Boston Celtics DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (hand) won't feature against Washington on Sunday. The C's kick off a back-to-back in D.C., and White will be kept out of the lineup with a left-hand sprain. Payton Pritchard's minutes should get a nice boost from White's absence, while Jrue Holiday will have more opportunities to orchestrate play in the backcourt. We might end up seeing a lot of Boston's bench guys in the contest, as the Wizards are extremely shorthanded, and there's a high chance of the game turning into an ugly blowout -- Vegas has Boston as a 15-point favorite pregame.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (ankle) will play on Sunday versus the Wizards. Like Tatum's teammate, Jaylen Brown, he's dealing with a right ankle issue. However, the former Blue Devil will suit up, while Brown will sit this one out. With that in mind, Tatum will presumably pick up additional scoring opportunities. But if the Celtics build up a decisive lead throughout the contest, which is certainly possible against Washington, one of the worst teams in the NBA, he may log fewer minutes than usual. As a result, Tatum could have a tough time hitting value in DFS contests.

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (ankle) won't play on Sunday against Washington. Brown is coming off a massive performance, amassing 37 points in Thursday's win over the Phoenix Suns. But he'll sit out on Sunday, marking his seventh absence of the 2023-24 campaign. Jayson Tatum (ankle), who also has a right ankle injury, is good to go and will presumably pick extra scoring chances with Brown ruled out. There's also room for Sam Hauser or Payton Pritchard to enter the starting lineup, putting them on the radar for DFS managers. The Celtics will meet Detroit on Monday, another of the NBA's worst teams. As a result, Brown may also miss that contest in preparation for Wednesday's clash with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Chicago Bulls forward Torrey Craig (ankle) is available for the second leg of a back-to-back on Thursday versus the Clippers. The veteran had a 22-minute outing in Wednesday's overtime win against Indiana, and while he's only just returned from injury, the team won't keep him out of action on Thursday. Craig had 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists in Wednesday's favorable matchup against an up-tempo team. The Clippers play with a much slower pace, which is bound to have an affect on Craig's numbers.

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (hamstring) is already ruled out for Thursday's game against Phoenix. He's missed the last three games because of a hamstring strain. Fortunately, head coach Joe Mazzulla provided a positive update, reporting Porzingis is "progressing pretty well and is getting better and better." This doesn't mean the 28-year-old will be available for the C's meeting with the Wizards on Sunday or Monday's matchup versus Detroit. In all fairness, he doesn't need to be. But at least Porzingis is moving in the right direction, although the team will play it safe to keep him healthy for a late postseason push. At any rate, Al Horford, averaging 9.4 points, 7.1 boards, and 1.1 blocks, will presumably remain in the starting lineup. Luke Kornet should also see more minutes. Yet, Kornet's streaming value is at its highest when Horford doesn't play.