Jalen

Duren

After a streak of four straight double-doubles, Duren entered Saturday having totaled 14 rebounds in his last two outings. Rebounding wasn’t a problem against the Bucks, especially with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo unavailable due to injury. Duren has recorded at least 16 rebounds in five games this season, with Saturday’s effort being the first since November 26. The Pistons play once during Week 8 but will have four games in fantasy leagues that combine Weeks 8 and 9 due to the NBA Cup knockout rounds.

After a one-game absence due to a left leg contusion, Duren was back in the lineup and made his presence felt immediately. He was Detroit’s leading rebounder and helped the Pistons dominate the glass; they won the rebounding matchup 60-34. Duren has a double-double in four straight games and will look to keep that going against the Bucks on Wednesday.

With Duncan Robinson (ankle) missing a game for the first time this season, Jenkins will return to the starting lineup. Jenkins was elite as a starter in place of Cunningham earlier this year, and while he won’t see the same boost as a fill-in for Robinson, he should still be worth streaming. Duren’s return also pushes Isaiah Stewart back to the bench.

Initially probable for Monday’s game after missing Saturday’s win over the Heat, Duren is officially good to go. His return means Isaiah Stewart heads back to the bench, while Paul Reed may fall out of the rotation entirely. Stewart is worth holding onto in deeper leagues, as he will still have a prominent role in the rotation.

Duren missed Saturday’s game against Miami but is expected to be back in the lineup to take on Atlanta. His return will push Isaiah Stewart back to the bench, though he will still play a significant reserve role. Paul Reed will likely be pushed out of the rotation.

With Jalen Duren (leg) unavailable, Isaiah Stewart served as the starting center in Miami. However, while Beef Stew (9/8/1/0/1 in 29 minutes) was solid in his time on the floor, Duren’s absence opened things up for Reed as well. “BBall Paul” recorded his second double-double of the season, with the first occurring in a November 12 win over the Bulls. Unlike Stewart, who can provide tangible fantasy value when Duren is playing, Reed needs an absence to become viable. He should only be added if Duren misses more time. Detroit opens a four-game Week 7 on Monday against the Hawks.

Duren had a double-double with four blocks in Friday’s loss to the Magic. The 22-year-old center will miss Saturday’s second game of a back-to-back against the Heat with a leg injury. Isaiah Stewart figures to start while Paul Reed picks up additional minutes off the bench.

Duren now has 11 double-doubles this season, including one in each of his last three appearances. The Pistons center finished Friday’s close defeat with a complete line, minus the three-pointers, and his four blocks were a season-high. In fact, this was the first time Duren had recorded at least three blocks in a game this season. Up to 18 blocks in 17 games, Duren has the potential to be an even better fantasy option than he’s been. Hopefully, the athleticism will translate into defensive production more than it has so far.

Duren did not have a great night shooting the basketball, and he failed to record any defensive stats. However, he did grab a game-high 16 rebounds, the fifth time this season he’s grabbed at least 15. Based on his Yahoo! ADP of 56, Duren has exceeded expectations, as he’s been a top-40 player in eight- and nine-cat formats. Given his skill set, expecting Duren to maintain that production level is not unrealistic.

Duren extended his streak of double-digit scoring performances to 11 games on Monday, thanks to another efficient shooting performance. He also made his way back to double figures in rebounds after two straight games in single digits, and chipped in a pair of assists along the way. His production remains a significant part of the Pistons’ success, who have now secured 13 straight wins. Fantasy managers shouldn’t expect any dropoff in Duren’s performance as the season grows longer.