Cavs Injury Report: Sam Merrill Limited, Tomlin Still Sidelined
Merrill practiced on a limited basis while Nae'Qwan Tomlin sat out entirely — here's what it means with Cleveland's opener Thursday in Philadelphia.
Limited in practice but the Strus trade clears a volume-shooting lane.
- Merrill: 12.8 pts, 2.4 ast, 20.8 FPTS/G in 2025-26
- Tomlin the only Cav who didn't practice
- Tomlin: +8.6 FPTS last 5 games vs 2025-26 avg
- Max Strus traded out this summer
- Cavs open Thursday at Philadelphia, home Saturday
Kenny Atkinson gave Cavs fans a mostly clean bill of health heading into the season, with one notable exception. The entire roster practiced except Nae'Qwan Tomlin, and Sam Merrill was limited. Cleveland tips off Thursday on the road against the 76ers before hosting Brooklyn in the Rocket Arena home opener Saturday.
The Merrill note is the one that matters most for fantasy. He posted 12.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 52 games last season (2025-26), good for 20.8 fantasy points per game and our #202 overall rank (#94 at his position). "Limited" isn't "out," and with the opener two days away, this reads as managing a body rather than a genuine scare.
Why Merrill's Role Just Got Bigger
Here's the context that upgrades him: Max Strus is gone, shipped out this summer. Strus and his 11.2 points on 20.8 fantasy points per game (2025-26) were Cleveland's other floor-spacing option, and that volume now has to go somewhere. Merrill is the best shooter on the roster and the second unit's designated flamethrower, so expect his three-point attempts — and his fantasy ceiling — to climb.
Tomlin is the trickier case. The athletic wing didn't practice and sat out the entire preseason, which is a red flag this close to opening night. His raw 2025-26 line (5.8 points, 2.9 rebounds across 64 games, 13.3 fantasy points per game) left him at our #322 overall, but the arrow was pointing up late — he averaged +8.6 fantasy points over his final five games versus his season mark. He still needs to tighten up his three-point shot and his defense to earn steady minutes.
Rookie big man Khalifa Diop rounds out the trio. Atkinson said Diop is recovering from a setback injury and praised his fit, but the former overseas player is strictly a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option. As one of the few true frontcourt bodies on the roster, he only matters for fantasy if Cleveland's bigs start dropping.
The move for managers: don't overreact to Merrill's limited tag — if he clears for Thursday, he's a sneaky volume-three streamer in deeper leagues now that Strus is out of the picture. Keep Tomlin on your watch list given that late-season form bump, but hold off until he's actually practicing and we see opening-night minutes. Diop is a name to file away, nothing more.
