Jericho

Sims

KAT missed their last game, which allowed Jericho Sims to start in his place. Precious Achiuwa and Airel Hukporti also played extended minutes off the bench, but with KAT back none of them will play enough of a role to provide any real fantasy value.

Towns sat out Saturday’s loss to the Pistons, with Jericho Sims replacing him in the starting lineup. However, Sims would not be worth streaming if KAT cannot play in Toronto. He was ineffective in six first-quarter minutes on Saturday and did not return, with Precious Achiuwa (27 minutes) and Ariel Hukporti (15) playing the remaining minutes at center. Achiuwa will be the best streaming option of the three.

With Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) sidelined, Sims received the starting nod on Saturday. To say it didn’t go well would be an understatement. The Knicks backup played six minutes and wasn’t seen again, with Precious Achiuwa (six points, 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block in 27 minutes) starting the third quarter. Also outplaying Sims was rookie Ariel Hukporti, who contributed nine points, two rebounds, and two assists in 15 minutes. There’s no need to consider streaming Sims if Towns remains sidelined for Monday’s game in Toronto.

Brunson is available after the Knicks listed him as questionable with a back contusion. However, New York will be without Karl-Anthony Towns (knee), which pushes Sims into the starting lineup. Precious Achiuwa, who made his season debut on Thursday, and Ariel Hukporti are also available to provide depth in the post.

KAT is a late addition to the injury report, and if he is forced to miss this game, Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims will be the two center options for New York in this game. Achiuwa should start and be the better streaming option.

Sims received the starting nod on Friday, as the Knicks were without Karl-Anthony Towns (wrist). Unfortunately, it didn’t take long to realize why there wasn’t much to gain from streaming him. Rookie Ariel Hukport (seven points, four rebounds, three assists, and four blocks) outplayed Sims and, as a result, played 30 minutes. If Towns remains sidelined for Sunday’s rematch with the Nets, Hukporti will be more worthy of a look than Sims in deep leagues.

Brunson is available to play in Friday’s game, but Karl-Anthony Towns (wrist) is not. As a result, Sims will start, but he is a risky streaming play. The opportunity to produce will undoubtedly be there, but Sims hasn’t offered much value when given the chance to start. Look for Ariel Hukporti to play rotation minutes off the bench.

Towns injured his non-shooting wrist during Wednesday’s win over the Heat, his best performance since the Knicks acquired him from the Timberwolves. While KAT apparently played through the issue in Miami, he’s questionable for Friday. Jericho Sims would be the next man up if Towns cannot play, but he doesn’t offer much value as a streamer. The same can be said for rookie Ariel Hukporti.

Achiuwa joins Mitchell Robinson (ankle) as big men who will miss the start of the season for New York. Josh Hart should see ample playing time, and Jericho Sims could be in line for meaningful rotation minutes for as long as Achiuwa and Robinson are sidelined.

The Knicks don’t want to rush Robinson back to the lineup, which means that they’ll have to turn to other options at center. Precious Achiuwa should get the first crack at extra minutes and could slide into the starting unit, which makes him an intriguing late-round target. Jericho Sims should also provide some center depth, but he won’t play enough minutes to be worth drafting. Julius Randle may also see some minutes as the center in smaller lineups, which should be intriguing for his fantasy value. They’ll still need Achiuwa and Sims to combat some of the bigger centers, but they don’t have any plans to make a trade for another big at this time.