Jalen

Williams

Hartenstein will get the night off for the second leg of Oklahoma City’s back-to-back set, which means Chet Holmgren should shoulder the load at center. Jaylin Williams will likely see a big bump in playing time, as Jalen Williams is also out.

J-Dub went off for 28 points in Wednesday’s win over the Suns, but he’ll sit out the second leg of OKC’s back-to-back set. He’s still not playing a full allotment of minutes, so his absence isn’t surprising. Fantasy managers will hope that Williams can use the time off to get healthy for the final stretch of the season.

Williams struggled with his shot on Monday, which was his first game after missing nearly a month with a hamstring injury. However, he was incredibly efficient during his 20 minutes in this game. He only missed one shot in the blowout win. This was the first leg of a back-to-back, so there is certainly a chance that Williams sits out against the Bucks on Thursday, especially after exiting to get his hamstring attended to.

After missing nearly a month with a hamstring injury, Williams was back in the lineup against Los Angeles. He was limited to 24 minutes, but he was able to make a strong impact despite a subpar shooting night. Nearly half his points came from the free throw line, which helped make up for his field goal percentage. Williams is typically able to contribute more value than he did in this game, but this was about getting him back on the floor. He’ll likely continue to have his minutes managed and should miss back-to-backs. OKC plays in Phoenix on Wednesday and against the Bucks on Thursday; expect Williams to play against the Suns.

Monday’s game is the first for J-Dub since January 17, when he strained his hamstring during a loss to the Heat. Due to Williams’ return, Aaron Wiggins will come off the bench, with his fantasy value taking a hit.

Injured during a January 17 loss to the Heat, Williams has been removed from the Thunder injury report for Monday’s game. For Oklahoma City’s most recent game, a February 7 loss to the Rockets, Aaron Wiggins was the fifth starter. Either he or Cason Wallace will head to the bench if the Thunder put J-Dub into the starting five immediately.

Williams has been out since suffering a strained right hamstring during a January 17 game against the Heat. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also out, the Thunder will likely turn to Aaron Wiggins to step in as the fifth starter. He is worth streaming while the Thunder await the return of two of their star players.

Caruso will be sidelined for a fourth straight game, as the Thunder look to snap a two-game skid and get back in the win column. With Caruso, Jalen Williams, and Ajay Mitchell unavailable, Cason Wallace (hip), if healthy, would be a nice streaming option for Tuesday’s contest. Kenrich Williams and Isaiah Joe could also see quality minutes and have opportunities to produce.

Wiggins is dealing with right groin soreness, and he’ll join Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams on the sideline. More playing time should be available for Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe.

Williams exited Saturday’s loss to the Heat with what was described at the time as a sore right thigh. He has since been diagnosed with a strained right hamstring and will be re-evaluated in a couple of weeks, according to the Thunder. This will be J-Dub’s second extended absence this season, as his debut was delayed because of offseason wrist surgery. Ajay Mitchell and Aaron Wiggins will figure more prominently in the rotation, with the former offering higher fantasy value.