Evan

Mobley

While solid in Saturday’s series-opener, Mobley was considerably better in Game 2. He only missed two shot attempts from the field, and the tandem of him and Jarrett Allen (10/3/1/2/3) effectively played Raptors’ starting center Jakob Poeltl off the floor. Cleveland won the first two games by 13 and 10 points, and neither appeared to be that close. Mobley and the Cavaliers will look to take a 3-0 series lead on Thursday in Toronto.

The Cavaliers will be without most of their rotation players for Sunday’s regular-season finale, as their playoff seeding is locked in. The absences in the frontcourt free up opportunities for Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who should have the ultimate green light on Sunday.

On the heels of a 16-point, eight-rebound performance against the Hawks on Wednesday, Allen won’t take the floor in Friday’s rematch. The veteran forward remains an important piece for Cleveland in the middle, thanks to his ability to impact the interior on both ends of the floor. In his absence, Evan Mobley could see more minutes at center, and perhaps someone such as Larry Nance Jr. could find his way into the rotation.

Cleveland’s frontcourt tandem of Mobley and Jarrett Allen had the size advantage on Wednesday, and they took advantage. The former matched his career-high with 19 rebounds while also recording 22 points and three blocked shots. Allen contributed a stat line of 16 points, eight rebounds and two steals. While Cleveland can still grab the third seed in the East, Wednesday and Friday’s games against the Hawks are more likely to be previews of a first-round series.

Following a one-game absence with a calf injury, Mobley was back to take on Memphis. He sat the first leg of this back-to-back, and the extra rest led to him having a big night offensively. The Grizzlies didn’t really have an answer for him, and while he didn’t contribute much else for fantasy managers, he had an efficient night as a scorer. Mobley hasn’t been as productive as he was last year, which was his Defensive Player of the Year season. However, he still has a bright future for fantasy managers, and his production will be tied to Cleveland’s chances of making noise in the playoffs.

Mobley and Allen did not play in Sunday’s win over the Pacers, resulting in spot starts for Keon Ellis and Thomas Bryant. While Bryant is out with a strained calf, Ellis could remain in the starting lineup since Donovan Mitchell is out.

The Cavaliers have games on Sunday and Monday, so some key contributors will sit out for injury management reasons. Allen and Mobley not playing against the Pacers frees up minutes for Thomas Bryant and Nae’Qwan Tomlin. While streaming either comes with considerable risk, playing time should not be a concern.

With Jarrett Allen (knee) getting the night off, Mobley was dominant in the opener of Cleveland’s three-game road trip. In addition to shooting over 70 percent from the field, he provided excellent value in rebounds and blocked shots. Mobley’s season-long fantasy value has not been what most fantasy managers expected before the season began. However, he’s still capable of big nights, especially when Allen is not available. The Cavaliers should have both of their bigs available for Tuesday’s game against the Lakers.

Monday’s game is the first of two in as many nights for the Cavaliers, who visit the Lakers on Tuesday. As a result, it makes sense that Allen would sit on Monday for injury management reasons. Evan Mobley will shift to the center position, with Keon Ellis being a potential replacement in the starting lineup.

When Mobley and Jarrett Allen are on the floor, there have been questions in the past about how their respective upsides are impacted. Both were excellent on Friday, recording double-doubles in the blowout of the Heat. Having some help up front paid dividends for Mobley, who was limited to eight points and five rebounds in Wednesday’s loss to the Heat. The negative for fantasy managers is that Cleveland doesn’t play again in Week 22, but they do have four games in Week 23.