Jordan

Poole

Poole has been out since early November with a quad injury. The 26-year-old point guard is nearing a return given his questionable listing for Thursday’s game against the Blazers. Jose Alvarado will continue to serve as the backup point guard if Poole is ultimately ruled out again.

Poole hasn’t played since Nov. 5, and there’s no real timeline for when he’ll be back. Jose Alvarado will remain the backup point guard, where he has been a solid reserve, but he hasn’t been consistent enough to be worth streaming in standard leagues.

Poole has been sidelined since Nov. 5 and will be re-evaluated again on Nov. 21. The report from the Pelicans indicates that he is “making good progress”, though that doesn’t indicate that he’s close to returning. Jose Alvarado will continue to play a significant role off the bench as the backup point guard until Poole returns.

With Poole sidelined, rookie Jeremiah Fears should get a boost, though Fears was already a player worth picking up prior to Poole’s injury. Jordan Hawkins and Jose Alvarado should see an increase in playing time as well.

Poole is set to miss the second game of a back-to-back against the Mavericks on Wednesday. The 26-year-old shooting guard is dealing with a knee injury and was previously listed as questionable. The Pelicans have a number of options to replace Poole in the starting lineup including Jordan Hawkins, Saddiq Bey and Jose Alvarado. Rookie Jeremiah Fears should also see a boost in minutes and usage Wednesday.

Poole moved back to the starting unit against the Hornets on Tuesday in place of Zion Williamson (hamstring). If Poole sits out the second leg of the back-to-back, there are multiple options to replace him, including Jordan Hawkins, Saddiq Bey and Jose Alvarado, depending on how big Pelicans coach Willie Green wants his starting lineup to be. Jeremiah Fears, who is already starting, would also see a bump in minutes.

The Pelicans are without Zion Williamson and Yves Missi, with the former sidelined for at least 7-10 days. Poole and Looney will start, with the latter making his second appearance of the season. While Poole has increased value in fantasy leagues, Looney is not worth the risk, especially with Derik Queen waiting in the wings.

Williamson’s sore left hamstring has been diagnosed as a Grade 1 strain, and the Pelicans will re-evaluate him in 7-10 days. Given the timeline, he’ll miss at least five games, starting with Tuesday’s matchup with Charlotte. For the most recent game that Williamson missed, an October 27 loss to the Celtics, Jordan Poole served as the fifth starter. Taking on that role would raise his fantasy ceiling, and Jeremiah Fears should have even more opportunities to facilitate offense.

Coming off the bench for the second straight game, Poole was far better on Friday than in Wednesday’s blowout loss to the Nuggets. The 30 points were a season-high for the Pelicans guard, who still provides top-100 value in eight- and nine-cat formats. Jeremiah Fears (13/4/8/4 with two three-pointers) didn’t shoot the ball well as the starting point guard, but he did not commit a turnover in his 29 minutes. With Fears being a lottery pick, it makes sense for the Pelicans to prioritize his development. Poole can share the court with the rookie, but he’ll only provide reliable fantasy value if he’s bought into his new role.

Williamson is back after missing Monday’s loss to the Celtics with a foot injury, and he’ll bump Jordan Poole to the bench. The other change of note is Jordan, who replaces Yves Missi in the starting lineup. While Jordan still isn’t at the point where he needs to be rostered in most fantasy leagues, remaining in the starting lineup could change that.