17 Rodney McGruder SG

McGruder will start at shooting guard for Sunday's preseason matchup with the Spurs, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.

The Heat are expected to be without a handful of usual contributors, which includes guards Wayne Ellington (ankle), Josh Richardson (quad) and Dion Waiters (ankle). As a result, McGruder will pick up the start and could see a fairly sizable workload. Once the regular season arrives, however, McGruder should settle into a complementary reserve role.

McGruder will pick up the spot start for Wednesday's regular-season finale against the Raptors, Tom D'Angelo of the Palm Beach Post reports.

The Heat are going to be without Goran Dragic (knee) on Wednesday, so Tyler Johnson will shift over to point guard, while McGruder will be inserted into the starting five on the wing. Look for McGruder to see an uptick in his overall playing time and production, though there's still likely other cheap value plays out there for Wednesday's DFS slate that are more intriguing than McGruder.

McGruder will come off the bench for Friday's contest against the Knicks, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

McGruder drew somewhat of an unexpected start during the Heat's last game as a result of various injuries to other players. But, with the team healthier Friday, McGruder will head back to his usual role.

McGruder will start Wednesday's game against the Hawks, Tom D'Angelo of the Palm Beach Post reports.

The Heat are going to be without the likes of Goran Dragic (ankle), Dwyane Wade (wrist) and James Johnson (knee), which allows McGruder to pick up the start on the wing. McGruder has been a DNP-CD in each of his last two games, so he'll obviously see a significant uptick in playing time and his overall production. That said, McGruder still appears to be nothing more than a punt-play for Tuesday's DFS slate.

McGruder managed three points (1-2 FG, 1-2 3Pt) in nine minutes during Tuesday's 102-101 win over the 76ers.

McGruder made his season debut following offseason leg surgery and a lengthy recovery period. He was listed as available, though coach Erik Spoelstra wasn't guaranteeing McGruder would see the court prior to tipoff. The subsequent injury to Wayne Ellington (quad contusion) may have had something to do with the fact that McGruder ended up earning some playing time. Even at full strength, he is mostly a three-point specialist who contributes sparingly in most categories and doesn't warrant much attention in most fantasy leagues. With that being said, if Ellington misses time, McGruder would figure to be among those who benefit.