Watson totaled nine points (3-5 FG, 3-4 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal across 34 minutes during Friday's 112-109 victory over the Rockets.
Watson played at least 34 minutes for the fourth straight game, grabbing double-digit rebounds for the second time in succession. Although he wasn't able to repeat his 32-point performance from earlier in the week, it appears as though Watson is locked in as a key member of the starting lineup, at least for the foreseeable future. Aaron Gordon is expected to miss time after leaving Friday's game due to an ongoing hamstring injury, only solidifying Watson's spot in the rotation.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Posts career highs in win
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Watson recorded 32 points (13-19 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists and one block across 34 minutes in Wednesday's 125-118 win over the Pelicans.
Watson got the starting nod for the third consecutive game and erupted for a game- and career-high mark in points. The fourth-year forward also grabbed a game- and career-best 12 rebounds en route to his first double-double of the season. The 23-year-old is expected to continue seeing an increased role with Christian Braun (ankle) sidelined for an extended period.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Logs three blocks in loss
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Watson totaled five points (2-4 FG, 1-1 3Pt), three rebounds, one assist, three blocks and one steal in 34 minutes during Monday's 130-127 loss to the Bulls.
While Watson was elevated to the starting lineup to fill the void while Christian Braun (ankle) is sidelined, he has provided great value on the defensive end, averaging 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks in his last two games. While Watson is averaging just 6.4 points on 44.1 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from three, he could see an increase in volume while in the starting lineup moving forward.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Moving to starting role
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Watson is in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Timberwolves.
The Nuggets will be down two starters in Christian Braun (ankle) and Cameron Johnson (biceps), so Watson will move to the starting lineup. This will be his second start of the 2025-26 campaign. In the previous one, the former UCLA standout posted 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals across 27 minutes in a 117-100 win over the Pacers on Nov. 8.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Quiet in 22 minutes
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Watson posted two points (1-4 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 0-2 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one block across 22 minutes during Wednesday's 130-116 victory over the Clippers.
Watson has been a low-end fantasy contributor to open the season with 6.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.0 blocks and 0.4 three-pointers in 21.1 minutes per game. Christian Braun (ankle) and Cameron Johnson (arm) suffered injuries during Wednesday's game and didn't return, making Watson a player to monitor in case those injuries linger. Watson's steal and block rates give him a nice floor when the minutes are there.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Leads Denver with 15 points
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Watson registered 15 points (5-11 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block over 25 minutes during the Nuggets' 94-91 preseason loss to the Thunder on Friday.
Watson made his second start of the preseason Friday due to the absence of Aaron Gordon (rest). Watson took advantage of the additional playing time as he led the Nuggets in points while finishing tied with Cameron Johnson for most rebounds and assists. Watson came off the bench for the majority of the 2024-25 season but would be the top option to enter the starting lineup if Gordon were to ever miss time during the regular season.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Starting sans Gordon
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Watson will start in Friday's preseason game against the Thunder, Katy Winge of Altitude Sports reports.
With Aaron Gordon (rest) sitting out Friday's preseason finale, Watson will enter the starting five. The 23-year-old forward is expected to operate as Gordon's primary backup in the 2025-26 campaign.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Starting Monday
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Watson will be in the starting lineup for Monday's preseason matchup with Toronto, Vivek Jacob of the Raptors' official site reports.
Aaron Gordon (rest) is sitting out Monday's exhibition for maintenance purposes, so Watson will get the start in his place. He'll be joined by Jamal Murray, Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun and Nikola Jokic.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Plays 14 minutes in Game 2
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Watson produced three points (1-2 FG, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one steal over 14 minutes during Monday's 105-102 loss to the Clippers in Game 2 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Watson has now played 14 minutes in two straight postseason games. Denver's rotation is extremely tight right now, and Watson is second only to Russell Westbrook in terms of minutes played with the second unit.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Will play Friday
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Watson (knee) is available and starting in Friday's game against the Warriors.
Watson will return to game action after missing Wednesday's loss to the Spurs due to right knee inflammation. Over his last five appearances (three starts), the 22-year-old has averaged 12.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 1.8 assists across 33.2 minutes per contest.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Officially out
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Watson (knee) won't play in Wednesday's game against the Spurs.
Watson will join the entire Nuggets' starting five in street clothes Wednesday. The 22-year-old is battling right knee inflammation. Expect Hunter Tyson, Spencer Jones and Vlatko Cancar to see plenty of action. Watson's next chance to play will come Friday at Golden State.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Not expected to play
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Watson (knee) is "not expected to play" against the Spurs on Wednesday, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post reports.
The absence of Watson would leave the Nuggets extremely thin on the frontcourt, as head coach Michael Malone already announced he will sit all five of his usual starters. If Watson ends up being ruled out, Hunter Tyson and Spencer Jones would be in line to see more minutes.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Starting Friday vs. Utah
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Watson is in the Nuggets' starting lineup against the Jazz on Friday.
With Jamal Murray (hamstring) sidelined, Watson will enter the Nuggets' starting five Friday while Russell Westbrook comes off the bench. Watson has seen a noticeable bump in minutes over his last six outings and has averaged 13.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists over 30.2 minutes per game over that span.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Starting sans Gordon
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Watson will join the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Bulls.
With Aaron Gordon (calf/ankle) taking a seat on the second end of Denver's back-to-back, Watson will jump into the starting five Monday. Watson has averaged 11.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 blocks in 30.6 minutes over 14 games as a starter this season.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Trending up for Denver
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Watson had nine points (3-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-3 FT), five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal over 21 minutes during Sunday's 116-111 win over the Rockets.
Watson is trending in the right direction for Denver and is worth a look as a pickup in deeper fantasy leagues. Outside of a poor free-throw percentage lately, Watson has been solid over his last four games. In that span, he produced averages of 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 three-pointers on 51.4 percent shooting from the field in 27.1 minutes. His minutes will likely remain healthy as long as Nikola Jokic (ankle) is still sidelined.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Fares well as starter
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Watson finished with 13 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-6 FT), five rebounds, one assist, four blocks and one steal in 35 minutes during Monday's 114-105 victory over the Warriors.
Christian Braun (foot), Jamal Murray (ankle) and Nikola Jokic (elbow) sat out Monday's game, but they are considered day-to-day. Watson was pretty quiet coming into Monday's game, and he's now averaging 6.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 blocks in 20.2 minutes over his last eight outings.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Could return against Sacramento
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Watson (knee) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game versus the Kings.
After missing Denver's previous 13 outings due to a sprained right knee, Watson's questionable tag indicates that he is nearing a return to action. However, the 22-year-old forward will likely operate on a minutes restriction if he's upgraded to available.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Won't play against Charlotte
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Watson is out for Saturday's game versus the Hornets due to a sprained right knee.
Watson will miss his first game of the season Saturday due to a knee injury. Julian Strawther and Hunter Tyson are candidates to receive increased playing time in his absence. Watson's next chance to suit up is Monday's matchup with New Orleans.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Gets green light Tuesday
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Watson (head) is available for Tuesday's game against the 76ers.
After getting listed as probable with a head contusion, Watson has been given the green light to suit up for the Nuggets on Tuesday. Across his last eight games, the versatile 22-year-old wing has averaged 8.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 0.9 steals in 25.6 minutes.
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Nuggets' Peyton Watson: Likely to play Tuesday
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Watson (head) is probable for Tuesday's game against the 76ers.
After leaving Sunday's meeting with the Magic with a head contusion, Watson will likely play through the issue Tuesday. Over his last eight games, the 22-year-old has averaged 8.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 0.9 steals in 25.6 minutes.
