Justin

Holiday

KCP hasn’t been a factor on offense in the second round and his status for Game 3 is up in the air. Justin Holiday has provided a spark off the bench lately and will be asked to continue stepping up if KCP is ruled out.

Jackson was solid in his first stint on the court, but his playing time was cut short due to a sprained left ankle suffered during the third quarter. While the Nuggets considered him questionable to return, and Jackson attempted to loosen up his ankle while riding the exercise bike, he did not play again. Nuggets coach Michael Malone decided to stick with his starters in an attempt to stick the proverbial dagger in the Lakers (no team has erased a 0-3 deficit in NBA history), and it worked. Game 4 is on Saturday, with Christian Braun (5/2/1) and Justin Holiday (one rebound) in line for additional minutes if Jackson cannot play.

Porter is one of four Nuggets starters on the injury report, with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope being the lone absentee. MPJ’s availability impacts Justin Holiday and Christian Braun the most, as one would move into the starting lineup. Braun offers a higher fantasy ceiling, but Holiday would be worth streaming if inserted into the starting five.

Caldwell-Pope is back after missing Saturday’s win over the Lakers. His return means Christian Braun returns to the bench, decreasing his already-low fantasy value. Justin Holiday, who outplayed Braun on Saturday, will also take a hit with KCP in the lineup.

Filling in for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (personal reasons), Braun’s impact was muted on Saturday. The good news for the few who streamed him was that he recorded three “stocks,” but that and the rebounding production were the only positives. Justin Holiday, a spot starter in the past, was the player who came through for fantasy managers. Logging 31 minutes off the bench, he accumulated 13 points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal, and three 3-pointers, shooting 5-of-7 from the field. Denver plays three games during Week 19, beginning with Phoenix on Tuesday. If KCP isn’t back for that one, managers would be better off streaming Holiday than Braun, even if he remains with the bench unit.

With Jamal Murray (ankle) questionable, the Nuggets could be without their starting backcourt on Saturday. Caldwell-Pope’s spot in the starting lineup will likely be filled by Justin Holiday, who has offered limited streaming value in previous opportunities to start. Even with the light Saturday schedule, he is not a must-stream player.

Murray injured his ankle and exited early from Thursday’s game, and there is a chance that he remains out on Saturday. If that happens, Reggie Jackson will likely get the starting nod at point guard. If KCP doesn’t play, Justin Holiday should return to the starting unit, though he won’t be worth streaming.

Both players sat out Denver’s final game before the All-Star break, but KCP has appeared in both games since returning from the break. Murray sat out Friday, and Reggie Jackson started in his place. Jackson had a mediocre line across 22 minutes, while Collin Gillespie went for 18/2/4/1 across 24 minutes off the bench. Justin Holiday is a likely candidate to replace Caldwell-Pope in the starting five if the latter is sidelined Sunday.

KCP logged only 16 minutes in Thursday’s win over Washington, and he may play a similarly-muted role Friday on the second night of a back-to-back set. Jamal Murray has already been ruled out, so Christian Braun and Justin Holiday should see extra minutes off the bench behind Reggie Jackson.

Caldwell-Pope injured his finger during the first half of Thursday’s game, which likely factored into him going scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting. Following the game, Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he didn’t know if KCP aggravated the finger he sprained in early February. Caldwell-Pope is considered questionable for Friday’s game in Portland. If he doesn’t play, Christian Braun and Justin Holiday are the candidates to fill the void in the starting lineup. Braun started the second half for Caldwell-Pope, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one 3-pointer in 23 minutes.