Keon

Johnson

Johnson played a prominent role for the Nets last season, but they added four guards in the first round of the draft and just traded for Kobe Bufkin. Johnson will have the opportunity to sign elsewhere, but it’s unlikely he finds a situation that will allow him a larger role than what he had for Brooklyn last year.

Brooklyn picked up the team options of all four players, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. All four held streaming value at some point last season, but there is no guarantee that continues next year. With five first-round picks entering the rotation, plus other players returning, there may not be enough minutes to go around. There is no reason to consider rostering any of these players until silly season in March.

Johnson has reached double figures in scoring in six of his last seven appearances, including two of 20 points or more. Friday’s performance was one of his best this season, as the Nets guard only missed two shots from the field. In addition to the points, Johnson provided solid value in rebounds, assists and three-pointers. Going into Sunday’s season finale against the Knicks, the concern is playing time, as Johnson only logged 24 minutes. He’s played 25 minutes or less in four straight games, as players like Reece Beekman (11/2/3/3 with one three-pointer in 31 minutes) and Dariq Whitehead (6/2/2/1 with two three-pointers in 20 minutes) pick up additional playing time.

While Keon will get a rest day on Tuesday, Cameron will miss a fourth-straight game with a back injury. Trendon Watford will likely remain in the starting lineup, while Johnson’s absence frees up additional minutes for Dariq Whitehead and Maxwell Lewis. One of those two will likely move into the starting five, raising their streaming value in leagues that remain active.

Johnson has been playing a significant role since December, but Monday’s performance was one of his best in a while. This was his highest-scoring night since he had 25 points on February 5, and it was only his third game with at least 20 points in March. The 23-year-old has shown some flashes of upside throughout the season, and he should continue to play a significant role for the rest of this season. However, it remains to be seen if he has the potential to be more than the beneficiary of a tanking team in Brooklyn.

The Nets are without D’Angelo Russell and Nic Claxton, opening up two spots in the starting lineup. Martin will replace Russell, which also raises Keon Johnson’s fantasy ceiling. As for Claxton, he’ll be replaced in the lineup by Clowney, who is a must-stream player, especially with Day’Ron Sharpe also out.

No Nets players did much offensively in the 132-100 defeat, with Johnson leading the way in scoring. Percentages have long been an issue for Johnson, which has lowered his fantasy ceiling. However, most nights, the circumstances have made him worth the risk in deep leagues. Unfortunately, that was not the case on Friday, even with the steals production. The Nets visit the Wizards on Saturday in what should be an entertaining game for deep-league fantasy managers.

Russell is out again after missing Saturday’s game against the Pacers. The 29-year-old point guard is dealing with right ankle soreness. Keon Johnson figures to continue starting with Russell out.

Russell and Williams sat out Saturday’s loss to the Pacers, with Tyrese Martin and Keon Johnson filling the voids in the lineup. Those two will head to the bench if Russell and Williams are available, with Keon having a better chance of retaining his fantasy value.

Johnson provided more of the usual on Saturday, recording a stat line that was nearly full while struggling with his percentages. Over the past two weeks, he’s shot 40.2 percent from the field and 50 percent from the foul line. D’Angelo Russell not playing on Saturday raised Johnson’s ceiling, even though he has been a consistent member of the starting lineup. Tyrese Martin started for Russell and finished with nine points, four rebounds, five assists and three three-pointers in 28 minutes.