Jared

McCain

McCain has scored in double figures in four straight games, with Friday’s being the best of the bunch. The Thunder guard shot 7-of-11 from deep against the Clippers, recording season highs in points and three-pointers. McCain will mainly be a “points and triples” option in fantasy leagues, but Oklahoma City’s injuries open the door for him to provide consistent value.

After scoring 19 points off the bench in Saturday’s rout of the Wizards, McCain returned to the Thunder starting lineup on Tuesday. Shooting 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, the third-year guard recorded his third 20-point stat line of the season. While he can be inconsistent, McCain is on a bit of a heater, scoring 21, 19 and 21 points in his last three games.

The Thunder made one change to their starting lineup, with McCain replacing Aday Mara. Portland has only one true big in its lineup, Donovan Clingan, so starting two 7-footers wouldn’t have been the best course of action.

McCain continues to make a significant impact in a versatile role for Oklahoma City this season. He came off the bench in this one and wound up shooting 80 percent from the floor with both of his misses coming from three-point range. He’s scored at least 19 points in back-to-back games and is averaging 25 minutes for the injury-depleted Thunder. They’re back in action with a busy four-game week that includes back-to-back showdowns against the Trail Blazers in addition to road tilts against the Clippers and Kings.

The Thunder will start Saturday’s game with a bigger lineup, with Mara starting and Jared McCain coming off the bench. While the production hasn’t been consistent, Mara is worth the risk due to injuries to Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.

McCain found himself back in Oklahoma City’s starting lineup and delivered an extremely efficient offensive effort, reaching the 20-point plateau for the first time since Oklahoma City’s season-opening win over the Spurs. The 22-year-old has made the most of his increased opportunities for the injury-ravaged Thunder and is worthy of a roster spot in deeper fantasy leagues. Oklahoma City is back in action with a home matchup against the Wizards on Saturday.

The Thunder are going smaller in this game than they did against the Cavs with Aday Mara heads to the bench and Jared McCain returns to the starting lineup. Mara will go back to being a backup center while McCain might get more minutes in this game. If McCain is available, he might be worth grabbing if you need some points and 3’s.

Although Jared McCain is available for Monday’s game, the Thunder are starting with a bigger lineup. JayWill has replaced him, which should help the Thunder match up better against Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

After totaling 10 points in his first two starts of the season, Williams scored 11 on Saturday. He was most valuable against the Rockets in three-pointers and rebounds, but this performance doesn’t make “Kenny Hustle” a must-add heading into Oklahoma City’s four-game Week 3. Also, with the Thunder playing two games against Cleveland to start the week, it’s fair to wonder whether head coach Mark Daigneault would consider a bigger lineup to match up with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. If so, Williams or Jared McCain (10/4/2/1) could be headed to the bench.

McCain was one of three replacements in the Thunder starting lineup on Monday. With Cason Wallace (shoulder) and Jalen Williams (ankle/leg) needing surgery, McCain has a good chance of staying a starter for the long haul. He shot 4-of-7 from beyond the arc against the Suns and recorded a complete stat line, playing 30 minutes. Like Ajay Mitchell, McCain is a must-add if he’s on the waiver wire.