Nickeil Alexander-Walker Back In The Starting lineup
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker is in the starting lineup for Saturday's meeting with the Charlotte Hornets. Alexander-Walker got the start for Anthony Edwards in Thursday's win over the Utah Jazz, finishing with 20 points, seven assists, and two blocks. As a result, he'll likely be a popular streaming option in all fantasy formats, including DFS contests. The Timberwolves next game isn't until Wednesday night versus the Spurs, so there's a chance Edwards could be back. However, Alexander-Walker should be claimed off waivers, especially if Edwards misses more time.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker will slide into the starting five for Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. As expected, Alexander-Walker will move into the starting unit with Jaden McDaniels (ankle) sidelined. This is likely going to be the plan going forward until McDaniels is ready to return to the court. That being said, Alexander-Walker will see extended playing time and is looking like a decent streaming option. Kyle Anderson should also see more run, so he's worth a look as well.
The Utah Jazz have acquired shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker from the Trail Blazers in a three-team deal on Wednesday. The Jazz also receive forward Juancho Hernangomez from the Spurs, while the Trail Blazers have acquired Joe Ingles and Elijah Hughes from the Jazz. The Spurs landed point guard Tomas Satoransky to wrap up the trade. Ingles tore his ACL and is done for the season, but he was included in the trade for salary purposes and likely will not play a single game for the Trail Blazers as he is set to become a free agent after the season. Alexander-Walker is by far the most fantasy relevant player from the deal for the remainder of the 2021-22 NBA season, and the 23-year-old will provide value in deeper formats for his scoring production as a member of the second unit for the Jazz.
New Orleans Pelicans guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has entered the league's health and safety protocols. He is the first player on this team to enter protocols, so we'll see if anyone else joins him. In the meantime, Tomas Satoransky, Garrett Temple and Trey Murphy would be candidates for increased playing time. Satoransky would be the best option out of the three, but would only be possibly a deep league option.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Scores 26 Points With Six Triples
New Orleans Pelicans shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker was hot from downtown with a 6-for-9 effort on Tuesday against Portland and finished a 111-97 win with 26 points in 26 minutes off the bench. He shot 10-for-16 overall from the field and also contributed with three rebounds and four assists while recording four turnovers. This is Alexander-Walker's second-best scoring effort of the season. The Virginia Tech product has struggled with his shooting all season and Tuesday was a rare efficient night for him. It's been well over a month since the last time Alexander-Walker managed to string together two strong performances, although the next matchup against the Magic is a good spot to do some damage again.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Leads Pelicans In Scoring Wednesday
New Orleans Pelicans shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a team-high 24 points on 8-for-18 shooting in Wednesday's loss to Miami, hitting 4-for-8 from downtown and 4-for-6 at the foul line. The 23-year-old also grabbed four rebounds and handed out two assists with one steal and zero turnovers across 28 minutes of action. Alexander-Walker has now gone for 20-plus points three times in his past five outings and the run includes a 33-point effort, but it also had a four-point dud. The Virginia Tech product must work on his consistency to not scare off fantasy managers. The next matchup against the Clippers and the league's second-most efficient defense doesn't look promising at all for Alexander-Walker.
New Orleans Pelicans shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker had his best outing of the season in Wednesday's home loss against the Thunder, leading all scorers with 33 points on 10-for-22 shooting. He nailed four of 10 attempts from behind the arc and shot 9-for-11 at the foul line. Alexander-Walker also picked up his second double-double of the season with 10 rebounds and delivered four assists with two steals, one block and zero turnovers in 34 minutes. This was a superb performance from the 23-year-old, and the Pelicans will hope for more of the same with Zion Williamson (foot) and Brandon Ingram (hip) sidelined. New Orleans gets a very tough matchup against Brooklyn next, but they can close the week against the Grizzlies and their 28th-ranked defense.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Logs Double-Double On Rough Night
New Orleans Pelicans shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker may have finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds -- the latter of which set a new career high -- on Saturday, but there were some rough shooting figures underneath the surface. Alexander-Walker fired up a game-high 24 shots, making only six; he went 2-for-13 from behind the arc, emblematic of a rough all-around night for the Pelicans from behind the arc (22.5% as a team). While he also logged five turnovers, Alexander-Walker's elevated role in the offense is arguably the biggest takeaway. He now holds an enormous DFS ceiling moving forward, while getting a season-long boost in category-style leagues. He gets to run it back against Minnesota on Monday.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Pencils Into Starting Five Wednesday
New Orleans Pelicans point guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker draws the start in his team's opening game of the season against the 76ers. Alexander-Walker steps into quite the opportunity with Lonzo Ball now in Chicago- and should be expected to handle the point guard duties for the Pelicans- with Devonte' Graham playing off the ball. It could be a lucrative opportunity for Alexander-Walker, who has averaged 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game in his career as a starter. Look for him to get off to a good start in what could be a high-scoring game against Philadelphia.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Faces Minutes Cap In Return Sunday
New Orleans Pelicans point guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been given the green light to suit up for Sunday's game against Charlotte. Alexander-Walker last took the floor April 4, meaning that he'll be acclimated to the mix with a minutes restriction. Lonzo Ball still stands to see sizable upside with Zion Williamson (finger) and Brandon Ingram (ankle) sidelined, even as the backcourt gains some much-needed depth. Prior to being injured, Alexander-Walker had a seven-game stretch as a starter in which he averaged 18.9 PPG while knocking down 3.6 made triples on a nightly basis. He faces a tough path to reclaiming that role over the final week, but fantasy managers will want to check back for the latest updates on information concerning his minutes allotment.
