ENTER THE MONSTER DROP: https://joshlloydfantasy.com/contests/GIVEAWAY 27 JLFB BOWL https://joshlloydfantasy.com/bowl OVERVIEWI break down the Cleveland Cavaliers for fantasy basketball, with a focus on the real impact of James Harden’s presence on Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Peyton Watson. I cover projected rotations, usage shifts, value picks, and why the Cavs' playoff schedule is a real problem for fantasy managers in head-to-head leagues. KEY TAKEAWAYSDonovan Mitchell’s assist rate and usage dropped significantly with James Harden on the floor, making him risky as a first-round pick, especially since renewed depth and role changes are likely in Cleveland’s regular season.James Harden’s usage and minutes are set to decline further at age 37; taking him in round 2 is too aggressive. He’s a back-of-round-3 fantasy value in category leagues, lower in points formats.Evan Mobley’s fantasy value is firmly third to fourth round; a field goal/three-point shooting bounce-back is possible, but he didn’t take a real step forward last season. Center-only minutes would boost him, but that's not guaranteed.Jarrett Allen’s fantasy range is wide—he’ll exceed rank if the Harden pick-and-roll connection boosts his efficiency, but a drop to 25–26 minutes per game is a real risk if lineups favor Mobley at center. Don’t touch Allen at ESPN’s rank (49), but consider him in the 70–85 range.Peyton Watson’s role and usage are uncertain, but his ADP is reasonable for the minutes security. True upside is injury- or opportunity-dependent, so tread carefully unless you’re in a deeper league.The Cavs’ bench is extremely thin. Jaylen Tyson and Sam Merrill are key sixth/seventh men and deeper league streamers, but both rely on injuries ahead to gain standard-league relevance.Cleveland’s playoff schedule is brutal—with a dreaded two-game week during the most crucial fantasy playoff round. Fade all early-round Cavs in playoff-based leagues unless your league’s format makes the schedule irrelevant.Thomas Bryant is a pure stash in deeper leagues with a narrow fantasy window—he’ll only be worth rostering if both Mobley and Allen miss time.RESOURCESProjected Cavs lineups and starters/bench rotation breakdowns as discussed in the episodejoshloydfantasy.com/shop for Josh Lloyd Fantasy Basketball merch and league sign-upsBasketball Monster for projections and analysisNEXT STEPIf you’re drafting soon, make sure you factor Cleveland’s playoff schedule into your decisions, especially for early-round picks. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!IndeedListeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast. BetterhelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at https://BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA. Aura CybersecurityStart your free trial today at https://aura.com/aware. Protect yourself now. GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. SquareGet up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at https://square.com/go/NBA ! #squarepod FanDuelThis season, FanDuel is making the excitement go beyond what happens on the field with the all-new FanDuel Rewards Club, featuring exclusive offers, surprises, and more. Every week, check the FanDuel app to see what’s waiting for you or visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction0:32 Setting Up the Cavs Fantasy Questions1:34 Harden’s Impact on Mitchell and Usage Projections4:01 Additional Cavs Rotation and Role Questions6:37 Projected Starting Lineup and Mitchell Analysis8:31 Evan Mobley: Value, Regression, and Role11:58 Cavs Bench and Roster Overview13:12 James Harden: Role, Age, and Rankings14:23 Jarrett Allen: Efficiency, Minutes, and Draft Range17:09 Peyton Watson: Upside vs Role Uncertainty20:59 Merch and Listener Leagues22:00 Projected Bench and Depth Issues24:38 Jaylon Tyson, Sam Merrill, and Cavs Depth26:00 Best Targets, Busts, and Late Swings28:49 Stash/Deep League Options (Bryant, etc.)30:02 Injury and Cavs Schedule Warnings32:10 Listener Mailbag: Leagues and FAQ33:35 Closing Thoughts & Next Steps Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
