Caruso’s stat line may not jump off the page, but his play was critical in Thursday’s Game 3 victory. Acquired from the Bulls last summer for games like this, the veteran guard was highly impactful defensively as Oklahoma City rallied from a 29-point deficit. Additionally, the Thunder employed a closing lineup that included Caruso and Luguentz Dort (two points, six rebounds, one steal, and one blocked shot), which made life difficult for a Grizzlies squad that played the second half without Ja Morant due to a hip injury. Oklahoma City will look to close out the series on Saturday.

After offering minimal value in 12 minutes off the bench in Game 1, Caruso was far more impactful on Tuesday. He led all reserves in scoring, with Oklahoma City’s bench outscoring their Grizzlies counterparts by a 33-14 margin. Caruso also tallied four defensive contributions after failing to produce any steals or blocks in the series opener. Caruso’s play may not be a significant storyline in this series, but his ability to provide value on both ends of the floor gives Oklahoma City’s bench a decided advantage. Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday in Memphis, with the Thunder aiming to take a 3-0 series lead.

Sunday’s game will be the second straight missed by Caruso and the third for Wallace. Oklahoma City already secured home-court advantage throughout the NBA Playoffs, so most of their rotation players will be inactive on Sunday. The absence of Caruso and Wallace means players like Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Adam Flagler will play plenty on Sunday. Joe and Wiggins are the players to target in active leagues.

After a productive night in Wednesday’s win over the Suns, Caruso will join a significant chunk of the Thunder rotation on the sidelines for Friday’s game against the Jazz. Ajay Mitchell, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe are some available players who will have increased fantasy value in active leagues.