Alexandre

Sarr

Sarr is a late addition to the injury report, and there is a chance that he misses a game for the first time in his career. If that happens, Jonas Valanciunas would likely get the starting nod in his place, with Marvin Bagley seeing extra minutes off the bench.

Sarr’s offensive production has been inconsistent this season, but it wasn’t an issue in this game. 11 of his 20 points came during garbage time, though with point differential mattering during the NBA Cup, the starters were still in for both teams. He also got it done on the defensive end by setting a new career-high for steals in this game, and he still has yet to play an NBA game without blocking a shot. This was the best game of Sarr’s career, so hopefully it is a performance that he can build off of moving forward.

Valanciunas doesn’t need to start or play starters’ minutes to provide reliable fantasy value. Hitting double figures in rebounds for the first time this season, JV’s grabbed at least seven boards in five straight games. Alex Sarr (10 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and three blocks in 26 minutes) will continue to start, but Valanciunas should be rostered in most leagues.

Sarr had the most productive offensive game of his brief NBA career on Saturday, scoring a season-high 17 points on a solid percentage. Dealing with Bam Adebayo is never easy, but Sarr had his moments in Mexico City. He can undoubtedly build on this performance, especially with Kyle Kuzma (groin) sidelined.

After only tallying two points and five rebounds in his official NBA debut on Thursday, Sarr looked more comfortable in Game 2. The rookie finished the loss to Cleveland with a full stat line, including three defensive contributions and two 3-pointers. Sarr will have his rough nights, as is the case with most rookies. But there will also be nights when he shows why the Wizards selected him second overall.

Much to the chagrin of fantasy managers, “Summer League Sarr” appeared on Thursday night. The rookie spent most of his time on the perimeter, with five of his seven shot attempts coming from beyond the arc. Sarr missed all five, and this was a rough night for the rookie outside of his two blocked shots. Thursday’s game was just one of 82, so there’s plenty of time for Sarr to bounce back. Don’t panic.

The Wizards have made two changes to the lineup that started the team’s preseason finale against the Knicks. With Coulibaly and Sarr available after sitting out that matchup, they’ll start with Jonas Valanciunas and Kyshawn George heading to the bench. Carrington remaining a starter is also worth tracking, as he may have greater fantasy value early in the season than expected due to Malcolm Brogdon’s injury.

Four days after Wizards coach Brian Keefe said he was unsure if Sarr would be available for Washington’s opener, the rookie is no longer on the injury report. Jonas Valanciunas and Marvin Bagley III made starts during the preseason in Sarr’s absence, and the former is more likely to be impacted regarding fantasy value. While Bagley has deep-league value at best, Valanciunas is worth a look in standard leagues when allowed to start.

The second overall pick in this summer’s draft, Sarr sat out Washington’s final two preseason games with a sore calf. The vacancy in the starting lineup was filled by two players, with Marvin Bagley III filling the void in the first exhibition and Jonas Valanciunas in the second. Of the two, Valanciunas may be the better option for fantasy managers looking for a streamer.

Valanciunas came off the bench on Friday, with Alex Sarr being the lone big on the floor for the Wizards to begin the game. JV took advantage of the foul line, scoring eight of his 12 points from the charity stripe while also putting in a solid shift on the glass. Whether or not Wizards coach Brian Keefe would look to bring Valanciunas off the bench once the games count remains to be seen, but there could come a point during the season when that happens. Sarr finished Friday’s win with seven points, four rebounds, one blocked shot, and two 3-pointers in 21 minutes.