Miles

Bridges

Bridges continues to be called upon to carry the Hornets offensively with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller out. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been very efficient in the past few games and has merely been getting there on volume. He had 20 points on 16 shots against the Pistons and turned the ball over six times to his five assists. Bridges will continue to be the focal point of the offensive without Ball or Miller, but he’s shown he’s best suited as a supporting player.

With both LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller sidelined again, Bridges had the green light for the entire game. He took a season-high 32 shots, and came up big at the end of regulation. Bridges forced overtime with a contested 3-point with 1.5 seconds left, but they weren’t able to get the job done in overtime. This was a third straight double-double for Bridges, and he was also able to tie his season-high for assists. He has taken on more playmaking duties with Ball out, which was resulted in him having at least six assists in three straight games. Expect Bridges to continue to be the focal point of the offense until Ball or Miller returns.

Bridges has notched two straight double-doubles while amassing at least six assists, two blocks, and a steal. The Hornets wing is averaging season highs of 19.1 points and 8.9 rebounds through seven games this month.

While his season-long fantasy value has underwhelmed, Bridges has shown signs of turning things around. Thursday’s stat line was one of his best, with the Hornets forward recording his first double-double. Also, he has provided 6th-round value in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. Unfortunately for managers who have Bridges rostered, Charlotte only plays once more this week.

Bridges’ offensive production has decreased this season, with his average entering Monday (16.3) being nearly five points lower than his 2023-24 mark (21.0). Monday’s performance was a step in the right direction, with the Hornets forward finishing two points shy of his season-high. The 25 points are the most he’s scored in a game since November 6, when he scored 27 in a win over the Pistons.

After struggling with his shot in Friday’s loss to the Bulls, his first game since November 19, Bridges looked much sharper on Monday. The 24 points were three shy of his season-high, and the Hornets forward was also productive in the rebound and assist categories. Charlotte ends Week 8 with a Thursday/Friday back-to-back, and Thursday’s game against the Wizards can be a big one for Bridges.

Bridges is set to return to the Hornets starting lineup after missing almost a month with a knee injury. His return will push Cody Martin out of the starting lineup and possibly the rotation altogether with Tidjane Salaun also returning.

It has been almost a month since Bridges was available to play, but he could be back in the lineup for Friday’s game. His return would push Cody Martin out of the starting unit and would prevent Tidjane Salaun from starting if he were to be back for this game.

Bridges last appeared in a game on November 19, and his continued absence leaves Charlotte in a tough spot depth-wise. With Tidjane Salaun (ankle) also out, Cody Martin is the player most likely to start against Cleveland. Due to the lack of available options, he’s worth streaming in deep leagues.

Bridges has not played since November 19, but he resumed on-court activities on November 27. He’ll miss at least one more game, keeping Tidjane Salaun in the starting lineup. While the opportunities have been there, Salaun hasn’t been consistent enough to merit being streamed in most leagues.