Brooklyn

Nets

After an ineffective 18-minute runout in his return from a sprained ankle on Saturday, Clowney was far more impactful against the Lakers. He shot 3-of-8 from beyond the arc and recorded a steal and a blocked shot. The 19 points are the most Clowney has scored in a game since January 14 against Portland, and the Nets forward has the potential to be a “silly season” standout. However, it’s possible that Clowney won’t play in Tuesday’s game against the Cavaliers for injury management reasons.

While efficiency has been an issue for Johnson this season, that was not the case on Monday. He made 60 percent of his attempts against the Lakers and finished one blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. While Johnson has been ranked outside the top 150 over the past month, the circumstances in Brooklyn make him worth a roll of the dice in deep leagues. Occasionally, he’ll have a night like Monday that rewards fantasy managers for their patience.

The Nets’ seven-game losing streak ended on Monday, and the team’s balanced offensive effort was a factor. Johnson was one of three Nets to score at least 18 points, with Keon Johnson and Noah Clowney being the others. Over the past month, Cam has been a seventh-round player in eight- and nine-cat formats. Saturday’s loss to Charlotte was the first game he’s missed since early February; fantasy managers will hope Johnson is consistently available for the playoff weeks, as he has been a dependable option when playing.

Thomas and Watford will sit out the first game of the Nets’ back-to-back as they face the Cavaliers on Tuesday. Cameron Johnson (knee) will be available, so he can slide into the spot in the starting lineup left vacant by Thomas. As for Watford, his absence frees up additional minutes for Noah Clowney and Jalen Wilson.

Johnson will return to the Nets’ lineup on Monday after sitting out Saturday’s loss to the Hornets. With Cam Thomas (hamstring) out, Ziaire Williams should remain in the starting lineup despite Johnson being available.

Russell combined for 19 points, eight assists and a rebound across his last two games, so Saturday’s performance was a nice bounce back effort. D’Lo’s playing time and production have been sporadic all season, and they’ll be especially unpredictable down the stretch of silly season for the “tanking” Nets.

Williams is the only notable change to Saturday’s starting lineup, as he’ll replace the injured Cam Johnson. Williams averaged just 10.9 points and 5.2 boards across 14 prior starts, so he’s not a recommended streaming option.

One day removed from participating in a 5-on-5 session, Clowney has been cleared to return from the sprained left ankle that sidelined him for over a month. Even if he’s immediately placed in the starting lineup (Cameron Johnson is out Saturday), the second-year forward is unlikely to take on a full workload in his first game back. However, Clowney has the potential to provide value once any restrictions are removed.

Johnson’s 26 points in Thursday’s loss to the Warriors was the most he’s scored in over two months. Now the 29-year-old small forward finds himself ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Hornets with left knee soreness. Fantasy managers that roster Johnson would prefer he help the team make the play-in tournament. An injury like this could portend a late-season shutdown.

This was an ideal game for Brooklyn. A competitive loss is what every tanking team craves. It was also an encouraging performance for Johnson, who had his highest-scoring game in over two months. Though Brooklyn isn’t that far out of the Play-In Tournament, it would be surprising if they truly made a push to make it. Johnson was in and out of the lineup over the final few weeks of last season, and managers should expect that to happen again this year. Luckily, it didn’t start until late March last season, so there should be more time before that is a risk.