Daniss Jenkins scores 21 points vs. Washington

The Pistons have made a change to their starting lineup, moving Paul Reed to the bench. Jenkins, who scored a career-high 31 points on Sunday, moves into the starting five. The change also shifts Robinson, Thompson and Collins down a position.

Jenkins erupted for a game-high 22 first-half points, shooting 7-of-9 from the floor and 6-of-7 from three-point range in just 13 minutes off the bench. He capped the spectacular half by burying his sixth triple just over one second before the buzzer, sending the crowd into halftime with one final highlight. His sublime effort provided a much-needed lift for Detroit on an off-night for Cade Cunningham, who was held to just - points. The 25-year-old backup point guard knocked down 8-of-14 from three-point range, eclipsing the 20-point threshold for the first time this season. He doesn’t offer a ton of fantasy appeal in a bench role, but that could change if he continues to shoot over 40 percent from downtown. The Pistons have a three-game week on tap that features a pair of matchups against the lowly Wizards before a road tilt against the Heat.

Thompson played on Tuesday after missing Sunday’s game, and he should be good to go for the second leg of this back-to-back. Daniss Jenkins, who started in place of Thompson on Sunday, should continue to play a reserve role.

Thompson is back after sitting out Sunday’s win over the 76ers. He’ll take on the task of defending Jalen Brunson, while Daniss Jenkins returns to the bench.

Thompson missed Sunday’s game against the 76ers after injuring his ankle on Friday. Daniss Jenkins replaced him in the starting lineup, with Ron Holland II and Javonte Green taking on larger roles off the bench. The rotation would likely be similar if Ausar remains out, with Jenkins being the preferred streaming option.

Jenkins started Sunday’s game for the injured Ausar Thompson and, as he did on multiple occasions last season, gave the Pistons solid minutes in that role. Jenkins’ final stat line lacked only a steal, as he was impactful on both ends of the floor. Detroit begins Week 2 with a Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back, making it possible Jenkins gets another start in one of those games (if not both, if Thompson remains out).

Injuries have left the Pistons without two starters, as Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren have been ruled out. Jenkins and Reed will replace them in the lineup, with the latter offering greater long-term value since Duren will be out for at least two weeks.

It’s challenging to draw any firm conclusions as the Pistons were without both Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren in this exhibition contest. Jenkins stepped into the starting lineup in place of Cunningham and knocked down 3-of-5 shots from three-point range while also dishing out four assists. He’ll remain on the waiver wire in most fantasy leagues at the outset of the season, but he showed last year that he can be an impactful fantasy contributor if Cunningham were to miss significant time due to injury. His main competitor for rotation minutes, first-rounder Ebuka Okorie, scored 14 points in 26 minutes off the bench in this one.

While one of the Pistons’ main objectives this offseason is to get more playmaking help for Cade Cunningham, that should not detract from what Jenkins provided last season. Appearing in 72 games, the 6-foot-3 guard contributed 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.0 three-pointers in 20.2 minutes. Jenkins played well enough to remain in the rotation and convince the Pistons to pick up his $4 million option. Whether he can be fantasy-relevant next season depends on multiple factors, including first-round pick Ebuka Okorie’s development and what Detroit does in free agency or the trade market to address its need for another playmaker.

Jenkins started the final three games of the series, scoring at least 15 points in each. It wasn’t enough to push Detroit into the conference finals, but his performances were a positive to take into the offseason. During the regular season, Jenkins played well enough to earn a standard contract that includes a $4 million team option for 2026-27. Fantasy-wise, Jenkins was most valuable when the Pistons were shorthanded on the perimeter, especially when Cade Cunningham missed time. Due to Detroit’s need for supplementary playmaking, Jenkins could be worth taking a flier on in the late rounds of drafts in deeper leagues if he returns to the Motor City.