Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski available Monday

Podziemski recorded his second 20-point game of the season on Monday, finishing one point shy of his high (21 vs. the Lakers on Friday). Like Stephen Curry, Podz was most effective during the third quarter, scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field. The negative for fantasy managers is that Podziemski didn’t provide much value beyond the points and three-pointers. They’ll hope for more on Thursday when the Warriors host the Heat.

While he didn’t have his best night shooting the basketball, Curry extended his streak of games with at least 31 points to three. The Warriors star was at his best in the third quarter, shooting 6-of-9 from the field and scoring 18 points. Outside that period, the Suns kept Curry in check, but he still went home with a stat line that many fantasy managers will take without hesitation.

Podziemski has scored 17 points or more in four of his five appearances this season, but he stood out on Sunday with his assists. The eight assists were a season high, and he’s tallied five or more in four straight games. Podziemski will look to build on this current run when the Warriors face the Suns on Monday.

Curry is going to sit out Sunday for right knee injury management reasons. Will Richard is likely the top candidate to move into the starting lineup with Curry sidelined.

After taking a back seat offensively in Wednesday’s win over the Timberwolves, Podziemski was more involved on Friday to make up for a quiet night from Yaxel Lendeborg (six points, one rebound, one three-pointer, and five turnovers). Podz scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half, shooting 4-of-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from the foul line. The 21 points are a season-high for Podziemski, who scored 18 in each of his first two appearances.

The Warriors got off to a terribly slow start, being outscored 38-15 in the first quarter. The bench came up big in the second quarter, setting the stage for Curry to do his usual work in the second half. He scored 17 of his 31 after halftime, helping the Warriors turn a 25-point deficit into a 17-point victory. During the fourth quarter, Curry moved into 18th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, passing Dominique Wilkins. Over the last two games, he’s scored 75 points and knocked down 14 three-pointers.

For the Warriors, it was all Stephen Curry and Yaxel Lendeborg on Wednesday, so Podz took a step back. You want more scoring than what you got tonight, but he got you some good rebounds and assists from the guard position. However, Podz is not someone who has been able to show consistently that he can ramp up usage and score the ball when the team needs it, so there is a cap on his upside.

Steph can still go crazy in games but it doesn’t happen as often with his age. Getting a perfect 16-16 from the free throw line is an incredible boost to your fantasy teams at this point in the week. As long as he is healthy, he will be one of the most exciting players in the NBA, and you can take any of these performances you can get as a fantasy owner.

Back in the lineup after sitting out Saturday’s loss to the Suns, Podziemski recorded his second 18-point game of the season. He played 33 minutes against the Nuggets, a positive sign given the back issue that kept Podz out of the Warriors’ October 21 season opener. Golden State has three more games in Week 2, ending with a Sunday/Monday back-to-back, so another injury management night could be on the horizon for Podziemski.

For just the second time in his illustrious career, Curry finished a game without missing a shot. After making his lone attempt during the first half, the Warriors guard shot 7-of-7 from the field in the second half as they pulled away from the Nuggets. Given Yaxel Lendeborg’s play, the Warriors didn’t have to rely as much on Curry. If that continues, it would make the future Hall of Fame guard’s job a little easier.