williams to absorb a large majority of the available minutes at center, and Theis managed to log 30 minutes as a starter in Tuesday's win, marking his highest minute total of the season. Theis remains fairly priced, especially on FanDuel, and he's been largely productive with his increased opportunity, as he is averaging 0.96 FanDuel and 0.90 DraftKings points per minute thus far on the year.

As expected, Kanter won't play in Tuesday's matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a rib contusion on his right side. This means that Daniel Theis will more than likely start at the center position once again, and he's logged at least 27 minutes in each of the Celtics previous two games. However, Robert Williams remains probable and will provide some depth in the frontcourt that could hinder the stable minute floor Theis has had while he was sidelined.