The Cleveland Cavaliers were the surprise contender of the 2021-2022 season. This fun Cavs team started three 7 footers and saw the emergence of Darius Garland. The 2022-2023 outlook looks promising as the Cavs hope to see the team gel over an entire season and develop now second-year player Evan Mobley into a bona fide NBA star. The wild card for this team is Collin Sexton. His presence softens the fantasy upside of many of their key contributors, while also capping his elite scoring ability due to a reduced role in a crowded backcourt.
Cleveland Cavaliers Fantasy Breakdown
Let’s take our first look into the 2022-2023 Cavaliers:
| Pos | Starter | Second |
|---|---|---|
| PG | Darius Garland | Ricky Rubio |
| SG | Caris LeVert | Isaac Okoro |
| SF | Lauri Markkanen | Cedi Osman |
| PF | Evan Mobley | Kevin Love |
| C | Jarrett Allen | Kevin Love |
Point Guard (PG):
Darius Garland comes into the 2022-2023 season with lofty expectations after a breakout season. The shifty point guard is the clear-cut leader of this Cleveland offense and should continue to score points, threes, and rack up assists. In the last three months of the season, Garland averaged 24 points, 2.5 threes, 10 assists, and 1.3 steals on 45% shooting from the field. Expect more of the same, especially at the beginning of the season while Ricky Rubio remains sidelined with an injury. Draft Garland in the early rounds starting in the second.
Watch for Ricky Rubio to return from injury during the season, around December or January. Rubio fills in naturally as a backup point guard and is quite effective as an assists and steals specialist. Don’t draft Rubio, but keep tabs on his return.
The wildcard at the point guard position is Collin Sexton. Sexton, who missed the 2021-2022 season to recover from injury, has not yet agreed to contract with the Cavaliers. However, if he returns the team adds another accomplished scorer (24 ppg in 2020-2021). While his role would be reduced now that Garland is the clear top guard, his return would also take value from both Garland and Rubio.
Shooting Guard (SG):
Cleveland traded for young star Caris LeVert in 2021-2022 to give them a pop of playmaking and scoring after combo guard Collin Sexton was lost to injury. While it looks like LeVert will be the starting guard next to Garland, his presence is being minimized due to streaky play and the talent around him. LeVert is a talented all-around player and capable of providing points, rebounds, and assists in great quantities, but lacks efficiency and defensive stats. If Sexton returns to the Cavaliers, LeVert’s stock falls even further. LeVert is a fine player to have on your team but draft him towards the latter rounds.
Isaac Okoro will be playing the two and the three. Given the depth on this Cleveland roster, Okoro does not factor to be fantasy-relevant outside of deeper formats.
Small Forward (SF):
The fun aspect of Cleveland is they will start three 7-footers. Lauri Markkanen is their 7-foot small forward. He will stretch the floor but is typically the fourth option in this offense. Worth drafting in the later rounds, Markkanen has a low fantasy ceiling in this lineup, which gets lower when Rubio is healthy, or if Collin Sexton is prioritized. Cedi Osman, a fan favorite, is the backup, and largely fantasy irrelevant unless multiple players are sitting. Only use him for deep league streaming on off-nights for the starters.
Power Forward (PF):
Evan Mobley was a breakout rookie in the 2021-2022 season. He looks to build on his immense talent and add to his point totals and rebounds, and continue his excellent defense. If Mobley’s usage increases, he can expect to creep into the top 40-50 this year and remains an elite option in any keeper format. Kevin Love should soak up backup forward minutes. After a revival of sorts last year, Love is a nifty player that can provide value in rebounds and threes from the forward/center position as a late-round flier.
Center (C):
Jarrett Allen was a key factor in Cleveland’s success last year. He pairs well with both Garland and Mobley. Allen profiles as an elite “pure” big man option – maximizing field goal percentage, rebounds, and blocks. Look to draft Allen in the 4th or 5th rounds. As far as backups, Cleveland may use combinations of Mobley, Love, and Markkanen at small ball centers, one perk of having nearly 4 7-foot forwards.
Sleepers:
Collin Sexton – At this point, we don’t know what will happen with Sexton. The market has cooled considerably for his services; however, he remains an elite scorer with play making skills. While it’s unclear exactly how he will fit with a Garland/LeVert/Rubio backcourt, Cleveland would benefit from having his dynamic play coming off the bench with Rubio healing from a major injury. Unless he moves to a new team, do not expect 20+ points per game. However, Sexton remains valuable as a scoring option in the mid to late fantasy rounds.
Bust:
Kevin Love – Both healthy and effective, Love surprised fantasy general managers last year. He provided unique value with a combination of rebounds, assists, and threes from the center position. Unfortunately, Cleveland will not need as much from him this year. Perhaps he is worth a spot on your team but use your late picks as a flier to see if he can replicate his 2021-2022 season.