Peyton

Watson

The Nuggets have been down two rotation players, Watson and Aaron Gordon, over the past month due to hamstring strains. Watson was injured during a February 4 loss to the Knicks and given a re-evaluation timeline of four weeks. According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the hope is that Watson will be able to return within 7-10 days. Given how well he played before the injury, Watson may start once he’s no longer restricted, given Cameron Johnson’s struggles in his first season with the team.

Strawther is dealing with a strained left great toe, but he is listed as probable for Wednesday’s game. He has started Denver’s last six games in place of the injured Peyton Watson, providing solid deep-league streaming value during this stretch.

The Nuggets can’t catch a break this season, as another key player will miss extended time. Watson sustained a right hamstring strain, and he won’t return until the first week of March at the earliest. Spencer Jones (head), Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. could all be in line for extended run until Watson returns.

Watson, who has provided the Nuggets with excellent contributions as the team navigated multiple injuries, pulled up during the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s double-overtime loss to the Knicks. With Spencer Jones having exited earlier in the game with a head injury, the Nuggets relied more on Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. in Watson’s absence. One may move into the starting lineup, but both will have streaming value in deeper leagues.

Watson played 33 minutes before having to leave Wednesday’s game, giving a foul to stop play before immediately limping back to the locker room. He finished with 10 points (4-of-13 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), five rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block and one three-pointer. The Nuggets relied on Bruce Brown (10 points, five rebounds, three steals, one block and two three-pointers) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (19 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and four three-pointers) down the stretch, and that will be the case if Watson has to miss multiple games. Watson will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his injury.

Watson did his best to pick up the slack offensively for the Nuggets, with his 29 points being one more than Nikola Jokić (16) and Jamal Murray (12) combined. Since moving into the starting lineup in mid-November, Watson has been a top-100 player in eight- and nine-cat formats. And with Aaron Gordon and Cameron Johnson still out, he should remain a starter for the foreseeable future. Watson is rostered in 45 percent of Yahoo! leagues, which is too low, given his current role.

While Watson’s production on Thursday wasn’t elite, he continues to provide reliable value to fantasy managers. Over the past month, the Nuggets forward has been a top-50 player in fantasy basketball. He’s still rostered in 45 percent of Yahoo! leagues, which is too low, especially with Aaron Gordon (hamstring) ruled out for at least four to six weeks. And with the Nuggets playing two more games in Week 15, now’s a good time to hop onto the Watson bandwagon.

Braun has only appeared in three games since suffering a sprained ankle on November 12, with his most recent action coming on January 9. As for Johnson, he has been out since December 23. With Nikola Jokić (knee) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring) also out, the Nuggets are currently down four starters. While Braun and Johnson weren’t having great seasons at the time of their respective injuries, their absences opened the door for others to step up, most notably Peyton Watson, who has a case to remain a starter even after the Nuggets return to full strength.

Gordon will miss a second straight game on Wednesday as he deals with a second hamstring strain. The injury has limited Gordon to just 23 appearances, which has been one of his best statistical seasons as a pro. Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones should continue to start at the forward spots, while Bruce Brown should come off the bench to play important minutes.

Watson was initially listed as probable to play, so his availability doesn’t come as a surprise. Spencer Jones started in his place in Denver’s last game, but he will likely head to the bench with Watson officially back in the lineup.