Sacramento

Kings

Clifford played a good amount of minutes down the stretch of the season for the Kings due to Keegan Murray (ankle) missing time. While the 24-year-old shooting guard had at least 18 points in four of his last five games, he struggled with his shot at times in March and April. Still, there are flashes of potential with Clifford, though in order for him to be fantasy-relevant he has to enter next year in the starting lineup.

The three veterans won’t be available for Sunday’s season finale. The absences of DeRozan, Westbrook and Monk have benefited Devin Carter, Nique Clifford and Daeqwon Plowden. That will remain the case on Sunday, with Carter coming off a 29-point effort in Friday’s win over the Warriors.

Murray was cleared to resume contact on March 25, but he’ll end the season with his last game action occurring on February 25. Nique Clifford and Daeqwon Plowden have seen their minutes increase substantially over the final month of the season, and they should play plenty on Sunday.

The rookie struggled with his shot in this game but made up for it by getting to the free throw line. This was his fourth career game scoring at least 20 points, with two of those coming in his last four games. There were high expectations for him to be an NBA-ready rookie, and he has had some excellent games this year, though his role early on was too limited for his season-long numbers to be strong. Still, there were some impressive flashes, and if he is able to remain a starter next season, he may be able to make a real impact for fantasy managers.

Plowden continues to pour in the points for the Kings. This was his fourth 20-point game of the season, with all of those coming over the past month. He spent most of this season in the G League, but he has taken advantage of his opportunity to play a larger role role since the trade deadline. He has played well, which should continue in the season finale on Sunday.

Raynaud continues to look like one of the best value picks of the 2025 class. He’s is currently eighth in the class in points per game, but since the All-Star break, he is fifth. Raynaud has been one of the few bright spots in what has been a tumultuous season for Sacramento. Depending on what moves the Kings make this summer, Raynaud could end up being a valuable option in fantasy basketball once again next season.

Carter has had some strong performances as a starter over the past couple of weeks, but this was his best. He set a new career high for scoring in the win, and this was his third 20-point game in his last six outings. The 2024 lottery pick struggled to find a place in Sacramento’s rotation early on, but he has played a consistent role over the past couple of months and has been effective recently. Hopefully he’ll be able to carry some of this into next season, though fantasy managers shouldn’t bank on it.

Raynaud had another impressive game as he finishes out his rookie campaign. In just 25 minutes, the 23-year-old center had 17 points and eight rebounds. Raynaud didn’t provide much in the other categories, but he’s shown himself to be a worthwhile fantasy option when starting.

The Kings won’t have DeMar DeRozan for Tuesday’s game, opening up a spot in the starting lineup. As a result, Plowden will start and he is worth streaming in active fantasy leagues.

DeRozan has been ruled out after he was initially listed as questionable with a sore right hamstring. Daeqwon Plowden started the last time DeRozan missed a game and could move into the starting lineup again with the 36-year-old shooting guard sidelined.