Zion Williamson available to play Tuesday vs. Hawks [UPDATE]

UPDATE: April 6 — Williamson is likely to return to the lineup for Tuesday’s game vs. the Hawks while Ingram is closer to doubtful and unlikely to return from a toe injury. Josh Hart is going to need surgery and is out multiple weeks, as is young guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Update: Williamson will play and start, while Ingram and Kira Lewis Jr. have been ruled out again.

UPDATE: April 5 — Williamson and Ingram are being listed as questionable to play in Tuesday’s game vs. the Atlanta Hawks. Williamson has been sidelined with a thumb sprain and Ingram has a toe injury. Both were held out of Sunday’s game against the Rockets.

UPDATE: April 4 — Williamson and Ingram have been ruled out Sunday vs. the Rockets. Lonzo Ball is back in the lineup and won’t have a minutes restriction while Kira Lewis Jr. has been ruled out with a calf injury.

UPDATE: April 3 — Williamson, Ingram, and Ball are all questionable for the Pelicans’ Sunday matchup against the Houston Rockets, according to Jim EIchenhofer. Kira Lewis is doubtful to play, while Josh Hart has been ruled out.

UPDATE: April 2 — Williamson, Ingram and Ball will all remain out of the lineup for Friday’s game vs. the Atlanta Hawks. All three were held out of Thursday’s loss to the Magic. Alexander-Walker will remain a top play for NOLA with the bulk of the starters sidelined. Kira Lewis Jr. also got a decent amount of run on Thursday, so the rookie guard isn’t a bad option on DK. He could end up starting in the back court with Hart ruled out.

The Pelicans are in a pretty rough spot on the second of a back-to-back without four key players. NOLA was favored by 1.5 points at home but that will likely change after this injury report. Before this news, the betting splits were very even between the Hawks and Pels. Atlanta isn’t a bad stacking option in DFS to go along with the edge in betting lines.

Nevermind all that, Trae Young is out for the Hawks. My lean would still be Atlanta but this game is likely more competitive with so many studs out.

Update: April 1 — Williamson and Ball have been ruled out for Thursday’s game vs. the Magic. Brandon Ingram is listed as doubtful to play due to a foot injury. So the Pelicans could be very shorthanded against Orlando, which traded off all its starters practically before the deadline. Can somebody say under?

New Orleans Pelicans PF Zion Williamson has been diagnosed with a sprained sustained in Monday’s win over the Boston Celtics. He avoided serious injury and isn’t expected to miss any extended time, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Williamson may even be able to play through the injury, though we’ll see what his status is for Thursday’s game vs. the Orlando Magic.

Update: And there you have it, Zion is questionable to play in Thursday’s game vs. the Magic. Chances are the Pelicans could hold him out as a precaution because of how important he is to the franchise. If Williamson is out, Brandon Ingram, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Josh Hart are some names I’d be interested in on DraftKings. It doesn’t look like Lonzo Ball will be back either. The Magic will have interesting value options and there may be some props to take advantage of.

So with Williamson avoiding serious injury, this is really just to let you know that the phenom is OK. Don’t panic or anything, your fantasy basketball team is going to be alright. The worst case scenario appears to be Williamson maybe sitting out Thursday. The Pelicans are only a few games out of the play-in tournament in the Western Conference. So while Williamson’s future is important, the team can’t expect to stay competitive without him. It’ll be interesting to see if NOLA sits Zion for more than just a game or two.