NBA Player News

Hawkins has missed plenty of games over the last six weeks with a back injury. While his return doesn’t impact fantasy basketball much at all, it gives the Pelicans some extra bench depth.

Missi couldn’t prevent Nikola Jokic from recording another triple-double, but the Pelicans’ rookie center acquitted himself well on Sunday. The 21 points were two shy of his season-high, and the 7-footer has grabbed at least nine rebounds in five of his last six outings. New Orleans’ two-game Week 9 isn’t good from a value standpoint, but Missi may be a rare player worth adding despite the poor schedule. He’s rostered in just 40% of Yahoo leagues, and it isn’t like the Pelicans are loaded with alternatives at the center position.

After shooting 5-of-15 from the field in his first two games after missing eight games with a back injury, Hawkins got untracked on Sunday. The 25 points and five 3-pointers are season-highs for the second-year guard, who may have added importance depending on Trey Murphy’s (ankle) status. New Orleans doesn’t play again until Thursday, which may be enough time for Murphy after going down during the third quarter on Sunday’s loss. Fantasy managers don’t have to add Hawkins immediately due to the Pelicans’ upcoming schedule, but put him on your watchlists.

Murray finished Sunday’s overtime defeat one rebound shy of a triple-double, which would have been his first since the penultimate game of the 2023-24 campaign. The Pelicans point guard has improved his production recently, providing top 30 per-game value in 8-cat formats over the past three weeks. It would benefit Murray if the Pelicans could get healthy, but they lost Trey Murphy to an ankle injury during Sunday’s game. New Orleans’ two-game Week 9 isn’t good for fantasy managers, but this banged-up squad can use the time off.

From a playmaking standpoint, Sunday’s performance was McCollum’s best of the season. He dished out a season-high nine assists while committing two turnovers, with the former number more than double his season average (4.2 apg). McCollum’s fantasy ceiling has been limited due partially to the inconsistent assist production, but the floor is relatively safe. More nights like Sunday can help change that. The Pelicans are off until Thursday and only play two games in Week 9.

After enduring a stretch of seven consecutive games of ten points or less, Westbrook has picked up the offensive production. He’s scored 18, 19, and 21 points in Denver’s last three games, providing 5th-round value in 9-cat formats over the past week. While fantasy managers are well within their right to be a little skeptical of Westbrook’s recent play, the state of Denver’s rotation puts him in a position to provide value off the bench. He is ranked just outside the top 100 in 8-cat formats and rostered in 55% of Yahoo leagues.

Since returning from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for two games, Murray has scored 20 points or more in four straight. His workload was just as impressive as the final stat line on Sunday, with Murray surpassing 40 minutes for the third time this season. However, the second such game preceded that two-game absence earlier this month. Murray and the Nuggets host the Suns on Monday, the first of four games they’ll play in Week 9 (which includes another back-to-back).

The Joker finished Sunday’s overtime victory with his 11th triple-double of the season and second in three games. Jokic “only” being a top-5 player in 8- and 9-cat formats over the past three weeks represents minor slippage, indicating how elite he has been this season. The Joker heads into Week 9 atop the rankings in 8- and 9-cat formats, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Denver plays four games in Week 9, beginning with the Suns on Monday.

Murphy injured his ankle during the third quarter as he landed awkwardly after corralling a rebound. The Pelicans immediately called timeout, and Murphy was ruled out early in the fourth. Jordan Hawkins will take on an expanded role if he misses time due to his perimeter shooting ability. Murphy finished with 21 points (9-of-16 FGs), eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and three 3-pointers in 27 minutes.

Walter was outstanding on Sunday, scoring Toronto’s first 14 points and finishing with the best offensive effort of his rookie season. Rostered in 2% of Yahoo leagues, Walter has not provided much fantasy value, even with the recent increase in playing time. However, Sunday showed what he’s capable of, especially if the Raptors reach a point where they decide to have their first-round pick consistently play starters’ minutes.

Sunday’s game was the second straight Toronto played without starting center Jakob Poeltl. While Jonathan Mogbo (three points, three rebounds, one assist, and one block in 16 minutes) has been the choice to fill the void, Olynyk and Chris Boucher (15 points, one rebound, four assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers in 19 minutes) have been more valuable to fantasy managers. The short-term concern regarding Olynyk is availability, as the Raptors visit the Knicks on Monday. He’ll be worth adding if he plays and Poeltl remains sidelined.