Hugo

González

Brown is expected to miss a game for the first time this season, which opens up a ton of minutes and shots. Anfernee Simons, Josh Minott, Sam Hauser and Hugo Gonzalez are all candidates to start in place of Brown, though all four should see a boost in minutes.

Despite leaving Tuesday’s game early against the 76ers and not returning, he’ll be available to play Wednesday on the second night of a back-to-back. The rookie guard is averaging 3.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game thus far. He’ll likely return to a reserve role.

González sprained his left ankle during Tuesday’s game against the 76ers. The 19-year-old guard was said to be good enough to return to the game, though he remained out. González is now probable for Wednesday’s game against the Grizzlies, which indicates the injury isn’t too severe.

Walsh came into November as a forgotten man in Boston’s rotation, playing just four total minutes in October. However, he played 19 minutes against the Rockets on Saturday and then was up to 24 minutes on Wednesday. These were not garbage-time minutes either, as Walsh checked into the game in the first quarter. He was a plus-27 on the night and received praise from head coach Joe Mazzulla after the game, so it’s possible that Walsh could pick up extra minutes at the expense of Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman going forward.

After falling one rebound shy of a double-double in Monday’s win over the Pelicans, his first start as a Celtic, Minott was even better on the glass against Cleveland. Not only were his 14 rebounds a career-high, but this was also the second time in his career that Minott had reached double digits in that category (February 8, 2023, with the Timberwolves). Hugo González, who was replaced in the lineup by Minott, only played three minutes on Wednesday. Only rostered in three percent of Yahoo! leagues, Minott is providing top-50 fantasy value. That may not last for the entire season, but he’s worth a look in deep leagues with the move into the starting lineup.

Minott will get his first career start, replacing Hugo Gonzalez in the starting unit. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has had no problems switching up his starting unit early on this season, so while he may not remain in this role, Minott will get a good opportunity.

With White and Brown cleared to play, the lone change to the Celtics’ starting lineup is González. The rookie, who played well in Friday’s loss to the Knicks, including spending time guarding Jalen Brunson, replaces Sam Hauser. González may not be a great source of counting stats currently, but he’s worth watching, especially if asked to defend Cade Cunningham. Hauser can still provide three-pointers off the bench.

Initially questionable for Sunday’s game, Brown is good to go. However, with the Celtics visiting the Pelicans on Monday, fantasy managers should plan for the possibility that Brown does not play both games of the back-to-back. Rookie Hugo González may see his playing time increase, especially after playing well in Friday’s loss to the Knicks.

Brown injured his hamstring during the preseason, but it hasn’t impacted his availability through the Celtics’ first two games. If he isn’t available to suit up, rookie Hugo Gonzalez will have a good chance to start after logging 23 minutes off the bench in their last game.

González, the 28th overall pick in this summer’s draft, is in a spot where he could potentially earn early-season rotation minutes. While the offensive production was limited in his preseason debut, the rookie wing is a willing defender unafraid to mix it up. González isn’t a must-draft player in standard leagues, but he’s capable of emerging as a rookie worth rostering as the season rolls on.