New Orleans

Pelicans

Murphy struggled with his shot on Monday, but the Pelicans’ balanced offense carried the day. Six players reached double digits in shot attempts, and each scored in double figures. The good news for Murphy managers is that he recorded four steals, one shy of his season-high. And even with his poor shooting on Monday, the Pelicans forward remains a top-20 player in eight-cat formats.

Bey continues to start, and he continues to provide solid value in his role. He’s reached double figures in 14 straight games, and since moving into the starting lineup on November 22, he has provided sixth-round value in eight-cat formats. While there may be some concern about what happens if Bey is moved to the bench in favor of Zion Williamson, that hasn’t happened yet. He’s worth picking up in 12-team leagues, especially with the Pelicans playing again on Tuesday in Cleveland.

The Pelicans have won five straight, and Queen has recorded a double-double in three consecutive games. Much to the delight of those who have him rostered, the rookie’s fantasy value has not been negatively affected by the returns of Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole. The Pelicans are still running a lot of offense through Queen, and he’s been up to the task. Over the last two weeks, he has been a fourth-round player in eight-cat formats.

Don’t look now, but the Pelicans have won five straight games. Williamson came up big on Monday, scoring ten of his team-high 24 points in the fourth quarter. He’s still coming off the bench, with Saddiq Bey’s play making the decision easier for interim head coach James Borrego. Since returning to action, Williamson has been a ninth-round player in eight-cat formats, sitting just outside the top-100.

Jones was forced to exit Monday’s game after suffering a sprained right ankle. He played 22 minutes, finishing with nine points, two rebounds, four assists, one steal and one three-pointer. While Micah Peavy picked up a few minutes, the rookie is not worth adding if Jones can’t play in Tuesday’s game against the Cavaliers.

Jones bowed out of Saturday’s win over Indiana in the first half and did not return after getting hit in the face. The injury won’t cost him any time, and he should be expected to handle his typical workload.

Jones was forced to exit Saturday’s win over the Pacers before halftime after taking a shot to the face. Jordan Poole was inserted into the lineup to begin the third quarter, which could mean that he’ll start if Jones can’t play on Monday. The concern with Jones starting is how that could affect Jeremiah Fears, who has been running the point.

Williamson was a force of nature in this one, consistently exploiting Indiana’s lack of interior defense by consistently attacking the rim, which led to a plethora of easy shots around the rim in addition to a staggering 13 free throw attempts. He scored 18 of his points in the opening half and matched his previous season-high total in just 23 minutes. The 25-year-old big man continues to deal with lingering physical issues but he’s shown that he can still be an extremely impactful fantasy contributor when everything is going right. He’s averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and three assists in three games since returning from a six-game absence due to an adductor injury. The Pelicans are back in action on Monday when they square off against the Mavericks to open a four-game week.

Queen has been a double-double machine recently, accomplishing the feat three times over his last five games, averaging 17.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.4 blocks, delivering top-30 overall fantasy value during that two-weeks span. The 21-year-old rookie center is worthy of a roster spot in all fantasy formats as he continues his upward trajectory.

On the heels of a season-high 29-point performance against the Rockets, Bey delivered another strong all-around effort in this one. The 26-year-old has emerged as a fairly consistent 20-point threat since late November and is averaging 17.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals over his last five games, delivering top-60 range fantasy value during that span. He should be rostered in most fantasy formats at this juncture.