Isaiah

Joe

Joe injured his left knee during the preseason, forcing him to miss the Thunder’s first five games of the regular season. Look for players like Ousmane Dieng and Chris Youngblood to absorb the minutes that would have gone to Joe, but neither is worth streaming in fantasy leagues.

Friday’s game will be the third that Caruso has missed since suffering a right quad contusion. While his absence does not affect the starting lineup, it does free up additional minutes for multiple wings, including Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins.

With Caruso out, Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace could see an uptick in playing time. Aaron Wiggins is making his return following a lengthy absence, and he could see some additional run as well.

Wiggins has not appeared in a game since November 5, leaving the Thunder down an option on the bench. Isaiah Joe has taken on added importance, having hit double figures in three of his last four games. If Oklahoma City is also without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Wednesday, Joe will be worth the add.

Wiggins has not played since November 5, but the Thunder have not provided a timeline for his return. With Jalen Williams also out, there have been additional minutes available to Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Joe. Of the two, Mitchell is the player whom managers should prioritize on the waiver wire.

With Aaron Wiggins inactive for Oklahoma City’s last eight games, Joe has been one of the reserves the Thunder have sought increased production from. Over the past two weeks, he’s averaged 12.4 points and 2.7 three-pointers per game, shooting 40.7 percent from the field. Joe did record two steals to supplement his points and triples on Friday. Still, that needs to be the case more consistently if he’s to emerge as a player who must be streamed while the Thunder await the returns of Wiggins and Jalen Williams.

Williams, who was expected to be re-evaluated late last week, still is not ready to make his first in-game appearance of the season. With Aaron Wiggins also out for Friday’s game, Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Joe will continue to figure more prominently in the Thunder rotation. Mitchell has proved to be the superior streaming option this season.

Wiggins has not appeared in a game since November 5, missing Oklahoma City’s last six games. Wednesday will make seven, raising the fantasy ceilings of Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Joe. Mitchell, who has been consistently productive this season, should be rostered until the Thunder are whole.

Caruso was only able to play about two minutes before injuring his hand, which ended his night early. Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Joe should take on extra minutes in this game with Caruso unavailable off the bench.

Wiggins will miss a fifth straight game, which means additional opportunities should be available for Isaiah Joe and Ajay Mitchell. Mitchell has been starting with Lu Dort (shoulder) sidelined, and even if Dort returns, Mitchell should continue to see meaningful minutes off the bench. Joe’s minutes figure to take the biggest hit when Dort returns, even if Wiggins remains out.