Jose

Alvarado

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.

Rostered in 27 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Fears has been close to a top-100 player in eight-cat formats over the past week. Also, for the first time, the rookie guard has scored at least 20 points in three consecutive games. Fears is making strides after a rocky start to his first NBA season, one of the few positives for a team that is now 3-20. And with backup Jose Alvarado (13/3/1/2 with three three-pointers) doing his best to play through a left wrist injury, there could come a point when the Pelicans ask Fears to do even more as the starting point guard.

Despite appearing to tweak something in his right hamstring during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, Alvarado is not on the initial injury report for Tuesday. As a result, he should be able to take on his usual responsibilities as Jeremiah Fears’ backup. Alvarado is worth a look in deep leagues, but he is not a must-roster player.

After making a shot with 3:37 remaining in the fourth quarter, Alvarado reached for his right hamstring. He would then give a foul to exit the game, which may have happened even if he were healthy, as the outcome was no longer in doubt. However, the hamstring could be a concern for the Pelicans’ backup point guard. While Alvarado’s production hasn’t been great from a fantasy standpoint, backing up a rookie (Jeremiah Fears) has made him worth a look in some deep leagues. The Pelicans host Minnesota on Tuesday.

One game removed from scoring 16 points and giving the Pelicans a needed boost off the bench in a win over the Bulls, Alvarado was even better on Wednesday. He recorded season-highs in points and three-pointers while finishing a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. Jeremiah Fears (10/2/3 with one three-pointer in 26 minutes) remains the starting point guard, but Alvarado’s increased playing time and production make him worth a look in deeper leagues.

Alvarado was one of the Pelicans’ reserves who gave the team a welcome spark on Monday, and he finished with one of his best stat lines of the season. Alvarado finished two rebounds and two assists shy of a triple-double, with the latter tally representing a new season-high. Jeremiah Fears (15/4/3 with two three-pointers) is the starter and will remain in that role for the foreseeable future, which limits Alvarado’s fantasy value. But he’s capable of chipping in when needed, as was the case on Monday.

Alvarado matched his season-high point total on Sunday, scoring in double figures for the third time and for the first time since November 5. Just as encouraging was his logging a season-high 25 minutes in James Borrego’s first game as interim head coach. Alvarado still isn’t at the point where he has to be rostered in fantasy leagues. Still, consistent playing time would make him worth watching, especially as the Pelicans continue to play without Jordan Poole. Starting point guard Jeremiah Fears also played 25 minutes on Sunday, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot. He should be the priority for deep-league managers, but keep an eye on Alvarado as well.

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.

Alvarado knocked down four treys, including a go-ahead bucket with 15.4 seconds left in the contest, to give New Orleans a much-needed spark off the bench. The Pelicans also got significant contributions from Saddiq Bey, who added 17 points of his own, and high-flying Karlo Matković, who supplied a couple highlight-reel dunks as part of his 13 points. The 27-year-old role player has taken a backseat with rookie Jeremiah Fears getting an opportunity in the starting lineup at the outset of the season, but he cracked the 30-minute mark for the first time this season in this one.