Mikal

Bridges

Of the Knicks’ five starters, Bridges may be the only one guaranteed to play in Sunday’s game against the Hornets, preserving his consecutive games played streak. However, fantasy managers in active leagues who are rostering Bridges should not expect him to play starters’ minutes. Jordan Clarkson (10/1/4) and Mohamed Diawara (3/1/1/1) are likely to see their opportunities increase in the regular season finale.

For the first time in a month, Bridges has scored at least 20 points in a game. No Jalen Brunson in the lineup opened things up for the other Knicks, especially those who take a back seat offensively on most nights. In addition to shooting 66.7 percent from the field, Bridges’ three free throws were the most he’s attempted in a game since March 13. In fact, since that win over the Pacers, he totaled four free-throw attempts in the nine games that followed. Regardless of who’s on the court for the Knicks, they need Bridges to be more aggressive on offense.

While fellow Knicks wing Mikal Bridges (11 points, four rebounds and one three-pointer) struggled during the team’s five-game road trip, that was not the case for Anunoby. OG scored at least 22 points in four of the five games, including Friday’s win over the Pacers. Since the All-Star break, Anunoby has provided top-50 value in eight- and nine-cat formats. Bridges, on the other hand, sits well outside the top-100. The Knicks end Week 20 with a game against the Warriors on Sunday.

Bridges had an outstanding afternoon in one of the Knicks’ most impressive wins of the season. Efficient offensively, he also racked up a season-high five steals. While his category league value has remained high throughout the season, Bridges’ performances in high-profile games have not always been up to par. That wasn’t an issue on Sunday, much to the delight of Knicks fans and fantasy managers. The Bulls play four games in Week 19, starting with the Raptors on Tuesday.

The good news for category league managers is that Bridges recorded a complete stat line on Tuesday. However, he shot 5-of-14 from inside the arc, including a 1-of-6 effort during a third quarter in which the Knicks scored 11 points. Bridges doesn’t need to be a prolific scorer to provide reliable fantasy value, but it would help fantasy managers if he were more consistent on that end of the floor. That can also be said of OG Anunoby (five points, three rebounds, two assists, one block and one three-pointer), who shot 2-of-9 from the field on Tuesday.

Bridges got off to a slow start against the Bulls, shooting 1-of-5 from beyond the arc in the first three quarters. However, he hit a critical three-pointer with 26.6 seconds remaining to extend New York’s lead to six and essentially end the game. The good news for fantasy managers is that Bridges provided solid value in the assist, steal and blocked shot categories. Over the last month, his fantasy value has slipped due to a decrease in three-point production, but Bridges remains a valuable option in category leagues.

After scoring 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting in Tuesday’s loss to the Pacers, Bridges did the same on Wednesday. However, he doubled his assist and steal numbers in the 138-89 demolition of the 76ers. While Bridges’ fantasy value has slipped some recently, with him providing seventh-round value over the past two weeks, he remains ranked safely within the top-50 in season-long value. The Knicks play three games after the All-Star break, starting with the Pistons on February 19.

After scoring five points in the Knicks’ February 4 double-overtime win over the Nuggets, Bridges has gotten back on track offensively. He’s hit double figures in three straight, with Tuesday’s tally being the highest for him since dropping 23 in a February 3 win over the Wizards. With OG Anunoby (toe) out, there has been a little more room for Bridges to assert himself offensively, and that’s a positive for fantasy managers who have him on their rosters.

With OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns out, Bridges was essentially the only Knicks player who could string together good stretches of offensive basketball on Friday. The overall stat line was line, but the Knicks’ wing scored a game-high 19 points. Bridges and the Knicks, who saw their eight-game win streak come to a screeching halt, will look to bounce back on Sunday in Boston.

On a night when the Knicks didn’t get much production out of Mikal Bridges (five points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block and one three-pointer), Shamet stepped up off the bench. For the first time since returning from a shoulder injury, he’s reached double figures in three consecutive games. Shamet still isn’t at a point where he should be rostered in fantasy leagues, but he has given the Knicks solid production off the bench.