Boston’s 2025–26 reset centers on Jayson Tatum’s health, moving away from the 2024 title core to a fresh mix of proven vets and high-upside youngsters. Porzingis and Holiday exit, Horford (likely) departs, and Luke Kornet finds a new home, clearing minutes for Anfernee Simons, Josh Minott and Luka Garza. The 2025 Draft haul—Hugo Gonzalez, Amari Williams and Max Shulga—adds youth with potential. The zeitgeist question: which newcomer will carry the fantasy torch next season?

The CLNS Media pod crew debates role clarity, minutes, and fit in a Boston system now built around versatility and spacing. Fantasy managers should watch how these moves translate into usage by week, with the mix of veterans and youngsters shaping scoring, threes, defensive stats and DFS upside across the year.

Jayson Tatum’s Achilles rehab shakes Boston’s scoring landscape for 2025-26. With him out, Brown or White could lead the Celtics, but Payton Pritchard or Anfernee Simons (if he joins Boston) might surge for the top spot. Neemias Queta’s rising role adds a frontcourt wrinkle. The Green With Envy breakdown sharpens the fantasy angles, outlining realistic paths, minute scenarios, and lineup puzzles for early-season rosters.

Fantasy-wise, focus on usage, pace, and shot balance as Boston navigates without Tatum. Be ready to pivot if Simons lands in Boston or if Neemias carves out steady minutes, altering who carries the scoring load in the short term and beyond.

Anfernee Simons lands in Boston, and fantasy scouts are buzzing about a highest-usage season for him. The swap that sent Jrue Holiday to Portland reshapes the Celtics’ pecking order, with Simons likely to handle big-shot duties and grow into a leading scorer in a contract year. Brown remains pivotal, but the offense will tilt toward Simons’ scoring punch, creating a loop of high-volume shooting and dynamic off-ball movement that could redefine Boston’s ceiling this season.

With no Jayson Tatum in the immediate picture, Simons’ early-year opportunities could surge as Boston tests lineups around him. His proven 3-point stroke and ability to generate shots align with Boston’s spacing, while Brown offers late-game gravity. If the fit clicks, Simons can become a fantasy cornerstone, delivering volume, efficiency, and upside that elevate the Celtics’ fantasy stock across the board.

An anonymous rival executive floated a wild take about Anfernee Simons potentially landing with Boston, igniting fantasy chatter.

His scoring punch and shooting would lift Celtics lineups, but sharing ball-handling with Tatum and Smart could blunt assists and complicate minutes.

Heavy Dot Com's Steve Bulpett piece and CLNS Media hosts frame the talk as speculative, not a done deal.

Fantasy managers should watch role clarity and minutes; a reliable usage spike could unlock elite fantasy upside in Boston.

Boston faces a salary-cap tightrope with Jayson Tatum sidelined, making a potential run at a cheap but productive scorer crucial. The Celtics swapped Jrue Holiday for Anfernee Simons to dodge the second apron, and the market around Simons remains active: teams and GMs eye a deal that avoids heavy long‑term commitments. If Simons stays, he could become Boston’s primary scorer as the offense adapts to his scoring punch, though his expiring deal complicates any long‑term plan. The upcoming trade deadline looms as the likeliest fork in the road for Simons and Boston.