ZEKE NNAJI NEWS

Out Saturday Nnaji (shoulder) won't play in Saturday's game in Charlotte.

Impact He'll miss his third consecutive game on account of the injury. With Nnaji out of the mix, the newly acquire Thomas Bryant -- who is listed as questionable for Saturday's contest -- could enter the rotation as the top backup to Nikola Jokic.

FEBRUARY 11, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Not on injury report Nnaji (shoulder) isn't on the injury report for Saturday's game against the Hornets.

Impact Nnaji missed the last two games due to a shoulder issue but should be available for Saturday's matchup. He's come off the bench in his last five appearances and has averaged 4.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game during that time.

FEBRUARY 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Officially out Thursday Nnaji (shoulder) won't play in Thursday's game versus the Magic.

Impact Initially deemed doubtful for the contest, this was the expected outcome for the third-year big man. He will indeed miss his second consecutive game, leaving the Nuggets thin behind Nikola Jokic on Thursday. Even when healthy, Nnaji is facing new competition for minutes in the frontcourt after the Jazz traded for Thomas Bryant from the Lakers ahead of the trade deadline.

FEBRUARY 9, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Unlikely to play Thursday Nnaji (shoulder) is doubtful for Thursday's game against the Magic.

Impact Nnaji was unavailable Tuesday against Minnesota due to his shoulder injury, and he'll likely sit out a second consecutive game. If he's sidelined once again, DeAndre Jordan and Jeff Green are candidates to see increased run.

FEBRUARY 8, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Ruled out against Minnesota Nnaji (shoulder) won't play in Tuesday's game versus the Timberwolves, Brendan Vogt of TheDNVR.com reports.

Impact Nnaji has been downgraded from questionable to out Tuesday due to a right shoulder sprain. His next chance to suit up is Thursday's matchup with the Magic.

FEBRUARY 8, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Questionable Tuesday Nnaji is questionable for Tuesday's contest against Minnesota due to a shoulder sprain, Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette reports.

Impact Nnaji has appeared in 19 straight games for the Nuggets but appears to be at risk of missing Tuesday's outing due to a shoulder injury. If Nnaji is ultimately ruled out, the likes of DeAndre Jordan and Jeff Green figure to see slightly more usage.

FEBRUARY 6, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Heads back to bench Nnaji will appear off the bench Saturday versus the 76ers.

Impact Nnaji claimed his third start in four games with Nikola Jokic out Wednesday, but he'll move back to the bench Saturday with Jokic set to reclaim his starting spot. Nnaji should see a slight decline in his minutes as a result, though he's off the radar in most fantasy formats regardless.

JANUARY 28, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Moves to starting unit Nnaji is in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Bucks.

Impact The Nuggets are set to rest almost their entire regular starting lineup, and this will lead to more minutes for Nnaji, who will start in the frontcourt alongside Aaron Gordon. This will be the fifth start of the campaign for Nnaji, who's averaging 8.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in that role.

JANUARY 26, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Plays 24 minutes in move to bench Nnaji finished with four points (1-5 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds and one block across 24 minutes in Tuesday's 99-98 win over the Pelicans.

Impact Though Nnaji headed back to the bench after a two-game run as the Nuggets' starting center, he still saw some overlap with Nikola Jokic (hamstring), who played 36 minutes in his return to the court. At this point, Nnaji appears to have established himself as Jokic's top backup ahead of DeAndre Jordan, but Nnaji will likely lose out on opportunities to play more at power forward once Michael Porter (personal) is back in the fold.

JANUARY 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Records double-double in relief Nnaji contributed 12 points (3-5 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 4-8 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist and two blocks across 28 minutes during Sunday's 101-99 loss to the Thunder.

Impact Although Nnaji will never match the consistency of Nikola Jokic (hamstring), he's doing a respectable job of propping up the interior for the Nuggets. Sunday marked his first double-double of the season, but he will likely head back to the bench just as he begins to establish a rhythm. With that said, hamstring injuries tend to be unpredictable, so Nnaji may still hold some fantasy value during Denver's upcoming back-to-back, should Jokic sit out one-half of that set.

JANUARY 23, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Gilgeous-Alexander hits winner, lifts Thunder past Nuggets

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander banked in a decisive 8-foot jumper with 9.2 seconds remaining and finished with 34 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped Denver’s league-leading nine-...

JANUARY 23, 2023 • Associated Press

Multi-cat performance in spot start Nnaji logged seven points (2-4 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-3 FT), three rebounds, one assist, one block and three steals in 26 minutes during Friday's 134-111 win over Indiana.

Impact Nnaji replaced Nikola Jokic (hamstring) in the starting lineup Friday, ending with a low-volume, yet serviceable effort. Despite being a regular piece in the rotation, this was only the third time all season playing more than 25 minutes. Unfortunately, his typical role yields nothing more than top-250 value, making him an afterthought in most fantasy formats.

