Ish

Smith

Smith and Ntilikina haven’t provided much fantasy value this season, aside from a couple games from Smith. However, these moves leave Nick Smith Jr. and Tre Mann (who they acquired in a deadline deal) as the only healthy point guards, since LaMelo Ball is still out. Charlotte didn’t start a point guard in their last game, but both Mann and Smith Jr. should play large roles for the rest of the season.

Martin will return after a two-game absence, giving the Hornets another playmaker with LaMelo Ball sidelined. Ish Smith will likely be asked to come off the bench, with his fantasy value taking a hit. Martin is worth utilizing in deep leagues, with Ball lacking a timeline for return.

Ball remains sidelined and does not have a timeline for return. Should Cody Martin be cleared to play, he’ll be the starter. If he remains sidelined, Ish Smith will make another start at point guard. Smith’s fantasy upside is limited in comparison to Martin’s.

Smith will get the start with Cody Martin sidelined, though Steve Clifford mentioned that Miller and Nick Smith Jr. will also take on the ball handling role in this game. Smith should be able to provide a handful of assists, but he doesn’t produce much else with any consistency.

Ntilikina will miss a second straight game, which will leave Ish Smith and Nick Smith Jr. as the primary guards off the bench, though neither has provided much value as of late. Martin’s absence will open up a starting spot, which will likely be filled by PJ Washington. Leaky Black, who played 18 minutes in their last game, should take on a few extra minutes as well.

LaMelo is expected to miss a third straight game, and PJ Washington started in their last one. Ish Smith had started the previous game, but he only played 11 minutes off the bench in the last one. Washington should continue to start on Wednesday, where he logged 35 minutes on Monday.

Charlotte will roll with Washington in the starting lineup after Ish Smith started in their last game. Washington had 43 points and seven 3-pointers off the bench on Saturday, and with LaMelo out again, he will move into the starting unit in place of Smith.

LaMelo will miss a second straight game, and after Ish Smith started in his place in his first absence, Smith will return to the bench for this one. PJ Washington will start in his place after scoring 43 points on Saturday.

LaMelo Ball (ankle) will miss the second game of Charlotte’s back-to-back, so Smith is in the starting lineup. Nick Smith Jr. is also in line for more minutes and is worth adding to watch lists ahead of the “silly season.”

With this being the second game of a back-to-back, Ball being sidelined is unsurprising. With Terry Rozier now a member of the Miami Heat, Ish Smith should move into the starting lineup. This will also boost Nick Smith Jr.'s value in the short term.