Willy

Hernangomez

Valanciunas was a full participant in Sunday’s practice, so things seemed to be headed in this direction. With the starting center back in action, Willy Hernangomez will return to the bench. He’ll still be in the rotation, but Hernangomez’s fantasy ceiling is limited when used in a reserve role.

Willie Green said, “He looked fine. We’ll continue to evaluate him tomorrow after shootaround and see where he is.” JV has missed their last two games, which has allowed Willy Hernangomez to start in his place. If Valanciunas is back for Monday’s matchup with the Kings, Hernangomez will lose all streaming value.

Valanciunas has been ruled out for a second straight game, joining Larry Nance (ankle) on the sideline. The absences mean Willy Hernangomez will get another start, and he’s worth streaming in this spot. Jaxson Hayes is worth a look in deeper leagues, as his minutes will also increase.

Valanciunas appears poised to miss a second consecutive game, which would keep Willy Hernangomez in the starting lineup. While this will boost his fantasy value, Hernangomez was outplayed by Jaxson Hayes in Wednesday’s win over the Trail Blazers. They’re both worthy of streaming consideration in deep leagues.

With Jonas Valanciunas sidelined with a calf contusion, Hayes came off the bench despite playing 25 minutes in their last game. Instead, WIlly Hernangomez got the start after receiving a DNP in their previous outing. However, while Hernangomez struggled to produce much value while getting torched by Damian Lillard, Hayes turned in a solid line off the bench. If Valanciunas remains sidelined in Golden State on Friday, Hayes should be the better streaming option.

Richardson (quad) is good to go Wednesday night, while the absence of Jonas Valanciunas means that Hernangomez received the starting nod in the middle. Willy had streaming value even before this due to the absence of Larry Nance (ankle).

With Larry Nance also sidelined, Jaxson Hayes and Willy Hernangomez will split minutes at center. Hayes played 25 minutes off the bench in their last game, while Hernangomez received a DNP. Hayes should be in line to get the starting nod, but both players will be featured heavily.

The Pelicans are already dealing with plenty of injuries, and Valanciunas just adds to the list. If he misses this game, the Pelicans will have to rely on Willy Hernangomez and Jaxson Hayes will have to split the center minutes with Larry Nance already ruled out.

The good news is that Nance has a low ankle sprain as opposed to the dreaded high ankle sprain. The bad news is that he’ll be down for at least two weeks. This frees up rotation minutes for Jaxson Hayes and Willy Hernangomez, with the latter being worth streaming in deeper leagues until Nance is cleared to play.

Nance sprained his ankle during Saturday’s loss to the Knicks, leaving Madison Square Garden with his foot in a boot and using crutches to move around. His absence will open up rotation minutes for Willy Hernangomez and Jaxson Hayes, with the former being worth a look in deeper leagues.