New Orleans Pelicans DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (hand) is probable for Wednesday's game against the visiting Raptors. The 28-year-old was acquired in a trade with the Hawks during the offseason. Unfortunately, he fractured his left hand after logging 30 minutes in the opening-night win over the Chicago Bulls. Under normal circumstances, Murray might see fewer minutes in his first game in over a month. Yet, with Jose Alvarado (hamstring) out, and Jordan Hawkins (back), Brandon Ingram (calf), and Trey Murphy III (knee) questionable, the Pels may not have a choice but to give Murray all the work he can handle. Either way, Elfrid Payton, coming off a massive 14-point, 21-assist, two-steal outing in Monday's loss to the Pacers, may spend considerably less time on the floor.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (shoulder) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Toronto Raptors, marking his 15th consecutive absence. However, there is some optimism for his return as he participated in non-contact portions of Tuesday's practice. Managers will need to remain patient as Jones progresses toward full-contact work. The 25-year-old has appeared in just four games this season, struggling with his shooting at 18.2% from beyond the arc and 50% from the free-throw line, areas he'll look to improve upon when he gets back on the court.

Los Angeles Clippers center Mo Bamba (knee) will sit out Monday's meeting with Boston. The Clippers finish off a back-to-back set, and the injury-prone Bamba will be rested for Monday's game. His absence will likely give extra playing opportunities to Nicolas Batum and Amir Coffey. The latter is the better fantasy option of the two, and Coffey has already stepped into a larger role lately due to Norman Powell's (hamstring) absence.

New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (adductor) will return from a 13-game absence on Monday versus Indiana. The veteran played in only four games at the start of the season before landing on the shelf with an adductor injury. McCollum returns to action against a team that struggles on the defensive end and is in a situation where he will likely need to take on additional offensive responsibilities, with Brandon Ingram (calf) ruled out for the contest. The return of McCollum will negatively impact Elfrid Payton's fantasy stock.

New Orleans Pelicans point guard Dejounte Murray (hand) suffered a fracture in his left hand on opening night and hasn't been able to take the court since. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Murray "intends" to return on Wednesday when the Pelicans host the Toronto Raptors. Fantasy managers will want to stay tuned to see if there will be a heavy minute restriction, but he would still be a starter in most leagues regardless.