Welcome back, Ja Morant! Morant returned Tuesday after serving a 25-game suspension, and he absolutely took over in the second half of Memphis’ come-from-behind victory over the Pelicans. Morant posted a 34/6/8 line and scored 27 points in the second half, including the game-winning bucket at the buzzer. That game was thrilling, but the Bucks torched the Spurs in the early window. The Celtics and Warriors engaged in a hard-fought battle, while the Suns and Trail Blazers duked it out in the Pacific Northwest.
Unfortunately for fantasy managers, the party may be over before it really got started, as Brandin Podziemski went down early with a back injury. In the other late game, Shaedon Sharpe was sidelined after eight minutes due to his lingering groin injury. That pair of high-profile absences could free up some more minutes for other Warriors and Trail Blazers.
Jonathan Kuminga (35% rostered) – In five games prior to Tuesday, Kuminga averaged 15.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 triples while shooting 53.7% from the floor across 24.4 minutes. He’s now started four straight, and it looks like his run in the starting five isn’t going to come to an end any time soon. He’s disappointed us before with poor performances following big games, but he’s been far more consistent as of late, and it’s time to trust him again. With Podziemski banged up, Kuminga should see plenty of run moving forward.
Trayce Jackson-Davis (7% rostered) – TJD went off Sunday with a strong 14/8/3/2/1 line in just 18 minutes. He followed that up with another stellar performance Tuesday, and he’s another Warrior whose playing time is trending up following Podziemski’s injury. TJD went from a watchlist guy to a respectable pickup, even in 12-team leagues. Dario Saric and Moses Moody are worth monitoring, but neither are worth adding right now.
Scoot Henderson (59% rostered), Matisse Thybulle (17% rostered) – Henderson’s rookie season has been marred by injury and inconsistent play, but he’s been trending up as of late. Sharpe’s recent injury should mean more playing time for Scoot and Thybulle moving forward, but keep in mind Henderson’s high turnovers and low efficiency and Thybulle’s primary value as a defensive specialist without many more contributions. Malcolm Brogdon started the second half of Tuesday’s matchup, but he’s only available in 26% of leagues.
Isaiah Jackson (16% rostered) – I-Jax made his first start of the season Monday in place of the injured Myles Turner, turning in 15/4/2 with a block across 25 minutes. He’s been trending up following the In-Season Tournament, and in four games since losing to the Lakers in the IST Final, he’s averaged 14.0 points, 5.8 boards, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks across 19.5 minutes. If Turner is unavailable again, Jackson would once again be in the streaming conversation.
Others to consider: Jeremy Sochan (33%), Drew Eubanks (6%), Vince Williams (8%), Grayson Allen (37%), Eric Gordon (38%), Malaki Branham (15%)