Jeremiah Fears
Fears is a second-year guard whose starting job looks to be in flux, with one low-quality report of a promotion alongside Dejounte Murray and the rest of the coverage tied to preseason.
Role
A hottakes.com item from about two days ago, citing an Underdog NBA tweet, says he starts next to Murray, Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson and Yves Missi against Utah. It says this followed a career-high 28 points on 5-of-6 from three in 26 minutes. I could not confirm that with a beat writer or the league. A Yahoo/SI projection about four days ago, before opening night, had him starting at 28 minutes, with Jordan Poole not listed in that starting five. Fox Sports/RotoWire preseason notes said competition from Murray and Poole could limit his opportunities once the regular season began. Jordan Hawkins and Jose Alvarado were named as backup-guard competition in RotoWire's earlier preseason outlook. Last season he moved between the starting lineup and the bench depending on Murray's and Murphy's availability, per CBS/RotoWire.
He closed his rookie year with a franchise rookie-record 40-point game. He scored in double figures in all three preseason games and was reported as starting at point guard. The one report of his promotion says he is now stepping into a primary scoring role next to Williamson. Coverage also frames the Pelicans as building around him.
The starting spot may depend on who is available. Last season CBS/RotoWire noted that he went back to the bench whenever Murray was healthy, and that his upside was limited in that role. His preseason notes included turnovers, and the same coverage said Murray and Poole could cut into his minutes. The promotion is tied to one hot shooting night and comes from a low-quality source.
Where analysts split
The open question is whether he keeps a starting job once Murray and Poole are both healthy, or goes back to a sixth-man role. Preseason projections had him starting, while earlier RotoWire notes expected Murray and Poole to cut into his time.
Research confidence: thin. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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