Paul George (ankle) has been ruled out for Tuesday’s matchup between the 76ers and the Magic, which comes as a surprise, as the veteran was initially listed as probable. Joel Embiid (knee) will also miss his eighth game in a row and VJ Edgecombe (calf) will miss his second straight.
George just made his season debut last Monday and he has played in three of the last four games for Philadelphia. In these three starts, George has been limited to only 22 minutes per game, which has translated into just 13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game for the former All-Star. George going from probable to out Tuesday is obviously concerning and hopefully he will be able to suit up for the 76ers’ next game, which is Friday vs. the Nets.
With Embiid, George and Edgecombe all out Tuesday, Tyrese Maxey ($10,000) should see a mammoth usage rate and he should put up big numbers. With Embiid, George and Edgecombe off the floor this season, Maxey’s usage increases 2.3 percentage points to 33.6% and he is averaging 32.7 points per 36 minutes. Fantasy-wise, Maxey is amassing 1.5 FPTS per minute in this situation.
Quentin Grimes ($6,100), Andre Drummond ($6,500), Justin Edwards ($4,400) and Trendon Watford ($4,500) will also see expanded roles with Philadelphia shorthanded.
Following the news of Embiid and George being ruled out, the 76ers have moved to a 3.5-point underdog vs. the Magic on DraftKings Sportsbook after opening as one-point underdogs.
