Precious Achiuwa posts double-double in spot start

The Kings will not have Keegan Murray for Sunday’s game, opening up a spot in the starting lineup. Achiuwa will fill the void, raising his fantasy ceiling in the final game of Week 1.

Murray was initially questionable for Sunday’s game, but will now be sidelined. Precious Achiuwa will look to benefit and likely start in place of Murray. Fantasy managers should keep an eye ahead of Week 2.

Murray, who was initially questionable for Sunday’s game, is on track to sit after the status downgrade. If he can’t play, Precious Achiuwa may benefit most, as he’s likely to replace Murray in the starting lineup.

Murray, who played 26 minutes in Friday’s loss to the Trail Blazers, is dealing with left ankle capsulitis. If he can’t play Sunday, the Kings may turn to Precious Achiuwa to fill the void in the starting lineup.

This performance is obviously influenced by a lot of shot attempts and good efficiency from Precious. He won’t do this every game, but he will have the occasional game where he will score really well. If you want to use him as a streamer only, he could be worth taking a look at if you need some points and rebounds. Do not expect much more than that however.

Given Darius Acuff Jr.'s struggles on Wednesday, Murray’s night may avoid some scrutiny. However, he also struggled, missing his first seven attempts and not scoring until 9:08 was left in the fourth quarter. And Murray didn’t do much in the other categories either, which is a concern for fantasy managers. He’ll look to bounce back on Friday when the Kings host Portland.

Simmons’ 2026-27 season reportedly ended in devastating fashion days before his official return to the NBA. The 6-foot-10 guard/forward signed with the Kings with the expectation that he would back up rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. However, Simmons showed enough during the preseason to earn a starting spot alongside Acuff. Sunday’s injury changes that, obviously, with Precious Achiuwa and De’Andre Hunter being potential replacements in the starting five. As for the point guard rotation, Malik Monk will be asked to take on more playmaking responsibilities off the bench.

The Kings just can’t keep a backup big healthy. Maxime Raynaud (knee) and Dylan Cardwell (calf) are both set to miss time, so Achiuwa got the start with Domantas Sabonis getting the night off. Achiuwa exited early with a right ankle injury after having a productive night. If he is also forced to miss the start of the season, Jonathan Mogbo would be next in line to back up Sabonis.

After missing practice on Monday, Cardwell is now set to miss the start of the season. Maxime Raynaud (knee) has also been ruled out for the start of the season, so the Kings will be thin down low behind Domantas Sabonis. Precious Achiuwa will likely be tasked with filling the void in a limited capacity.

After sitting out the entire 2025-26 season, Simmons started and played nine minutes in his unofficial debut for the Kings on Saturday against the Warriors. At the time of his signing, reports said the veteran guard/forward was expected to back up rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr., but the Kings appear to have a different plan. Simmons, whose minutes will be increased in Sacramento’s final two preseason games, is expected to remain a starter. That likely pushes Precious Achiuwa to the bench, with Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and Domantas Sabonis rounding out the starting five. Despite Monday’s report, fantasy managers should still wait until the later rounds of drafts to select Simmons.