Ziaire

Williams

Williams has missed the team’s last five games, but he’s inching closer to a return. He will miss Thursday’s game in Toronto and should be out against the Jazz on Saturday and likely against the Heat on Monday. Keon Johnson has been starting in his place and will likely be pushed to the bench when Williams returns.

This will be Williams’ fifth straight missed game. Keon Johnson will continue to start for the Nets until Williams returns. He could return soon as he’s been participating in practice recently.

Williams will miss a fourth straight game, but he is getting closer to returning, as he has been able to resume on-court work. Keon Johnson has been starting for Brooklyn, but Williams’ eventual return will put an end to that.

Already ruled out for Wednesday’s game against Indiana, Williams will not play on Sunday, either. The Nets will provide an update on his status following that contest with the Bucks. Trendon Watford and Dariq Whitehead may pick up additional minutes, as the Nets are down multiple players due to injury.

With Williams sidelined again, Jalen Wilson should be in line for another start, with Trendon Watford and Dariq Whitehead potentially seeing extra minutes off the bench. While all are capable of providing decent streaming value, they are risky options, since Jordi Fernandez could make some major rotation changes due to the amount of injuries.

Simmons, DFS and Williams will join Cam Thomas on the sidelines Monday. Cam Johnson is questionable, which means guys like Jalen Wilson, Trendon Watford and Shake Milton should see increased run.

Wilson will be back after missing Wednesday’s game against Phoenix. That opened the door for Ziaire Williams to get another start and for Tyrese Martin to have a big scoring night off the bench. There will likely be a logjam for minutes, which may prevent any of them from contributing much value.

With Cam Thomas (hamstring) out at least three weeks, Williams may have room to establish himself within the Nets rotation. However, Wednesday’s stat line and 24 minutes weren’t great, so this is a spot where fantasy managers should consider him for watch lists and nothing more. Keon Johnson and Shake Milton played 20 and 21 minutes off the bench, respectively, and that playing time split may neutralize all three regarding streaming value.

Already dealing with a back injury, Thomas pulled up lame during the third quarter of Monday’s win over the Warriors. An MRI revealed the hamstring strain, and the Nets will be without their leading scorer for at least three weeks. Ziaire Williams is worth targeting on waiver wires, and managers who have Cameron Johnson and Dennis Schroder rostered should expect an increase in their scoring opportunities.

Williams started Sunday’s game for Dorian Finney-Smith, who sat due to a sprained ankle. While he didn’t provide much value in his 20 minutes on the floor, Williams may have another opportunity to start on Monday. Finney-Smith and Ben Simmons (back) will not play when the Nets open a four-game Week 6 in San Francisco against the Warriors.