Nurkic was back on the court after sitting out Monday's loss to the Magic, replacing Mason Plumlee in the starting lineup. Nurk recorded a complete stat line against the Knicks, good news for fantasy managers who have been waiting for him to break out. While his fantasy value remains disappointing, nights like Wednesday are why Nurkic remains rostered in nearly 90% of Yahoo leagues.
The Suns have made two changes to the lineup that started Monday's loss to the Magic. Nurkic's return from a sprained ankle means Mason Plumlee will come off the bench while O'Neale replaces Oso Ighodaro for matchup reasons. Jones, Booker, and Dunn complete the starting five.
The Suns are without Jusuf Nurkic, who will not play due to a sprained left ankle. Ighodaro, who will make his first start as a professional, will fill the void. This a good opportunity for the rookie to provide deep-league value due to his ability to serve as a playmaker out of the short roll. The other four starters are unchanged from Sunday's loss to Minnesota.
The Suns went with a bigger lineup on Sunday, starting Plumlee alongside Jusuf Nurkic. Unfortunately, Nurk got into early foul trouble, so they didn't get to see that tandem on the floor together for too long. Nurkic played 14 minutes, finishing with five points, seven rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer. Plumlee's best path to credible fantasy value would be to stick as a starter, albeit as the lone big. A two-game Week 5 in which the Suns will be done on Wednesday is not a good time to roster him, but keep an eye on Plumlee's minutes.
While Gobert did not produce an elite stat line on Sunday, he outplayed Jusuf Nurkic and Mason Plumlee on Sunday. The "Stifle Tower" recorded a double-double and four blocked shots, and he heads into a two-game Week 5 ranked just inside the top 75 in per-game value.