Zion

Williamson

Available after a six-game absence, Williamson was under a minutes restriction on Sunday. For that reason, he came off the bench, with Saddiq Bey (10/6/1/2) remaining in the starting lineup. The reserve role did not negatively impact Williamson, who provided solid value in multiple categories in 27 minutes. Of course, fantasy managers were also watching to see how Zion’s return would affect Derik Queen. The rookie didn’t have his best night, finishing with four points, eight rebounds, six assists, one block and five turnovers in 25 minutes. However, to blame Queen’s showing on Williamson’s return would be a severe overreaction. With the Pelicans off until Thursday, they’ll have some welcome practice time to figure out the rotation.

Williamson is back after a six-game absence. His return affects multiple players, starting with Saddiq Bey. Bey has excelled as a starter and will remain in that role on Sunday, but his minutes may decrease. Also affected by Williamson’s presence in the lineup is Derik Queen, who may not be asked to facilitate as much as he was during the Pelicans’ last six games. If so, the rookie center would have a lower fantasy ceiling, which would be unfortunate.

Williamson participated in practice Saturday and at least has a chance of returning from his adductor injury against the Bulls on Sunday. The 25-year-old power forward was to be re-evaluated three weeks from December 3, but beat that timeline by about a week. Saddiq Bey will likely move back to the bench if Zion is available Sunday.

Zion popped up on the injury report Tuesday afternoon after not initially being included on it. He had previously been dealing with a hamstring injury, but now it’s the right adductor that will keep him sidelined until at least Dec. 23. Saddiq Bey and Derik Queen should continue to be the main beneficiaries with Zion unavailable for at least a few weeks. Queen should be locked in as a starter for the rest of the season, while Bey should continue to start with Zion out. Bey has averaged 19.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.6 triples over the last five games and is available in 66 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Williamson was off the injury report on Monday evening for his hamstring, but the adductor issue is a new one, suggesting he may sit this one out. Missi is also a late addition to the injury report, and if both he and Zion are forced to sit this one out, Derik Queen and Saddiq Bey should see even higher usage. Micah Peavey and Kevon Looney could soak up some additional minutes off the bench.

Williamson did not play in Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, which was the Pelicans’ second game in as many nights. To fill the void, New Orleans employed a legitimate center, with Yves Missi moving into the starting lineup. He should head to the bench on Tuesday, with Derik Queen remaining with the starters.

Williamson will sit out the second leg of New Orleans’ back-to-back set, which means Saddiq Bey should have the green light on offense. Bey has been a strong scorer since joining the starting five, and with Williamson and Trey Murphy (elbow) sidelined, he could be in line for a big game.

Williamson has scored at least 22 points in three of his last four games. What stands out from his performance on Saturday is the foul shooting. Williamson made 90 percent of his attempts against the Warriors, and he’s shot a respectable 79.5 percent over the past two weeks. While Zion doesn’t have to turn into an elite foul shooter, becoming respectable would do wonders for his fantasy value. The Pelicans play three games in Week 7, starting with the Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Bey extended his double-double streak to three games on Wednesday, and he remains a starter with Herb Jones unavailable. Over the past week, the Pelicans forward has been a top-50 player in nine-cat formats. We’re at the point where Bey can be trusted in a higher percentage of Yahoo! leagues, especially since he’s starting alongside Zion Williamson (17/5/4/0/2). And New Orleans ending Week 6 with a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back is another reason to consider adding Bey.

Three Pelicans starters scored at least 20 points on Monday, with Williamson leading the way. He had a big night at the foul line, making 13 of his 16 attempts, and Zion is shooting 69.3 percent for the season. While that percentage isn’t high enough to prevent Williamson managers from punting that category, it’s nearly four points higher than his 2024-25 mark (65.6 percent). After a slow start to the season, he’s closing in on top-100 value in eight-cat formats, which is good news for those who have Williamson rostered.