Jalen

Suggs

Suggs did not play in Monday’s loss to the Pacers, with Jevon Carter replacing him in the starting lineup. Carter was ineffective, finishing with two points, three rebounds and one steal in 24 minutes. While he may get another start in Cleveland, Carter is not worth the streaming risk.

On a night when the Magic were without Jalen Suggs, Bane took on more playmaking responsibilities. The seven assists, which equaled his total in Orlando’s prior two games, were the most for Bane since he recorded nine in a March 8 win over the Bucks. Add in the points and rebounds, and this was a decent start to Week 22 for Bane. Jevon Carter, who replaced Suggs in the starting lineup, offered little in 24 minutes, finishing with two points (1-of-5 FGs), three rebounds and one steal.

Already without Anthony Black, the Magic will also play Monday’s game without the services of Jalen Suggs. As a result, Carter will make his first start of the season. He’s worth a look in deep leagues due to Orlando’s lack of depth at point guard.

Suggs has been great since the All-Star break, so his absence will certainly be felt by fantasy managers looking for a playoff victory. Suggs’ absence should mean more run for Tristan da Silva, who makes a worthwhile streaming option.

Suggs entered Saturday having recorded an average of 11.3 points on 36.5 percent shooting in his past four games. He was able to clean up the field-goal percentage against the Lakers, and the six assists were solid. Suggs has provided seventh-round value in eight-cat formats since the All-Star break, but the recent inconsistency has been frustrating for fantasy managers to deal with. The Magic play four games in Week 22, starting with the Pacers on Monday.

Suggs finished Thursday’s overtime victory with a season-high point total, with this being his first game with 25 or more since mid-December. Add in the rebounds, assists, steals and three-pointers, and fantasy managers had to be pleased with the Magic guard’s production. Orlando plays once more in Week 20, on Saturday against the Heat.

Suggs finished Saturday’s victory with a complete stat line, and he’s recorded at least four assists in each of his last four appearances. During this stretch, the Magic guard has totaled 24 assists and seven turnovers, an excellent assist-to-turnover ratio. Similar to Boston’s Derrick White, Suggs’ production across the stat line has helped compensate for a low field-goal percentage in terms of his fantasy value.

With the Magic on the verge of suffering a disappointing home defeat, Suggs came through with two huge plays in the final minute. After hitting a three-pointer with 32.2 seconds remaining to pull Orlando to within one, Suggs found Wendell Carter Jr. for the game-winning dunk with 1.4 seconds remaining. The Magic guard’s availability to fill a stat line makes him a valuable player in category leagues, even with his shooting 43.2 percent from the field this season.

Following a three-game absence with a back injury, this was Suggs’ third game back in the lineup and his second in the starting unit. He played 27 minutes for a second straight game, but this was his his best outing since his incredible run just before the All-Star break. He nearly recorded a double-double and supplied defensive stats, but he was also far more efficient on offense after shooting 5-of-23 over his previous two games. He’ll look to keep it up against the Mavericks on Thursday.

Listed as questionable on the NBA’s official injury report, Beede notes that, “Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said Black did not go through shootaround this morning and he will ‘most likely not go tonight.’” Black’s absence should mean additional run for Jalen Suggs and Tristan da Silva.