The New Orleans Pelicans, on paper, looked like a potential playoff team this 2024–25 NBA season. They had Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, and a bunch of solid role players.
But what was supposed to be a promising season unraveled quickly, with Williamson in and out of the lineup, Ingram missing time before eventually getting traded, and Murray suffering a season-ending injury. Even with a lost season, the Pelicans are soldiering on led by an emerging star, a rock-solid veteran, a talented rookie big, and productive role players.
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Your Main Man: Trey Murphy III
The reality is Trey Murphy III isn’t a main man in the purest sense. He’s probably more like a Swiss Army knife-type player who’d make for a third star in a good team. But with the Pelicans ravaged by injuries, Murphy has upped his game considerably as he now leads the charge for New Orleans.
Through 38 games, Murphy is averaging 22.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks as he has taken the cudgels from the now-traded Brandon Ingram, the always-injured Zion Williamson, and the now-out-for-the-season Dejounte Murray. Murphy’s start to February—25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks—suggests he can level up his game some more.
Surefire Studs: CJ McCollum, Yves Missi
McCollum tried his darnedest best to lead the young Pelicans—he really did. But from the looks of it, the veteran isn’t cut out for that role. Instead, he’s more of a second or third star, and that’s what he now is for these Pelicans. All credit to him as he has done well in that role, giving New Orleans 22.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks. His fantasy value, of course, is the 20 points or more he’ll give game in and game out.
Missi, the Pelicans’ rookie big man, has been a pleasant surprise for the franchise as the no.21 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft—so much so that he’s largely considered off-limits in trade talks. The 6-foot-9 Cameroonian has played 51 games so far and is averaging 8.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks. Those rebounds and stocks (steals + blocks) are a game-changer in fantasy, of course.
Low Cost, High-Value Picks: Herbert Jones, Jose Alvarado
Jones and Alvarado are the kind of role players winning teams covet, and they are having productive seasons for the Pelicans. Fantasy-wise, they’re valuable, too, as low-cost picks that give some great value.
Jones will give you 10.3 points a game to go with 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists. That production gives value already. But what makes him so valuable in fantasy are his stocks—1.9 steals and 0.5 blocks. A tall, rangy, and versatile defender, Jones gets steals at a high rate and can get you blocks as well, both of which hold high value in many fantasy settings. *Pelicans Announce Herb Jones Will Miss Rest of Season After Shoulder Surgery.
Alvarado’s numbers—9.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 steals—are close to Jones’s, and that’s a win for a low-cost pick as well. The great thing is that the Puerto Rican guard is fully capable of putting up bigger numbers, like the occasional 20 points or 10 assists. He’ll even get 3 to 4 steals every once in a while.
