New Orleans Pelicans DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones injured his right shoulder in Tuesday's game against Golden State. He exited the contest in the third quarter, finishing with five points, three rebounds, and one steal in 20 minutes. The two teams meet again on Wednesday, and Jones should be regarded as questionable for the game. Javonte Green and Jordan Hawkins could receive additional minutes with Jones out. Hawkins has the most fantasy upside of the two, but he performed poorly on Tuesday, as the 22-year-old settled for only four points in 26 minutes.

Toronto Raptors forward/center Kelly Olynyk (back) won't suit up for Monday's contest versus the Nuggets. The veteran hasn't played this season due to a lumbar strain in his back. At this point, it's unknown when he'll be on the court. Jakob Poeltl will continue to handle most of the minutes underneath the basket. But until Olynyk makes his 2024-25 debut, Chris Boucher should continue to benefit. However, Boucher has averaged only 8.7 points and 4.7 rebounds, making him an unreliable replacement in all fantasy setups.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (illness) will be under a minutes restriction for Friday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The good news is that Williamson is available after sitting out the season opener. However, he still must not be feeling 100 percent considering the team is going to limit him here. Head coach Willie Green didn't say exactly how much Williamson is going to play. Fantasy managers in season-long formats can go ahead and get Williamson in there. DFS players might want to look elsewhere for help as Williamson might not be worth his price for Friday's slate.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (hand) suffered a fractured left hand in the team's season opener against the Chicago Bulls. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the star guard underwent a successful surgery on his hand and will now miss four-to-six weeks. Murray registered 30 minutes in the first game with his new team, but will now have to wait until the end of November or the beginning of December to play again. CJ McCollum will take on more opportunities with the starting five while Jordan Hawkins and Jose Alvarado should see some more minutes until Trey Murphy III (hamstring) returns.

Toronto Raptors center Kelly Olynyk (back) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. This marks the second game in a row due to back stiffness. The organization is hopeful Olynyk won't miss an extended period of time, but he'll at least miss two games. The Raptors are already banged up one game into the regular season. That being said, Chris Boucher and Davion Mitchell should see plenty of run on Friday. Boucher finished with 18 points across 19 minutes of action in the opener. He should be the primary backup center until Olynyk returns.