New Orleans Pelicans

Devonte' Graham finished Sunday’s tilt with nine points (3-13 FG, 3-11 3PT), three rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 34 minutes of action in the Pelicans' 118-108 win over the Rockets.

Fantasy Impact: Graham continues to be a rather unappealing option for managers this season as he is the literal definition of “live by the three die by the three”. Unfortunately this is the kind of performance he will likely have on a nightly basis and should only be a bench option at best at the moment.

Jonas Valanciunas finished Sunday’s tilt with 17 points (7-11 FG, 0-1 3PT, 3-6 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and three blocks to go along with one turnover in 32 minutes of action in the Pelicans' 118-108 loss to the Rockets.

Fantasy Impact: JV is legitimately one of the most consistent players in the league to frequently double-double on a nightly basis. This may not continue when Zion returns but we can at least enjoy greatness before our eyes as he should be considered a top option until proven otherwise.

Brandon Ingram finished Sunday’s game with 40 points (15-28 FG, 3-10 3PT, 7-8 FT), five rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block in 38 minutes of action in the Pelicans' 118-108 loss to the Rockets.

Fantasy Impact: Ingram put up a season high 40 points in this one but unfortunately it was not enough as the Pelicans trailed in every quarter. This is now two back to back valuable performances from Ingram and managers couldn’t be happier. Look for Ingram to continue this elite level of production moving forward at least until Zion Williamson returns.

Willy Hernangomez totaled 12 points (4-10 FG, 4-5 FT), 14 rebounds, three assists, and one block in 23 minutes of action in the Pelicans' 107-91 win over the Mavericks on Friday night.

Fantasy Impact: Hernangomez may end up being a sneaky good pick up as he double-doubled again Friday night. Hernangomez seems to have officially leaped Jaxson Hayes as the backup behind Jonas Valanciunas as Hayes ended up being a healthy DNP-Coach’s Decision. If Hernangomez isn’t rostered he should be or at least monitor his situation for the time being.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker finished Wednesday’s tilt with 12 points (5-13 FG, 2-8 3PT), two rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 28 minutes of action in the Pelicans' 139-107 loss to the Mavericks.

Fantasy Impact: Walker appears likely to stay permanently in his role as a bench role player for the Pelicans. Walker still will see 20+ minutes but his production has lessened drastically.

Josh Hart finished Monday’s tilt with four points (1-9 FG, 0-5 3PT, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds, nine assists, and two steals to go along with three turnovers in 33 minutes of action in the Pelicans' 123-104 win over the Clippers.

Fantasy Impact: Hart managed to contribute value despite his season low 0.11% shooting percentage. Hart’s 12 rebounds ultimately save the day as he couldn’t connect from deep either finishing shooting 0%.

Herbert Jones finished Monday’s tilt 16 points (6-10 FG, 0-1 3PT, 4-4 FT), four rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block in 34 minutes of action in the Pelicans' 123-104 win over the Clippers.

Fantasy Impact: Jones continues to see among the highest minutes on the Pelicans game in and game out. Jones will likely continue to see a ton of minutes in the starting role until Zion Williamson returns.

Jaxson Hayes saw only eight minutes of action Saturday but managed to put up 15 points (5-6 FG, 3-3 3PT, 2-3 FT), four rebounds, one assist, and one steal in the Pelicans' 127-105 loss to the Jazz.

Fantasy Impact: Hayes paced the Pelicans' in points (15) on Saturday despite seeing a team low eight minutes off the bench. Hayes should not be considered for any lineups but may be worth keeping an eye out for as this could help impact his playing time moving forward but as of now is worth no consideration.

Per Shams Charania, the Pelicans have officially cleared Zion Williamson to return to full basketball activities. (Source: Shams Charania on twitter)

Fantasy Impact: This is huge news as this was the next step in Zion’s recovery. Zion remains out for now but seems to be nearing a return now that he is cleared for full activities and the Pelicans could really use him as they only have three wins this year.

Garrett Temple finished Monday’s tilt with eight points (3-8 FG, 2-6 3PT), two rebounds, one assist, and one steal to go along with four turnovers in 14 minutes in the Pelicans' 110-96 loss to the Timberwolves.

