Rui

Hachimura

Hachimura had a good offensive night against the Warriors, but his final stat line reminded fantasy managers not to expect much beyond points, rebounds and three-pointers. In 30 minutes, Hachimura shot well over 50 percent from the field but did not record an assist, steal or blocked shot. The Clippers play three games next week, starting with the Raptors on Monday.

Back in the Clippers’ lineup after missing Wednesday’s loss to the Lakers, Hachimura played 26 minutes against the Timberwolves. He didn’t shoot well, but Rui recorded a few steals in his return. Kobe Sanders, who started on Wednesday, finished with seven points, four rebounds and two steals in 24 minutes off the bench. The Clippers play one more game this week, Sunday night against the Warriors.

Hachimura is back after a one-game absence and will return to his usual starting role. As a result, Kobe Sanders, who started Wednesday’s loss to the Lakers, is back on the bench.

Hachimura is expected to return from a one-game absence, which should push Kobe Sanders back to the bench after a spot start against the Lakers.

Hachimura missed Wednesday’s game against the Lakers, which allowed Kobe Sanders to start. Sanders contributed nine points and three steals as a starter and would likely get the nod again if Hachimura remains out.

With Rui Hachimura (quad) sidelined, the Clippers turned to Sanders to fill the void in the starting lineup. Beyond the steals, the production on Wednesday was limited. Sanders should only be rostered in extremely deep redraft leagues and dynasty leagues, even if Hachimura can’t play on Friday against the Timberwolves.

Hachimura is considered day-to-day, so it’s unclear how long he’ll be out. Sanders makes an interesting streaming option for Wednesday’s cross-town showdown with the other Los Angeles team.

Playing against his former team for the first time since signing with the Clippers in free agency, Hachimura struggled with his shot. He’s started slowly, shooting 8-of-27 from the field in the Clippers’ first two games. Given the team’s lack of reliable scorers, the shot volume will be there. However, it won’t mean much if Hachimura can’t hit shots at a higher clip. He’s a career 49.8 percent shooter, which suggests that Rui will turn things around. But things won’t get any easier, as the Clippers visit the Thunder on Sunday.

Given the Clippers’ lack of proven scorers, Hachimura is in a position to offer more value than he did as a Laker. However, you have to make shots, and he didn’t do that consistently enough on Wednesday. Hachimura shot 1-of-6 from inside the arc, which hurt his field-goal percentage. He did put up decent numbers in rebounds, steals and blocked shots, so Wednesday wasn’t a total loss for those rostering Hachimura.

Whether with the Wizards or the Lakers, Hachimura never seemed consistently reliable in fantasy leagues. That may change with the Clippers, especially with Brandon Ingram recovering from a partially ruptured Achilles tendon. The scoring will need to come from somewhere, and Hachimura may be the team’s best currently healthy option outside of Darius Garland. The late-round ADP in Yahoo leagues is fair, with fantasy managers hoping that Rui starts the regular season off strong.