Boston

Celtics

One day after it was reported that Tatum had begun controlled 5-on-5 scrimmaging with members of the Celtics’ coaching staff, he will participate in portions of the Maine Celtics’ practice on Monday afternoon. Rookies Hugo González and Amari Williams were also sent to the G League affiliate, conceivably to provide some competition during the session. Tatum still does not have a return timeline, but being assigned to the G League for practice is a significant development. He’ll be re-assigned to the Celtics after Monday’s practice to continue his rehab. If Tatum is sitting on your league’s waiver wire, pick him up and stash him in an IL slot.

Starting for the injured Sam Hauser (back), Scheierman had arguably the best game of his two-year NBA career. The second-year guard recorded his second double-double, finishing with career-highs in rebounds and assists. His fantasy ceiling depends on whether he starts or comes off the bench, but Scheierman will be worth streaming when allowed to approach 30 minutes, as he did against the Knicks.

White shot the ball well on Sunday, which has not been the norm for him this season. The Celtics guard is shooting 39 percent from the field, but his fantasy value remains excellent due to his production across multiple categories. White did not record any defensive stats on Sunday, but that has not been the norm for him. He’ll look to go into the All-Star break on a high note when the Celtics face the Bulls on Wednesday.

Brown did what he could to get the Celtics back into Sunday’s game, including scoring or assisting on all 15 of the team’s third-quarter points. Unfortunately for him, the other Celtics struggled to join the party, and the result was a 111-89 defeat. Brown has been outstanding all season long, and it’s not like he had a bad game on Sunday. He and the Celtics play three games in Week 17, but only one will be played before the All-Star break.

The Celtics are without Sam Hauser for Sunday’s game due to lower back spasms. Scheierman will fill the resulting void, but he offers limited streaming value in that role. Payton Pritchard and Nikola Vučević will anchor the bench unit.

Tatum has been out since rupturing his right Achilles tendon during Game 4 of the Celtics’ second-round series against the Knicks in May. While he has progressed faster than most returning from this severe of an injury, there is still no guarantee that Tatum will play this season. According to Charania, the forward still does not have a timeline to return.

Lower back spasms will keep Hauser out of Sunday’s matchup with the Knicks. The last time he missed a game, Wednesday’s win over the Rockets, the Celtics inserted Baylor Scheierman into the starting lineup. That could be the approach that Joe Mazzulla takes against the Knicks, but Scheierman is not a must-stream player in this spot.

Vučević came off the bench in his Celtics debut, and the veteran center put up a double-double. Vooch logged 28 minutes, with Luka Garza (two points, three rebounds) being the holdover whose opportunities took the biggest hit. He started but logged 10 minutes, while Neemias Queta (two points, 11 rebounds, and one assist) logged 22. With Vučević in the fold, those who have Queta rostered can afford to be patient, while Garza managers should seek alternatives immediately.

Pritchard has scored at least 24 points in each of the last three games. The move to the bench appears to have enhanced the guard’s value, an unsurprising development since he won Sixth Man of the Year last season. Just as crucial for fantasy managers is that Pritchard is still playing starters’ minutes. Those who have him rostered may consider selling high in the final days before the default fantasy trade deadline, but they may be better off holding onto Pritchard.

While he didn’t shoot the ball well on Friday, category league managers didn’t take much of a haircut because of White’s overall value. After totaling four blocked shots in his previous seven games, White matched that number on Friday. The four rejections were three shy of his season and career-highs, which were recorded on December 30 against the Jazz. Despite the low field-goal percentage, White is providing third-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats, according to Basketball Monster.