Tim Hardaway Jr.

Hardaway returned to the Pistons lineup on Tuesday after sitting out Sunday's win over the Hornets. While he has reached double figures in six of his last eight appearances, the production has been "feast or famine" for those who have THJ rostered. Over the past three weeks, Hardaway's production placed him just inside the top 300 in eight- and nine-cat formats. Malik Beasley, who has been a superior fantasy option despite coming off the bench most nights, finished Tuesday's win with 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and two three-pointers in 25 minutes.

Hardaway is back after a one-game absence. His return means Malik Beasley will head back to the bench, where his fantasy value takes a slight hit. However, Beasley has been productive enough to merit being rostered in some 12-team leagues.

Both Cade and THJ were out against New Orleans on Sunday, which allowed Dennis Schroder and Malik Beasley to enter the starting unit for that game. That will likely be the case again if Cunningham and Hardaway Jr. are sidelined against San Antonio. Marcus Sasser and Ron Holland also had spectacular games off the bench on Sunday and will certainly have some upside if Detroit is shorthanded once again.

Hardaway sprained his ankle during Friday's loss to the Mavericks. His absence means a likely move into the starting lineup for Malik Beasley, who boasts a higher fantasy ceiling. Despite coming off the bench, he has been a superior fantasy option to Hardaway throughout the season.

Beasley had his typical game Friday against the Mavericks as his only meaningful contribution was in the threes category with him making five of them. It was notable that teammate Tim Hardaway Jr. left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury and the Pistons predictably leaned on Beasley to pick up the slack, giving him 36 minutes. We've seen the Pistons do this at other points in the season. If Hardaway's ankle injury lingers, Beasley would have a lot of fantasy value playing starter-level minutes.