Valanciunas will come off the bench Friday against the Bulls.
After starting against the 76ers on Wednesday in place of rookie Alexandre Sarr (illness), Valanciunas will come off the bench Friday against Chicago. The veteran big man had a rough outing as a starter, committing eight turnovers in the loss to Philadelphia. He's averaging 11.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 55.3 percent from the floor and 20 percent from beyond the arc this season.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Struggles with turnovers in start
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Valanciunas ended Wednesday's 109-103 loss to Philadelphia with 14 points (6-13 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist and one block across 21 minutes.
Starting for rookie first-rounder Alexandre Sarr (illness) against a 76ers team without Joel Embiid (foot), Valanciunas double-doubled for the 10th time this season but struggled with a game-high eight turnovers. The veteran big man has now started eight games for the Wizards in 2024-25, averaging 14.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.6 blocks and 0.8 steals in 25.1 minutes as a member of Washington's first unit. If Sarr isn't feeling well enough to play in Friday's game against the Bulls, Valanciunas would be in line to once again make a spot start at center and experience a sizable boost in fantasy appeal.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Steps into starting lineup
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Valanciunas is in Wednesday's starting lineup against the 76ers.
The veteran big man will hold down the fort at center in the absence of rookie first-rounder Alexandre Sarr (illness) on Wednesday. Valanciunas has averaged 14.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 blocks in 25.6 minutes over seven games as a starter this season, so he's certainly in line for a short-term boost in fantasy value against Philadelphia.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Solid outing in blowout loss
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Valanciunas supplied 18 points (7-11 FG, 4-4 FT), four rebounds and one assist across 22 minutes during Tuesday's 135-112 loss to the Rockets.
The veteran big man finished as the club's second-leading scorer behind Corey Kispert (23 points) in the blowout loss. Valanciunas has played a muted role throughout the season with the Wizards prioritizing Alexandre Sarr's development, and Valanciunas will likely continue to hover around the 20-minute mark. The 32-year-old has reached double-digit points in three of his last five games, and during that five-game span, he has shot 60.0 percent from the floor in 21.0 minutes per contest.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Muted performance in loss
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Valanciunas supplied six points (3-5 FG), seven rebounds, two assists and one block across 20 minutes during Sunday's 110-98 loss to the Pelicans.
Alexandre Sarr had one of his best games of the season, and it's clear the Wizards will be prioritizing his development going forward. Valanciunas has been very productive in the minutes he's been getting this season, but a potential trade could be good for his fantasy upside.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Solid outing against Knicks
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Valanciunas closed Monday's 126-106 loss to the Knicks with 22 points (10-13 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and one block across 21 minutes.
Valanciunas' effort wasn't enough to lift Washington to victory in the rematch against New York. The veteran center continues to be a force for the Wizards off the bench, as he's scored 14 or more points and grabbed eight rebounds or more in three straight games.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Coming off bench Thursday
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Valanciunas is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Hornets.
Alexandre Sarr has been upgraded from questionable to available for Thursday's matchup after missing Washington's previous contest due to lower back soreness. This means the veteran Valanciunas will move back to his regular role off the bench. The 13-year veteran is averaging 10.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game across 20 appearances off the bench in 2024-25.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Double-doubles in spot start
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Valanciunas finished with 12 points (6-12 FG, 0-1 3Pt), 16 rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two steals over 29 minutes during Monday's 123-105 loss to the Thunder.
Valacinuas stepped into the starting lineup after Alexandre Sarr was ruled out due to a back injury. To no one's surprise, Valanciunas delivered a vintage performance, recording his first double-double in over two weeks. It's been a frustrating season for Valanciunas, coming off the bench as the Wizards lean heavily into their youth. At this point, it seems that he would need a trade to have any chance at playing a consistent 20-minute role. Even then, he would likely be moving to another backup role, assuming he is shipped to a contending team.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Starting Monday
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Valanciunas will enter the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Thunder.
With Alexandre Sarr (back) sidelined, Valanciunas will slide into the starting five. The veteran big man has started in six games thus far, during which he has averaged 15.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 blocks across 25.0 minutes per contest.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Efficient off bench
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Valanciunas closed with six points (3-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt), eight rebounds and four assists across 15 minutes during Thursday's 123-114 victory over the Hornets.
With Alexandre Sarr returning to the starting lineup, Valanciunas has received a decreased role as Washington's backup center. Valanciunas is averaging 15.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 blocks in 25.0 minutes across his six starts compared to 10.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 17.7 minutes across his 19 appearances coming off the bench.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Moves to bench Friday
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Valanciunas will come off the bench in Friday's game versus the Cavaliers.
