Devin

Vassell

Vassell hasn’t been able to pour in the points consistently this year, but he’s still more than capable. He’s taken on more offensive responsibility lately, and he has scored at least 20 points in four of his last six games. His seven triples in this game matched his season high. Vassell’s production is down this year, but he has stepped up with Stephon Castle (hip) and Victor Wembanyama (calf) sidelined. As long as they’re out, he should continue to receive a boost in production.

While Vassell’s season-long fantasy value places him outside the top-100 in eight-cat formats, he has been close to a top-50 player over the past two weeks. De’Aaron Fox has been the biggest beneficiary of the absences of Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, but Vassell isn’t far behind. And while injuries to key players are never a good thing, those absences may have given Vassell the boost he needed after a slow start to the season.

Vassell put on a show Friday night, with his hot shooting pushing the Spurs into the NBA Cup quarterfinals. Not only did he record his first 30-point game of the season, but this was also the third time he’s scored at least 20. The absences of Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle give Vassell more room to expand his influence on offense, and he’s taken advantage of the opportunity. The Spurs visit Minnesota in their final game of Week 6 on Sunday.

Vassell was San Antonio’s second-best scorer on Wednesday, finishing as one of two Spurs to reach the 20-point mark. He found his scoring production by way of effective three-point shooting, while also being efficient inside the arc. The scoring total tied a season high and marked his seventh straight game scoring in double figures. Vassell’s only other area of impact from a fantasy basketball standpoint came as a rebounder.

After a slow start to the season, Vassell has been a top-50 player in nine-cat formats over the past week. While losing Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle wasn’t optimal for the Spurs, those absences may have helped unlock Vassell. We’ll see if that lasts once the Spurs return to full strength, but fantasy managers certainly aren’t complaining right now.

While Vassell did not shoot well on Tuesday, the assists and defensive stats are what should be the focus. With Stephon Castle (hip) out for at least one to two weeks, there should be more opportunities for Vassell to serve as a primary playmaker. That was the case on Tuesday, and he only committed one turnover. Vassell’s fantasy value has been low thus far, but Castle’s absence may be what he needs to get things headed in the right direction.

Castle exited Sunday’s win over the Kings due to left hip flexor soreness, and that issue will keep him out of Tuesday’s game as well. Julian Champagnie replaced the reigning Rookie of the Year in the lineup on Sunday, and he’s worth a look in deep leagues due to the Spurs also being without Victor Wembanyama. The absences should also raise Devin Vassell’s ceiling as he looks to rebound from a slow start to the season.

Vassell exited Monday’s win over the Spurs with 6:37 remaining in the third quarter and did not return. The good news is that he is not on the injury report for Wednesday’s game, so Vassell will occupy his usual place in the starting lineup. If there are any issues, Julian Champagnie and Keldon Johnson will figure more prominently in the Spurs’ rotation.

Unfortunately, Vassell’s night ended with 6:37 remaining in the third quarter due to a migraine headache. Given the limited production in 21 minutes before his exit, the Spurs wing may have been trying to play through the pain before having to leave. Julian Champagnie (zero points, two rebounds, one assist and three steals) replaced Vassell at the time and may return to the starting lineup if he can’t play against the Warriors on Wednesday. Keldon Johnson (10/7/1/1 in 19 minutes) is another player whose role may expand if Vassell misses time, but his fantasy ceiling is limited coming off the bench.

Vassell has a Yahoo! ADP of 97, and he’s played to that level thus far. His most significant issue has been foul shooting, with the Spurs’ wing making just 62.5 percent of his attempts. Remove that category from the equation, and Vassell is providing seventh-round per-game value. He’s a career 80.4 percent shooter from the charity stripe, so Vassell should turn things around eventually. The Spurs end Week 2 with a game against the Suns on Sunday.