Fantasy Impact: Temple had a quiet night as he saw only 14 minutes as the Pelicans' trailed throughout in this one. Temple is worth a roster spot but is worth evaluating upon Zion Williamson’s return which seems to be coming soon.

Naji Marshall added 14 points (3-8 FG, 0-3 3PT, 8-8 FT), six rebounds, and three assists in 12 minutes off the bench in the Pelicans' 111-94 blowout loss to the Pacers.

Fantasy Impact: Marshall performed well in 12 minutes off the bench but this is nothing more than garbage time value as the Pelicans were down 32 going into the fourth. Marshall should not be considered for any roster.

Kira Lewis Jr. finished Friday’s game with 19 points (7-12 FG, 2-3 3PT), four rebounds, four assists, and three steals to go along with one turnover in 23 minutes of action in the Pelicans' 94-81 win over the Clippers.

Fantasy Impact: Lewis played fantastic in this one as he saw some of the minutes left behind by Devonte' Graham (foot) who was out of the lineup Friday. Lewis shot 58% from the field in this one and saw over 20 minutes, however this again was due to Graham being out as when Graham is in the lineup Lewis has seen an average of 13 minutes a game. Lewis is thus an alright addition if Graham is to miss anymore time but should not but rostered if Graham returns.

Tomas Satoransky totaled four points (2-5 FG), five rebounds, and two assists, to go along with one turnover in 25 minutes of action in the Pelicans' 94-81 win over the Clippers.

Fantasy Impact: Satoransky filled into the starting lineup Friday with Devonte' Graham (foot) out. Unfortunately he didn’t end up producing much in the time he did see and shouldn’t be considered even in the deepest of leagues at the moment.

Trey Murphy III totaled seven points (1-3 FG, 1-3 3PT, 4-4 FT), one rebound, one assist, and one block to go along with one turnover in Saturday nights 123-117 loss to the Knicks.

Fantasy Impact: Murphy led the Pelicans bench and saw nearly 20 minutes in Saturday nights game. There is no reason to consider Murphy for a roster spot unless you have injury issues. He is streamable while the Pelicans are plagued with injuries.

G Eric Bledsoe has been traded alongside teammate C Steven Adams to the Memphis Grizzlies after just one year in New Orleans. (Source: Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Bledsoe struggled to find a rhythm in a crowded New Orleans back court, averaging just 12.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. He'll hope to provide stability as a back up point guard in Memphis.

C Steven Adams has been sent to Memphis along with a few draft picks and G Eric Bledsoe. (Source: Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Adams didn't have a great 2020 season, averaging just 7.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. He's become a sort of journeyman over the last few seasons, so he'll hope to find a role in Memphis that he can fit in.

James Johnson scored 11 points (4-8 FG, 1-2 3PT, 2-3 FT) with three rebounds and two assists across 22 minutes during Wednesday's 125-107 blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Fantasy Impact: Johnson shot 50 FG% while managing to collect a few rebounds and dish a couple of assists in an otherwise disappointing night for the Pelicans. The team will likely continue to lean on Johnson and its other second-unit players in the lineup with just two games left before the end of the 2020-21 season. Fantasy managers in DFS contests can target Eric Bledsoe or Willy Hernangomez for solid production in lineups against the Golden State Warriors on Friday.

Lonzo Ball registered 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-2 3PT) with eight rebounds, three assists, a steal, two blocks, and a turnover across 34 minutes during Monday's 115-110 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Fantasy Impact: Ball poured in two triples, forcing two blocks and a steal on defense to finish with decent production in fantasy lineups during Monday's loss to the Grizzlies. He is one of the few starters that remains healthy enough to continue playing during the final three-game stretch of the season, getting his next opportunity on the road against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

New Orleans Pelicans PG Isaiah Thomas will not be brought back immediately upon the expiration of his 10-day contract. (Source: Andrew Lopez on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Thomas averaged 7.7 points across 16 minutes during the three games he played during his 10-day contract with the Pelicans. New Orleans could still opt to bring Thomas back on another 10-day contract or rest of year deal but it appears the team will explore other available players on waivers after injuries to two members of their frontcourt in Josh Hart (thumb) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (high ankle sprain) occurred recently. Thomas will remain on waivers until further notice with the potential to return to the Pelicans in two weeks.