Cleveland Cavaliers DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (knee) is making progress but is unlikely to play on Monday versus Phoenix, reports Chris Fedor of The Plain Dealer. The Cavaliers superstar has been out for six games. The team has "hope" of him being able to return to the court during the team's upcoming three-game road trip, which starts on Wednesday with a contest in New Orleans. Darius Garland has run the Cavaliers backcourt in Mitchell's absence, with Caris LeVert, Sam Merrill, Georges Niang, and Isaac Okoro all benefiting from the team's injury problems.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (personal) won't play on Sunday versus the Nets. With Donovan Mitchell (knee), Evan Mobley (ankle), and Max Strus (ankle) sidelined, the 27-year-old had been getting some extra work of late, most recently logging 33 minutes in Friday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. But without Wade in the equation, Georges Niang, coming off a 16-point, six-rebound, two-block performance, should see plenty of interest from the fantasy community on Sunday night, especially those participating in DFS contests. At the same time, Sam Merrill and Isaac Okoro's fantasy ceilings increased significantly once Wade was ruled out.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (ankle) is "likely to miss extended time." He sprained his left ankle while finishing a dunk during Tuesday's clash with the Boston Celtics and was ruled out shortly after. The 22-year-old has been reliable for fantasy managers when available, averaging 15.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks. However, he's suffered various injuries this season, including sitting out over a month because of a knee issue. Although Mobley could be back sometime in the next few weeks, it may not be soon enough for fantasy managers, considering most leagues are in the playoffs. But until he returns, Georges Niang and Dean Wade will likely handle most of the void left at the four spot.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (ankle) is set to miss at least one week of action. Mobley was forced to exit early on Tuesday after spraining his ankle during the third quarter of that contest. The team announced that Mobley would be shut down and re-evaluated in one week. The loss of Mobley should mean increased fantasy value for Jarrett Allen. Also, Dean Wade and Georges Niang should see bigger roles. Both players are worth looking at in deep leagues.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade will join the starting lineup for Wednesday's battle against Atlanta. He's taking over from Evan Mobley (ankle), who was injured on Tuesday against Boston. Wade did an admirable job as Mobley's replacement on Tuesday and had a career-high 23 points as Cleveland snapped the Celtics' 11-game winning streak with a massive fourth-quarter comeback. He added eight rebounds and a pair of steals to his line. Wade is known for everything else besides scoring, but Wednesday's outing could be fruitful for him again on the attacking front, as the Hawks sit 27th in the league with a 119.2 defensive rating. Another tweak in Cleveland's starting lineup on Wednesday sees Georges Niang come in for Sam Merrill.