Cleveland Cavaliers DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (ankle) will play on Sunday evening versus the Miami Heat. Mobley appeared to be heading in the right direction. However, he'll finally return from his nine-game layoff caused by a sprained ankle. The 22-year-old may see fewer minutes than usual in his first game back. Yet, his presence could negatively impact the fantasy potential of Georges Niang, who's averaged 13.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in 10 starts this season.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Max Strus (knee) won't play on Sunday against Miami, his former team. The 27-year-old has been out for a few weeks because of a sprained right knee. But the Cavs hope to catch Milwaukee for the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference heading toward the postseason, so the team would like to get him back in the lineup as soon as possible. Strus has been a welcome addition to the roster in his first year in Cleveland, averaging career-highs in points (12.2), rebounds (4.7), and assists (3.8). With that said, until he's back in the lineup, Isaac Okoro should continue to benefit from a fantasy standpoint.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (ankle) remains questionable for Sunday night's game versus Miami. Chris Fedor of The Plain Dealer posted a video on Sunday afternoon showing Mobley dribbling and attacking the basket, so it appears he has a strong chance to return for this one after missing the last nine games because of an ankle injury. It's logical to assume the 22-year-old could be limited in his first game back from a lengthy layoff. However, Mobley's presence, assuming he gets the green light, should still lower the fantasy ceiling of Georges Niang, who has averaged 13.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in 10 starts during the 2023-24 campaign.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (knee) is set to miss his seventh game in a row due to a knee sprain on Friday. The backup big man hasn't been able to play since their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 8. His absence is felt a bit more than usual since Evan Mobley (ankle) has also been out for the last eight games. While Wade hasn't been the most fantasy-friendly player, he was useful in some streaming scenarios before. Now that he's out, Jarrett Allen and Georges Niang will continue to be the starting big-man duo while Marcus Morris and Tristan Thompson will see some added minutes off of the bench.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Max Strus (knee) has been ruled out for the meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. The 27-year-old will miss his tenth consecutive game due to a knee strain. In that span, so far, the Cavs have gone 4-5 and they're now down by a game and a half to the Milwaukee Bucks for the second seed in the East. Since Donovan Mitchell (nose) and Evan Mobley (ankle) are also out, Darius Garland will have to lead the offense. Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert should remain in the starting lineup while Sam Merrill will likely see big minutes off of the bench. LeVert has been the most consistent of the three as a streaming option.