Bam

Adebayo

Adebayo’s line would’ve been reasonable had he played at least 35 minutes Friday against the Pelicans, but it was all the more impressive because he only played 22 minutes as the Heat won by 49. The 27-year-old center still managed a double-double and hit four three-pointers. While he got off to a slow start this season, Adebayo has finished the year strong for fantasy managers that stuck with the Heat big man.

Wiggins is back after a six-game absence, while Adebayo only missed one game before returning on Wednesday. Their returns mean Pelle Larsson and Haywood Highsmith will come off the bench. Since Wiggins’s minutes will be monitored, Larsson and Highsmith should still receive quality playing time.

Adebayo will return following a one-game absence, which will likely send Pelle Larsson back to the bench after a spot start on Monday. Wiggins hasn’t played since March 27, but he has a chance to return against Chicago. If Wiggins gets the green light, Duncan Robinson and Haywood Highsmith could see a dip in playing time.

The good news for Miami is that Herro is back after missing Saturday’s loss to the Bucks due to an injury. His return means Duncan Robinson heads to the bench, where his fantasy value takes a noticeable hit. However, the Heat will be without Bam Adebayo, so Highsmith moves into the starting five. While starting gives him a shot at fantasy relevance, Haywood’s inconsistent production makes him difficult to rely on.

Adebayo’s absence has a more significant impact on the Heat rotation and fantasy basketball, as Wiggins has not played since March 27. Bam not playing may result in Kyle Anderson moving into the starting lineup, while starter Kel’el Ware’s playing time should increase. As for Wiggins, Pelle Larsson will continue to fill the void he’s left in the starting five. Larsson is worth a look in extremely deep leagues that remain active.

Bam’s addition to the injury report on Monday afternoon puts his status to take the court against Philly in doubt. If he’s unable to go, Kyle Anderson could replace him in the starting five at power forward, while Kel’el Ware could pick up some additional minutes in the frontcourt.

While he could not lead the Heat to a win on a night when Tyler Herro was unavailable, Adebayo recorded an excellent stat line for those who have him rostered. The 30-point double-double was his first since March 5 and fifth of the season. Over the past two weeks, Adebayo has provided top-40 value in eight- and nine-cat formats. While he did not get off to the best start this season, Bam’s “finishing kick” has been excellent for those who have him rostered.

The Heat had a massive void to fill in their starting lineup for Saturday, as Tyler Herro has been ruled out due to injury. Robinson, who can provide points and three-pointers, will replace him in the lineup. Something else to watch will be Adebayo’s assist tally, as he should be more involved as a playmaker in the Herro-less lineup.

Adebayo was hardly efficient on offense with 26 points on 26 shot attempts, but fantasy managers will take the 26 points. The 27-year-old center has now scored at least 20 points in four of his last six games. Adebayo played 34 minutes and was a factor in all phases of the game with seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and two blocks. Even with the Heat having a down season, Adebayo has produced down the stretch after a slow start to the season.

Bam had at least 20 points for the third time in his last five games. The 27-year-old center had his way in the paint for most of the game with Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford out. Adebayo’s production was more muted in the other categories as he had just five rebounds. After a slow start to the season, he had an excellent month of March and got off to a good start with 21 points against the Celtics in the first game of April.