Jayson

Tatum

Tatum finished Friday’s 133-101 victory one assist shy of a second consecutive triple-double. And after logging 37 minutes in Wednesday’s win over the Heat, he only played 31 in Milwaukee. With the playoffs on the horizon, giving Tatum a little more time to recover can be invaluable for the Celtics. Boston ends its Week 23 schedule on Sunday against the Raptors, giving managers in Yahoo! default leagues one more game of Tatum.

Tatum recorded his first triple-double since returning from his ruptured Achilles tendon, and he made some history on Wednesday. He is the third player in Celtics history to finish a game with at least 25 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, joining Larry Bird (eight times) and Dave Cowens (two). For Tatum to play at the level that he has, less than a year after such a significant injury, is highly impressive. For fantasy managers who stashed him in an IL spot, their patience has been rewarded.

After being shorthanded for their back-to-back on Sunday and Monday, the Celtics will have their preferred first five on the floor in Miami. Hauser, Tatum and Queta are good to go, which pushes Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh and Luka Garza to the bench.

Tatum will be back after missing Monday’s game against Atlanta, which was the second leg of a back-to-back. His return should push Jordan Walsh back to the bench after he started two straight games.

Monday’s performance from Brown was not his most efficient, as he finished with low percentages and six turnovers. However, the Celtics’ star finished one assist shy of a triple-double, which would have been his fourth of the season. Brown and the other Celtics will receive a welcome boost on Wednesday when Jayson Tatum returns after taking an injury management night in Atlanta.

Tatum will get the night off for injury maintenance as Boston plays its second straight game. Hugo González is a candidate to see additional run with Tatum on the shelf, but the former is not a must-add player for fantasy championship week.

Tatum’s 32 points in the win over the Hornets were a season-high. The Celtics improved to 9-2 when the 28-year-old power forward plays this season. He’s averaging 20.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.1 steals since returning from an Achilles injury. Tatum and the Celtics have four games upcoming in Week 23, starting with a matchup against the Hawks on Monday.

Tatum is good to go after initially being listed as questionable. He played 37 minutes in Friday’s win over the Hawks; the Celtics may look to lessen Tatum’s workload on Sunday, even with Jaylen Brown unavailable.

The Celtics play on Sunday and Monday, so Tatum is likely to sit out one of the team’s next two games. Hugo González could see his playing time increase with Tatum unavailable, but he is not a must-stream player. As for Queta, Luka Garza is the player whose opportunities would increase if the Celtics don’t have their starting center.

Tatum’s field goal percentage continues to be an issue, but he was able to make up for it in other ways in this game. He set a new season high for scoring in this game, and he recorded his third straight double-double. It’s only been 10 games, but he has been better on the glass than he has ever been in his career. He’ll continue to get better as he plays more games, and his availability is going to give the Celtics to make a deep run in the playoffs.