With Alexandre Sarr (back) reclaiming his starting spot in the frontcourt alongside Justin Champagnie, Valanciunas will retreat to the bench. Over his last five outings (four starts), the big man has averaged 15.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 blocks across 23.6 minutes per game.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Records double-double in loss
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Valanciunas supplied 20 points (8-17 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 14 rebounds, two assists and one block in 23 minutes during Sunday's 140-112 loss to the Grizzlies.
Valanciunas' veteran presence plays a role for the rebuilding Wizards, but the team continues to lose. He scored at least 20 points and recorded a double-double in each game during Washington's weekend back-to-back set, including a season-high 14 boards Sunday against Memphis and a season-high five blocks against Denver on Saturday.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Dominates in paint Saturday
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Valanciunas chipped in 20 points (8-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocks across 32 minutes during Saturday's 122-113 win over the Nuggets.
It was a season-best effort by Valanciunas, who registered a season-high five blocks and his first 20-point, 10-rebound double-double of the season while starting at center for the absent Alex Sarr (back) on Saturday. Valanciunas' excellent showing down low may have been overshadowed by Nikola Jokic's career-high 56 points for the Nuggets on the other side, but fantasy managers should be pleased with the former's box score despite his five turnovers. Valanciunas has now made five starts for the Wizards, averaging 14.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 blocks in 25.4 minutes per contest while shooting 56.9 percent from the floor as a starter. The veteran big man should play a more pronounced role once again if Sarr remains out Sunday, albeit in a tough matchup with a Grizzlies squad that ranks seventh in the NBA in defensive efficiency rating (108.6).
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Starting Saturday
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Valanciunas is in the Wizards' starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Nuggets.
After coming off the bench Thursday against the Mavericks, Valanciunas will return to the starting lineup Saturday due to Alex Sarr (back) being ruled out. Over the first 20 games of the regular season (including four starts), Valanciunas is averaging 11.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists over 19.6 minutes per game.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Out of starting five Thursday
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Valanciunas will come off the bench in Thursday's matchup against Dallas.
The Wizards will take a look at Marvin Bagley starting alongside Alex Sarr in the frontcourt, pushing Valanciunas to the bench. The veteran big man started in the Wizards' last two outings, during which he averaged 14.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks while shooting 61.1 percent from the field across 25.0 minutes per contest.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Double-double in Tuesday's start
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Valanciunas recorded 13 points (5-9 FG, 3-4 FT), 11 rebounds, one block and one steal in 19 minutes during Tuesday's 118-87 loss to Cleveland.
Injuries in the Wizards' frontcourt have allowed the team to take a look at Valanciunas and Alex Sarr in the starting lineup together, and the veteran center responded by producing his fifth double-double of the season Tuesday as he made his second straight start. Four of his double-doubles have come in the last 10 games, and over that stretch, Valanciunas is averaging 11.8 points, 8.2 boards, 1.7 assists and 0.8 blocks in 19.4 minutes a contest while shooting 56.8 percent from the floor.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Productive in spot start Saturday
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Valanciunas closed with 16 points (6-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds, five assists and one steal over 31 minutes during Saturday's 124-114 loss to Milwaukee.
Valanciunas earned his first start since Nov. 8, when he recorded 16 points in a loss to the Grizzlies, in an effort to counter the Bucks' frontcourt physicality of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez. Even though the Wizards suffered another loss, Valanciunas had a decent showing, and the veteran continues to remain valuable in fantasy even if he's not starting. Valanciunas has scored at least 15 points in back-to-back games for the first time this season, and he's registered double-digit points in 12 of his 18 contests.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Moving to starting role Saturday
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Valanciunas is in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Bucks, Varun Shankar of The Washington Post reports.
The Wizards will add size to their frontcourt to counter the duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez, so Valanciunas will start at center and Alex Sarr will get the nod at power forward. Valanciunas is averaging 11.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game since the beginning of November.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Plays just 14 minutes
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Valanciunas recorded four points (2-4 FG), three rebounds and one assist over 14 minutes during Tuesday's 127-108 loss to the Bulls.
Valanciunas' minutes continue to trend in the wrong direction, as he's now played 19 or fewer minutes in four straight contests. He's usually been very productive in limited minutes, but Tuesday's game was an outlier. He'll be a popular trade candidate going forward, and a change of scenery could provide a big boost to his upside.
