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Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (COVID-19) will not play Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he is expected to play on Monday against the Chicago Bulls. Tatum has not played since January 8th, but barring any setbacks, he will make his return from quarantine on Monday. Tatum will likely see some sort of minutes restriction as they ramp up his conditioning, but his return should push Grant Williams to the bench and ease some of the offensive burden from Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown.
Boston Celtics small/power forward Jayson Tatum will continue his absence under the league's health and safety protocols for Sunday's contest against the Cavaliers. Tatum will be unavailable for the fifth straight contest, paving the way for Jaylen Brown to remain the focal point of the offense and a borderline elite fantasy candidate. Grant Williams has entered the starting five in place of Tatum, but he has combined for 12 points in those four contests and has not proven to be a reliable fantasy asset. Tatum had been practicing with the team earlier in the week, but until fantasy managers get a better read of the situation, they can assume that he'll remain unavailable.
Boston Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard (knee) has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL, which is expected to keep him sidelined for at least two weeks. Pritchard's minutes figured to be on the downswing upon the return of Kemba Walker, but the injury is a tough blow for the rookie, who showcased DFS upside potential earlier in the year when Boston's backcourt was short-handed. Jeff Teague will likely see a slight increase in minutes backing up Walker, while Marcus Smart can pitch in to cover for Pritchard as well. The injury forces the rookie to the waiver wire in nearly all season-long formats for the time being.
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown matched his season-high in points during Friday's loss to the 76ers. Brown dropped 42 points and narrowly missed out on a double-double, as he had nine rebounds. He was inefficient in his last outing, particularly from deep, though he made up for it with 5 of 8 shooting from downtown against Philadelphia. Brown is having an All-Star season for Boston, with career-highs in every category except rebounds so far. He's been an excellent draft pick for fantasy managers, as he's currently having a top-30 season in both points and category leagues. The Celtics may get Jayson Tatum back on Sunday against Cleveland, but it won't affect Brown's stellar production.
Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker will have his minutes raised for Friday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The team continues to monitor Walker, but will extend his minutes to 25-28 for this game, according to head coach Brad Stevens. Walker is slowly working his way back up and that is great news for fantasy managers. He'll continue to gain value with more minutes and could see an extended role, assuming Jayson Tatum (COVID-19) sits out Friday.