Fantasy News

League to launch an investigation The league's investigation will be focused on the 76ers organization as opposed to Embiid himself, but the 30-year-old big man has been the subject of the league's health and reporting guidelines in the past. Philadelphia was fined last season for failing to report his pregame status in a timely manner, and Embiid's current trajectory to "never play back-to-backs the rest of [his] career. His overall lack of activity combined with organizational ambiguity throughout the offseason appears to be generating more friction with the league office.

Dealing with back spasms Hardaway being deemed probable as opposed to questionable still puts him on track to play Wednesday, but his status will need to be monitored. The shooting of Simone Fontecchio and Malik Beasley could yield upticks in usage for the duo if Hardaway is forced to sit.

Year 4 option exercised Williams will be due for an extension after the 2025-26 season, but two full campaigns on his current rookie-scale contract are forthcoming. He remains questionable for Thursday's season opening contest versus Denver due to a left ankle sprain.

Team option exercised Wallace figures to be a rotational staple of Oklahoma City's backcourt in the 2024-25 campaign. The Thunder exercising his option doesn't preclude him from being involved in a prospective blockbuster trade as well.

Set to play Thursday Huerter was spotted in a full-contact practice jersey Wednesday while running with the starters, serving as confirmation following a full practice Tuesday. Prior to suffering a shoulder dislocation in March, Huerter averaged 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists while connecting on 36.7 percent of 5.6 threes per game across 58 starts.

Transactional formality Holmgren displayed two-way excellence last season, posting a 63.2 true-shooting percentage while generating 2.9 steals plus blocks per game in his first season of NBA action. He's now locked up with the Thunder through the 2025-26 season.

Sticking with Thunder Dieng is now under contract with the Thunder through the 2025-26 season. The 6-foot-9 combo-forward is likely too raw to relevantly contribute to Oklahoma City's rotation in the upcoming campaign, but the 21-year-old remains a toolsy and versatile developmental case to monitor.

Cleared to play Kleber is no longer appearing on the injury report after sitting out the entire preseason. He's been able to practice since Oct. 18, but it's unclear if he'll face any restrictions for Opening Night.

Available for Thursday Edwards was battling a minor ankle issue, but it appears to be behind him. Despite his availability, Edwards isn't guaranteed to see any playing time.

Misses practice Wednesday Head coach Brian Keefe didn't go into details, so fantasy managers will have to wait until the Wizards release their injury report Wednesday evening for more clarity. For now, Kuzma should be considered questionable for Opening Night.

Absent from shootaround Williams also missed practice Tuesday, and the Pelicans officially listed the forward as questionable. It remains to be seen if he'll be able to suit up against the Bulls, but if he does, he obviously won't be 100 percent.

Goes through shootaround Murray was away from the team for a few days while attending to a family emergency, and the Pelicans threw a questionable tag on the guard. Given his presence at shootaround, it's likely that he's in the lineup Wednesday against the Bulls, but there's no official confirmation yet.

Received ring and 26 minutes of run After crowning his 18-year NBA career by receiving his first NBA Championship ring, Horford started for the Celtics and did an excellent job of guarding new Knick center Karl-Anthony Towns. He was a major part of an early game run that put Boston up 43 to 24 after the first quarter. The Celtics have their first back-to-back starting November 1st. Expect Boston to rest Big Al for one of those two game, which are both in Charlotte.

Struggles from the field FastPP was part of a messy fourth quarter where the Celtics missed their last 13 three-point attempts as they tried to break the single game record for most made threes. The game was well in hand for Boston by that point, so hunting for an NBA record was all in good fun. Expect Pritchard's shot to return Friday at Washington. Pritchard should continue his role as "scorer off the bench" for the near future.

Not on injury report Curry missed Friday's preseason finale with a finger sprain, but the Warriors never expressed any concern about his availability for Opening Night. Fantasy managers have no reason to expect any restrictions against Portland.

Hits for 23 in season opener The Celtics shot an incredible 47.5 percent as a team from three-point range, and Brown was one of three Boston starters to drain at least five treys on the night. Last season, the 27-year-old forward saw his numbers take a small step back from 2022-23 as the scoring load was spread around a little more, and the defending champs have no reason to change that approach. Even so, Brown has averaged at least 23.0 points a game in four straight seasons, and he's likely to make it five straight in 2024-25.

Strikes for 24 against Knicks The 30-year-old guard got his season started in style with a huge shooting night. White averaged 2.7 threes a game last season while shooting 39.6 percent from beyond the arc, both career highs, and defenses won't have the luxury of focusing on him as long as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are healthy.

Quiet in season opener The veteran center didn't make much of an impact in his Knicks debut, taking a back seat on offense to Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges. Towns should see his numbers grow as he gets more comfortable with his new teammates, and his familiarity with coach Tom Thibodeau's system from their time together with the Timberwolves should help accelerate the process. Towns averaged 25.4 points and 11.6 rebounds a game during the two full seasons he played under Thibodeau in Minnesota, but the 28-year-old may not be capable of that sort of production on a consistent basis at this stage of his career.

Hits for 16 in team debut It was a solid showing for Bridges in his first game with the Knicks. The 28-year-old is expected to be one of the main scoring threats on a remade roster alongside Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, and Bridges could return to the 20 PPG plateau he fell just short of last season with the Nets.

