Bruce

Brown

Brown and Hawkins will remain out for Sunday’s season finale, with the latter missing New Orleans’ final eight games. While Brown had his moments as a fantasy option after being traded to the Pelicans, he was not in a position where he could provide consistent value. Hawkins’s second season was frustrating due to injuries and inconsistent play when he was available. This summer will be critical for the former lottery pick, as he needs to show he can consistently contribute to the Pelicans.

New Orleans has had to use quite a few backups as of late. Antonio Reeves and Keion Brooks are likely in for spot starts against Miami.

These two starters missing time could have major implications. Elfrid Payton is a playmaking machine with 10 or more assists in three straight games and Keion Brooks has an even better chance at notching another start with Kelly Olynyk already ruled out.

Brown had 16 points, nine assists and four rebounds against the Bucks on Sunday with Jose Alvarado and Kelly Olynyk out. Both of those players are still questionable for Tuesday. Brown is an excellent streaming option if both players are ruled out again.

Alvarado and Olynyk were held out of Sunday’s loss to the Bucks, with Elfrid Payton and Antonio Reeves moving into the starting lineup. Reeves’s inclusion shifted Keion Brooks Jr. and Bruce Brown down a position in the lineup. Brown is the best streaming option for managers in active leagues, while Payton can provide assists.

Brown’s nine assists were a season-high, and he’s reached double figures in scoring in six of his last eight outings. The Pelicans wing was an 11th-round player in eight- and nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. For managers whose leagues run through Week 23, the Pelicans play four games, making Brown worth a roll of the dice. He’s only rostered in 11 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Brown is another Pelicans player who stands to benefit from CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson being ruled out for the rest of the season. He continues to start for the latter and has been an eighth-round player in eight- and nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. Brown is only rostered in 13 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and he’s worth a roll of the dice, despite the Pelicans’ final two games of Week 22 being played on Friday and Sunday, the busiest days of the week.

Williamson has already missed the Pelicans’ last five games, and he will remain sidelined for the final two weeks of the regular season. He suffered a low back bone contusion on March 19, and with New Orleans looking to improve their lottery odds, there is no reason for Williamson to play through any injury. Bruce Brown should continue to start for the rest of the season when available. Williamson suited up for just 30 games this season, providing ninth-round value in nine-category leagues mainly due to a horrific 65.6 percent showing from the charity stripe. It’s possible we see more Williamson trade rumors this offseason after another disastrous season for the Pelicans. He’s under contract through the 2027-2028 season.

Brown shot just 1-of-8 from the floor and 0-of-2 from beyond the arc, but he made up for his poor scoring with monster peripheral contributions. Across his last two, Brown has averaged 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.5 swats. New Orleans is dealing with a multitude of injuries, which means Brown could be in line for big minutes down the stretch.

McCollum will miss a third consecutive game with a right foot contusion. Given where the Pelicans are in the standings, there’s no need for him to consider rushing back onto the court. Bruce Brown has taken on a more prominent role within the Pelicans rotation and should be rostered since the Pelicans will also be without Zion Williamson. Jordan Hawkins is also worth a look in deeper leagues.