Fears is playing 15 more minutes a night with a teammate out
In the Pelicans' last three games, Jeremiah Fears has taken on a bigger role, and the numbers show it.
Jeremiah Fears is playing 15 more minutes a night than his season average over the Pelicans' last three games, with a teammate out.
That is not a small bump. Fears is averaging 25.8 minutes a game across the 2025-26 season, but in the last three games, through April 12, 2026, he has played 41.1 minutes a night. His scoring has moved with it: 14.3 points a game for the season, versus 37.3 points a game over that same three-game stretch.
This is what a role change looks like in real time. When a rotation spot opens up, the Pelicans have handed Fears the ball and the minutes to match, and he has produced at a rate far above his season numbers. Whether that holds depends on one thing: the teammate he is filling in for. If that player stays out, Fears keeps the expanded role and the workload that comes with it. If that player returns, the minutes and the scoring load likely come back down toward his season averages.
For now, the split is stark. Fears at 25.8 minutes and 14.3 points is a bench or complementary piece. Fears at 41.1 minutes and 37.3 points is a lead option. Both are true of the same player in the same season, just under different circumstances. The next few games, and the health status of the teammate he is replacing, will settle which version of Fears the Pelicans are actually building around.