Big night off bench Tuesday The 24-year-old guard tied Jalen Brunson for the team lead in scoring on the night, and McBride also led the Knicks in made threes. He's coming off something of a breakout 2023-24 campaign in which he averaged career highs with 8.3 points and 1.6 threes in 19.5 minutes a game during the regular season while shooting 41.0 percent from beyond the arc, but McBride figures to have an even bigger role this season as one of the key cogs on the Knicks' second unit following the departure of Donte DiVincenzo.

Pops for 22 in opener The point guard tied for the team lead in scoring with Miles McBride, but Brunson's low assist total was a sign the Knicks' new-look roster still needs some time to gel. The 28-year-old averaged a career-high 6.7 assists a game in 2023-24 before taking it up another notch with 7.5 a game during the playoffs, and the offseason additions of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns should eventually lead to more distribution opportunities for Brunson.

Struggles in season debut Conley didn't take a shot in the first half and was generally uninvolved on both sides of the ball. He ended up taking a seat for good early in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who had a more productive game overall. Conley's job is safe for now, but continued struggles could send more court time Alexander-Walker's way.

Spins up 27 points in opener Edwards converted 40 percent of his shots and drilled five three-pointers in the win. Last season, Edwards finished sixth with an average of 19.7 shot attempts per game, and there's no reason to expect a decrease in his prolific shot volume. Amazingly, he connected on an impressive 46.1 percent of those attempts, and he'll be set for a very productive season if he can match those numbers.

Logs 13/14 double-double in opener Gobert grabbed his share of rebounds, but he had no answer for Anthony Davis in the paint. The combination of Gobert and Julius Randle needs some time to develop, as the trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks happened less than a month ago. It will take a few games for the duo to gain a better understanding of their roles in the new scheme, but Gobert should continue to be a nightly double-double threat.

Solid with 18 points in debut Hachimura picked up where he left off in the preseason and delivered another impressive line in the victory. Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) will return to action soon, but it's unlikely that JJ Redick will adjust Hachimura's usage, especially at his current pace.

Flirts with double-double in debut Reaves showed no ill effects from the ankle injury that he sustained last week and played 36 minutes in the win. Reaves was unable to connect on any of his five three-point attempts, but he's bound to improve from deep as the season progresses. During the 2023-24 season, he connected on 36.7 percent of his shots from downtown and averaged 5.1 three-point attempts per game.

Phenomenal season debut in victory Davis was dominant on both sides of the ball, and the duo of Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle was unable to contain him. Although Davis was the top producer, the entire roster performed well in their roles and played with an ease and confidence that were often absent last season. If Davis can stay healthy, an MVP-worthy season could be on the horizon.

Solid outing in loss Edwards led the Timberwolves in scoring in the team's regular-season opener. The star guard racked up all three of his assists in the fourth quarter when Los Angeles started throwing double-teams at him. Despite Julius Randle coming to Minnesota via trade, Edwards is still clearly the team's top option on offense.

Double-doubles in win Davis set the tone for the Lakers' season with a dominant outing in which he led the team in points, rebounds, blocks and minutes played. The 31-year-old big man recorded his 100th career game with at least 25 points and 15 rebounds. As LeBron James continues to age, Davis should keep receiving more of the offensive burden.

Dominant on Opening Night Tatum showed no signs of taking his foot off the gas after being crowned an NBA champion last season. The superstar forward's efficient shooting from downtown helped the Celtics tie an NBA record for the most three-pointers made as a team in a single game with 29. Tatum also showed off his playmaking ability, as he only racked double-digit assists once in the entire 2023-24 regular season.

Signs three-year extension After trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks, Gobert will likely remain with the club for the long haul after this extension. The four-time Defensive Player of the Year averaged a double-double for the eighth consecutive season in the 2023-24 campaign. Last season, Gobert averaged 14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.8 combined steals plus blocks across 34.1 minutes per game in 76 regular-season appearances. The 32-year-old is expected to decline his player option for the 2025-26 season, allowing him to receive a fresh extension through the 2027-28 season, according to Charania.

Officially out Wednesday The big man will begin the season on the sidelines, though the club is hopeful he will return to game action soon, according to Sean Highkin of RoseGardenReport.com. If the 27-year-old misses additional time, Donovan Clingan and Duop Reath are candidates for more playing time. Williams' next chance to suit up will come Friday against New Orleans.

Ready for season opener While Porter's NBA career has endured a lot of uncertainty heading into this season, it appears he will be ready to make his return versus Phoenix after playing overseas. He looks to be the primary backup to James Harden as the team's facilitator for the year.

Ready for opener vs. Suns Jones missed the club's final preseason game due to rest purposes, though he is expected to be 100 percent for the Clippers' Opening Night. The 27-year-old will likely draw the start with Kawhi Leonard (knee) ruled out. Jones is coming off a productive season with the Mavericks, and he should play a prominent role with the Clippers.

Set to play against Phoenix Harden will return to action for the Clippers' regular-season opener after sitting out the team's preseason finale for rest purposes. Harden will likely shoulder a heavy offensive workload due to Kawhi Leonard (knee) being out and Paul George leaving in free agency.

Expected back for Opening Night Flowers missed training camp while rehabbing a wrist injury but should be ready for Opening Night. However, the 19-year-old likely won't see much playing time while under a two-way contract.