The Celtics have many movable pieces within their rotation that can make it tricky to pin down a starting lineup sometimes, but they have moved Gordon Hayward to the bench which has been their most effective starting five. As we have learned, Brad Stevens will keep us on our feet. The point guard spot very clearly belongs to Kyrie Irving, as Jaylen Brown sits next to him at the two. Both had solidified roles on this team, while Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier mostly come off the bench. Jayson Tatum and Marcus Morris round out the forward position, which has been their most effective front court. Both are interchangeable, which gives the Celtics some options to play with when things are not working. Al Horford continues to start at the five, and we have seen less Aron Baynes starts now with Boston being back to full health.
Preseason Analysis: So Much Talent...Only 5 Spots on the Floor
This may be the team with the most potential in the NBA. Next to the Warriors, their talent is unmatched. Injuries rattled this team last year, but it enabled the youth to gain valuable experience. While Boston is always a team that could make some changes, they are coming in with championship aspirations. Kyrie Irving missed the second half of last season, but is back to form early on. Gordon Hayward was in that boat as well, having a gruesome injury in the first few minutes of last season. In the 2019 season, with these names back things are going to be fairly spread out for fantasy. You can count on Irving to get his usage and production in the back court, but after that things get more tricky. The Celtics are clearly the favorite to come out of the East, but it's going to be contentious.
Terry Rozier is looking like he will be the only backup point guard after Marcus Smart is likely heading out of town due to salary cap restrictions. With an abundance of youth like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum they are in a good spot. Both those two saw sizable usage with the injuries, and will take a decline this year with Hayward back. With Brad Stevens at the helm, his magic can work some different lineups. Both Hayward and Tatum can start at the four, and the same can be said for Al Horford. Do not be surprised to see them all rotate around and keep their minutes fresh. Marcus Morris showed the ability to come off the bench and provide some offensive spark. The issue now he is has minute competition. Horford has never been a massive fantasy piece in Boston, and will do more good that doesn’t show up in the box score. That being said he is going to be a value center that still contributes across all five categories. Aron Baynes will draw some starts against big centers, and rookie Robert Williams has off the court issues so his status is going to be a question mark heading into the year.