JANUARY 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Starting sans Jokic Nnaji will start Friday's game against the Packers.

Impact Nnaji will draw a spot start with Nikola Jokic (hamstring) sidelined. The backup center has averaged 7.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 23.0 minutes across his previous two starts this year.

JANUARY 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Decent total in 19 minutes Nnaji ended Friday's 115-103 win over the Clippers with nine points (3-5 FG, 3-5 FT), seven rebounds and one block in 19 minutes.

Impact The Nuggets hope they never have to contend with a Nikola Jokic (wrist) absence, but bench warmers like Nnaji helped to ease the blow Friday. DeAndre Jordan couldn't get much going against his former team, allowing the Arizona product to see extra playing time. Although his fantasy impact is minimal, Nnaji's often seen in mop-up duty in a lopsided Denver victory in addition to some regular rotation minutes.

JANUARY 14, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Good to go Wednesday Nnaji (knee) will play in Wednesday's game against the Suns.

Impact Nnaji picked up a knee contusion in Monday's game against the Lakers but has been given the green light Wednesday. He will likely maintain his role as a depth piece and play his typical 10-15 minutes.

JANUARY 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Termed probable Wednesday Nnaji is considered probable for Wednesday's game versus the Suns despite a right knee contusion.

Impact Nnaji appears to be working through a minor knee bruise but doesn't look to be in danger of missing time. Assuming he suits up like usual versus Phoenix, the third-year forward should again slot in as a frontcourt bench piece.

JANUARY 10, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Balanced two-way effort Thursday Nnaji provided 13 points (5-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal in 24 minutes during Thursday's 122-91 win over the Clippers.

Impact Nnaji had his best game of the season Thursday, cashing in as the second unit played out the entire second half. With the Nuggets up big, both teams opted to go with their fringe guys, providing managers with some confusing fantasy lines. Given Nnaji had played more than 15 minutes only once in the past five weeks, managers should feel pretty comfortable looking at this as an outlier, as opposed to what they can expect moving forward.

JANUARY 6, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Heads to bench Nnaji will return to the second unit Friday.

Impact Nnaji received a pair of spot starts in the place of Aaron Gordon (shoulder), but with Gordon back he will shift back to the bench. Prior to the starting stint, Nnaji hadn't logged 15 minutes since Nov. 28.

DECEMBER 31, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Bounces back Wednesday Nnaji produced 14 points (7-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt), three rebounds, one block and one steal across 31 minutes during Wednesday's 127-126 loss to the Kings.

Impact Nnaji has started the past two games with Aaron Gordon (shoulder) sidelined. After going 0-for-3 for zero points in 15 minutes during Tuesday's win, Nnaji impressed on the second night of the back-to-back. That said, his 31 minutes resulted from Jamal Murray (knee) and Bruce Brown (ankle) also missing Wednesday's effort. Once the team is healthier, Nnaji should go back to a minimal role.

DECEMBER 29, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Posts goose egg in starting role Nnaji had zero points (0-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and six rebounds in 15 minutes before fouling out of Tuesday's 113-106 victory over Sacramento.

Impact Nnaji moved into the starting lineup Tuesday but laid an egg, failing to score during his limited time on the court. While Nnaji typically won't blow anyone away with his production, he should be better than he was Tuesday on most nights. If Aaron Gordon (shoulder) misses more time, Nnaji should remain on the streaming radar in deeper leagues despite Tuesday's rough performance.

DECEMBER 28, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Set to start Tuesday Nnaji is in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Kings, James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports.

Impact Nnaji will replace Aaron Gordon (shoulder) in the starting five Tuesday. The third-year forward will make his first start of the season.

DECEMBER 28, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Available Sunday Nnaji (finger) is available for Sunday's Christmas Day matchup against Phoenix, independent NBA writer T.J. McBride reports.

Impact Nnaji hurt his finger during Friday's win over the Trail Blazers, but he was probable ahead of Sunday's game and will officially be able to suit up. Coach Michael Malone said Nnaji won't face any restrictions against the Suns.

DECEMBER 26, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Probable Sunday Nnaji is probable for Sunday's Christmas Day game against the Suns due to a sprained left finger.

Impact Putting aside Nnaji's sprained finger, which isn't expected to sideline him, the forward could see an expanded role over the next month while Jeff Green (hand, finger) is shelved. Nnaji's role has fluctuated based on the Nuggets' injury situation, but it seems possible he'll regularly begin seeing double-digit minutes. When seeing at least 10 minutes this year, he's averaged 6.7 points and 1.9 rebounds.

DECEMBER 24, 2022 • ROTOWIRE