NBA

With James Harden and Paul George struggling and Terance Mann not offering much production, Westbrook gave the Clippers quality minutes off the bench. Since the arrival of Harden and his decision to volunteer to come off the bench, Westbrook’s fantasy value has slipped. Over the last two weeks, Westbrook is ranked 245th in 9-car per-game value by Basketball Monster, averaging 9.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.0 3-pointers in 22.9 minutes. Fantasy managers who still have Westbrook rostered (84% Yahoo) could have a difficult decision to make in the coming days, especially with the Clippers playing three more games in Week 6.

Zubac recorded his first 20-point double-double since the season open, holding his own against Nuggets fill-in starter DeAndre Jordan. Zubac has taken the biggest hit of any of the Clippers in the aftermath of the James Harden trade as far as fantasy value is concerned, as he’s ranked outside the top 150 in 9-cat per-game value. And there have been times post-trade in which the Clippers have closed with a small lineup, relegating Zubac to the bench. He should be a hold in most leagues due to his place within the rotation, but fantasy managers may need to temper their expectations.

Leonard wasn’t his most efficient self on Monday, but he still had a better offensive night than teammates James Harden (11/2/4/1 with three 3-pointers) and Paul George (6/8/4/1/1). Harden and PG-13 combined to shoot 5-of-20 from the field, a big reason why the Clippers lost to a Nuggets team playing without Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic. Leonard’s 31 points are the most he’s scored in a game since Harden made his Clippers debut on November 6, and his first 30-point game since November 1 against the Lakers. Ranked just outside the top 25 in 9-cat per-game value for the season, Leonard has been a top 20 player over the last two weeks. The Clippers play three more games in Week 6, beginning with Wednesday’s matchup with the Kings in Sacramento.

Holiday may not have excelled on the level that Reggie Jackson or DeAndre Jordan did, but his contributions shouldn’t be overlooked. This was the first game in which he’s hit double figures in points, and the timing was great. Michael Porter Jr. (8/10/3 with two 3-pointers) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (12/3/2/1) combined to shoot 6-of-27 from the field, performances that would be a “death sentence” on most nights for a team playing without three starters. But that wasn’t the case for Denver, which picked up a huge victory on Monday. Holiday’s streaming value moving forward will depend on the availability of Aaron Gordon, who has missed Denver’s last two games.

Starting for the injured Nikola Jokic, Jordan was outstanding against his former team. The veteran center posted an efficient double-double with five assists, scoring 20 points in a game for the first time since March 24, 2019 as a member of the Knicks. And you have to go even further back for his last game with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists: March 13, 2018 as a member of the Clippers (29/18/5/1/2 vs. Chicago). Nights like this aren’t going to be commonplace for Jordan, as he backs up the best player in the NBA today. But Monday’s effort was a welcome reminder of what he’s capable of doing on nights when the two-time MVP isn’t available.

With Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon joining Jamal Murray on the Nuggets’ list of injured players, few expected the reigning champions to win in Los Angeles. But they got the job done, with two former Clippers leading the way. Jackson, who received a brief tribute video during the first quarter, absolutely torched whoever was asked to defend him. He hasn’t been a great streaming option with Murray sidelined, but the equation changed when a second ball-dominant player (Jokic) was ruled out. Jackson had the ball in his hands more often than he has, and he produced one of the best games of his career. He should be streamed until Murray returns, and Jackson’s value being boosted if Jokic remains sidelined for Wednesday’s game against the Rockets.

Rostered in five percent of Yahoo leagues, Marshall has been a 12th-round player in 9-cat formats over the last two weeks. He’s just inside the top 150 in season-long value, but Marshall has only appeared in nine of the Pelicans’ 18 games. What’s helped him since returning from a knee injury are the absences of Trey Murphy and CJ McCollum, which has guaranteed rotation minutes to players like Marshall, Dyson Daniels, and Jordan Hawkins. While Daniels (two points, three rebounds, and four assists in 24 minutes) has seen his value boosted by a promotion into the starting lineup, Marshall will only start if the Pelicans are without Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. Monday’s effort was a good one, but Marshall still isn’t worth rostering in most leagues.

After struggling in Saturday’s loss to the Jazz, Valanciunas was markedly better in the rematch. The double-double was his first in three games and seventh of the season, and JV recorded his first blocked shot since November 20 vs. Sacramento. A top 50 player in 9-cat formats over the last two weeks, Valanciunas is closing in on that threshold for the season. And the minutes behind him were divided among two people on Monday, with Larry Nance (3/4/2) and Cody Zeller (1/1/2) playing nine minutes apiece. A valuable deep-league option last season due to Valanciunas’ defensive issues, Nance has not been that player through

Ingram had a chance to send Monday’s game to overtime, but his contested two in the final seconds missed the mark. Having scored 25 points or more in three straight and five of his last six games, he’s providing 6th-round per-game value in 9-cat formats over the last two weeks. Ingram hasn’t reached his Yahoo ADP of 52 in season-long value yet, ranking just inside the top 100, and the foul line is a big reason why. After shooting a career-best 88.2% from the stripe in 2022-23, Ingram’s made 76.1% of his attempts in 15 games this season. If he can push that number into the eighties, that would go a long way toward improving his fantasy value. Ingram and the Pelicans are scheduled to play three more games in Week 6, beginning with Wednesday’s matchup with the 76ers.

Back in action after sitting out Saturday’s loss to the Jazz for injury management reasons, Williamson has now scored 25 points or more in each of his last five games. Barely ranked within the top 200 in season-long value, he’s been a 7th-round player in 9-cat formats over the last two weeks. The biggest issue for Williamson has been the foul line, as he’s making just 61.8% of his attempts. Remove that category, and he’s a 6th-round player. Along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Zion is a popular target for managers punting free throws in their roster builds. Jordan Hawkins, who started for Williamson on Saturday, played 25 minutes off the bench, finishing with 13 points, five rebounds, and three 3-pointers.