

Philadelphia 76ers center Paul Reed will return to the starting five on Wednesday versus Memphis. Reed has been Philadelphia's main starting center since Joel Embiid (knee) dropped out of the lineup, but 76ers head coach Nick Nurse had preferred to run Mo Bamba with the starters in the previous three games. Bamba hasn't done much in the elevated role, and now it's time for Reed to boost his stock again. The 2021 G League MVP has recorded 10.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in the first unit this season. However, he faces a difficult challenge on Wednesday against Jaren Jackson Jr., the NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Nicolas Batum will also be back among the 76ers starters on Wednesday.


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.


Memphis Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. (quadriceps) has been cleared to return to action against the 76ers on Wednesday. He'll get back to work after sitting out three games with a right quadriceps issue. Jackson Jr.'s return is set to push Trey Jemison back to the bench, where his fantasy value will be non-existent. Meanwhile, Jackson Jr. himself could be in for a feast, as Philadelphia remains without Joel Embiid (knee), and the visitors will likely have a tough time guarding the Grizzlies big man. In his last appearance, Jackson Jr. had an outstanding game against Minnesota's tough defense with a 33-point, 13-rebound double-double, and his overall productivity had been trending up before he got hurt.


Washington Wizards guard/forward Corey Kispert will be in the starting five for Wednesday's matchup against the Magic. He's replacing Marvin Bagley III (back) in the first unit. This will be only the third start of the year for Kispert. He's previously put up 15.0 points in 30.5 minutes as a starter, grabbing 2.0 rebounds and dishing out 3.5 assists. The 25-year-old has been in good form recently and boosted his scoring production to 17.3 points last month. The matchup with Orlando has suited him superbly this season, as Kispert has shot a sizzling 56.3 percent from downtown to average 14.3 points in three games.

Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black will move back into the starting five for Wednesday's encounter with Washington. He's filling in for veteran Gary Harris (calf), who's getting the night off. Black will make his 32nd career start. The 20-year-old rookie has previously averaged 5.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 21.6 minutes as a starter. He doesn't tend to play a very active role on offense for Orlando, and even a matchup against the worst defense in the league might not help Black make fantasy managers happy on Wednesday.
