Peyton Watson

After enjoying a run of at least 15 points in three straight games, Watson's offensive production tailed off a bit ahead of Thursday's game. The fourth-year forward surpassed the 20-point mark for the third time this season, somewhat compensating for the lack of defensive production. Over the past month, Watson has been ranked just outside the top-100 in eight- and nine-cat formats. While the absences of Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon have freed up opportunities for Watson, he's still available in over 70 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

The Nuggets lost Aaron Gordon to a strained hamstring during Friday's win over the Rockets, opening up a spot in the starting lineup. Jones, who started the third quarter in Houston, will remain with the starters to begin Saturday's game. While he's worth picking up in 30-deep leagues, managers in shallower formats can afford to take a conservative approach to adding Jones.

Due to lower back injury management, Strawther will miss a fourth consecutive game. His absence does not affect fantasy basketball, but it means even more playing time will be available to Peyton Watson and Bruce Brown.

Gordon left Friday's game with a strained right hamstring in the second quarter. He was already dealing with hamstring soreness, most recently sitting out the November 19 win over the Pelicans. However, with the strain, Gordon will likely miss time. Spencer Jones started the third quarter, but he hasn't done enough to merit being streamed. Fantasy managers should focus on Peyton Watson and Cameron Johnson when seeking value in Gordon's absence.

Watson followed up his 32-point explosion against the Pelicans on Wednesday with a bit of a dud. The 23-year-old shooting guard had double-digit rebounds for the second consecutive game, but he only had nine points. Watson only even attempted five field goals after he took 19 shots in the last game. With Christian Braun (ankle) sidelined, Watson is worth rostering, but fantasy managers would like him to be a little more aggressive offensively.