Buddy

Hield

Alexander-Walker has a sprained left foot, but the good news is that the door is open for him to play against the Wizards. If he can’t go, there will be more opportunities available to Gabe Vincent and Keaton Wallace, while Buddy Hield could move into the back end of the rotation.

The Hawks will be without two starters for Monday’s game, with Daniels and All-Star Jalen Johnson sitting due to injury. In the case of the former, his absences free up additional minutes for Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum. The former has started five games since being traded to the Hawks, while the latter has only started one. This may also be a spot where Buddy Hield or Gabe Vincent makes their Hawks debut after both received DNP-CDs in Saturday’s loss to the Hornets.

Available to make his Hawks debut, Hield did not play as Quin Snyder stuck to a nine-man rotation. While things could always change after the All-Star break, since the team will be able to get in some practice time, Hield wasn’t a good fantasy option with the Warriors before the trade. There’s no need to roster him in fantasy leagues.

Days after trading Vit Krejčí to the Trail Blazers, the Hawks have added a shooter to their ranks in Hield. The consistent minutes needed to affect fantasy basketball were challenging to come by in the Bay Area when the Warriors were whole, so the change of scenery may do Hield some good. In 44 appearances, he averaged 8.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 three-pointers in 17.5 minutes per game.

Melton will be back after sitting out the second leg of the Warriors’ back-to-back on Sunday. He’ll return to playing his typical role off the bench, which should take away minutes from Pat Spencer and Buddy Hield.

Curry played 28 minutes in Sunday’s win over the Timberwolves, scoring 26 points. His absence for Monday’s rematch means the Warriors will rely heavily on Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Buddy Hield, with the latter possibly moving into the starting lineup. All three should be rostered for Monday’s action.

The NBA’s decision to push Saturday’s game back a day has created a back-to-back, so a few of the Warriors’ veterans are back on the injury report. Curry did play both games of the Warriors’ most recent back-to-back (January 19-20), so he isn’t a lock to miss one of the two matchups with the Timberwolves. If he sits, the Warriors will have to rely even more on Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield.

With Jimmy Butler III (knee) done for the season, it was “all hands on deck” for the Warriors on Tuesday. Hield, who has been in the rotation the last three games, recorded season-highs in points and three-pointers against the Raptors. The sharpshooter was a perfect 6-of-6 from beyond the arc, and while duplicating that feat in future games will be challenging, Hield can return to fantasy relevance. For deep-league managers needing three-point production, he’s worth keeping an eye on.

Golden State could be heavily depleted on Tuesday, and if Santos and Richard are ultimately ruled out, Buddy Hield and Moses Moody could see some additional run.

Having fallen out of the Warriors’ rotation recently, Hield logged 23 minutes on Monday. The Warriors didn’t have De’Anthony Melton (knee) for injury management reasons, freeing up minutes for the veteran shooting guard. Hield took advantage of his opportunity, with the 16 points being the most in a game for him since November 24. Depending on how much time Jimmy Butler misses after injuring his right knee, Hield could remain in the rotation for the foreseeable future.