Nick

Richards

Richards was injured during Charlotte’s November 1 loss to the Celtics and has not played since. His status won’t be updated until after the Hornets’ upcoming road trip concludes on November 17. With Mark Williams (foot) also out, Charlotte is left with Grant Williams and Taj Gibson to man the middle. Moussa Diabate adds depth, but Gibson started Monday’s game in Minnesota.

Richards will miss a second straight game after injuring his shoulder during Friday’s loss to the Celtics. Grant Williams started on Saturday and should remain in that role, with Moussa Diabate as the backup.

Richards exited Friday’s loss to the Celtics during the first half and did not return. Grant Williams started the third quarter and is the likely replacement on Saturday, but he was ejected from Friday’s game for a Flagrant 2 foul on former teammate Jayson Tatum. Moussa Diabate should move into the rotation, but Williams is the streaming play to make.

Having injured his shoulder during the first half of Friday’s game, Richards has officially been ruled out after initially being deemed questionable to return. Grant Williams is the next man up and should be streamed if Richards cannot play in Saturday’s rematch with the Celtics. Moussa Diabate would move into the rotation, but Williams is the player fantasy managers should be focused on.

Richards played 16 minutes in the first half, accounting for one point, three rebounds, and one assist. Grant Williams started the third quarter and would figure more prominently in the Hornets rotation if Richards misses time.

Injured during the preseason, Williams has not appeared in a game this season. The Hornets have not provided a concrete timeline, but Lee’s update suggests the third-year center has a lot of work to do before he’s cleared. “For now, he’s just doing individual work at the next phase of his return-to-play plan,” Lee said when asked about Williams. “He’ll do some group-type activities, and then once we get to practices and stuff like that, we’ll update people.” Fantasy managers need to roster Nick Richards until this changes.

Richards remains a solid fantasy play with Mark Williams (foot) sidelined. He finished Wednesday’s victory with season-highs in points (24, equal to his total in the previous two games) and rebounds (14) while also blocking four shots. Richards is rostered in 34% of Yahoo leagues, which is too low of a percentage given his current importance to the Hornets.

The continued absence of Mark Williams (foot) makes Richards a valuable streaming option, and he rewarded fantasy managers with a double-double on Saturday. That was his second in as many nights after putting up 12 points and 13 boards in a loss to the Hawks on Friday. Richards is rostered in 21% of Yahoo leagues, which is way too low, considering Williams does not have a timeline for return. Charlotte plays three games in Week 2.

Williams remains sidelined for another game, meaning Nick Richards will get another start. He’s worth streaming until the Hornets get their usual starting center back, and it’s unknown when Williams will be cleared to play.

Unsurprisingly, Williams will miss the start of the season. He was reportedly out of the walking boot less than two weeks ago, but now there is no official timeline for his return to the court. This makes Nick Richards an enticing streaming option until the Hornets give a clearer update on Williams’ availability.