De'Anthony

Melton

Melton set a new season high for scoring in Tuesday’s loss, but he won’t get the chance to build on it during the second leg of this back-to-back. Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard and Gary Payton II should be in line for extra minutes, with one of them filling the open starting spot.

Melton has stepped up with Stephen Curry (knee) sidelined, and this was arguably his best performance. This was his highest-scoring performance since he scored 30 points for the 76ers in 2023. Melton had a long recovery after missing over a year with a torn ACL, but he is back to producing at a high level and should be considered a must-roster player.

While Gui Santos has been the best fantasy option for the Warriors since a case of runner’s knee sidelined Stephen Curry, Melton also has some upside as a starter. His stat line in Thursday’s defeat only lacked a blocked shot, a reminder of what Melton is capable of when he’s on. Unfortunately for those who have rostered the guard, his fantasy value has actually decreased since Curry’s injury, with Melton sitting outside the top-150 in eight-cat formats since February 1.

Melton’s stat line on Wednesday was evidence of why he can be valuable to fantasy managers, even with the lack of defensive stats. The Warriors guard made five of his six three-point attempts and provided solid value in the rebounds and assist categories as well. Over the past two weeks, Melton has provided 10th-round value in eight-cat formats. Stephen Curry’s expected return after the All-Star break should not do much, if any, harm to Melton’s prospects in category leagues.

Melton will be good to go despite initially being listed as questionable. He has started three straight games for Golden State and should remain in that role. He hasn’t been productive recently, but he should get the opportunity to fix that in this game.

Melton suffered a gluteal contusion during Monday’s win over the Grizzlies. He recently moved into the starting lineup, so the Warriors would have a gap to account for if he can’t play. Brandin Podziemski could return to the starting lineup in that scenario, which would raise his fantasy ceiling.

Richard is a late addition to Monday’s injury report, which puts his status in question against Memphis. Richard’s absence could free up additional playing time for the likes of De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II.

While Melton’s production outside of the points category was relatively lean, fantasy managers should not be concerned. He was moved into the starting lineup on Thursday, but his playing time was limited as the Warriors take a measured approach to Melton’s return from a torn ACL. He remains a valuable option in deep category leagues, especially while the Warriors are without Stephen Curry (knee).

Moody, Santos and Green are the holdovers from the quintet that started Tuesday’s blowout loss to the 76ers. The changes are Spencer and Melton, with Brandin Podziemski and Al Horford moving to the bench. Of the replacements, Melton offers a higher fantasy ceiling in this spot.

Melton is good to go after initially being questionable with a sore left knee. With Stephen Curry (knee) still out and Buddy Hield no longer in the picture, Melton boasts a higher fantasy ceiling despite coming off the bench.