Obi Toppin (hand) probable Wednesday vs. PHI

Active after sitting out Sunday’s loss to the Pacers for injury management reasons, Brown played 28 minutes in Tuesday’s overtime defeat. With Egor Dëmin (leg) leaving in the second quarter and Nolan Traoré (cramps) in the fourth, Brown gained valuable crunch-time experience. His three-pointer with two-tenths of a second remaining forced overtime, but Brown also missed a couple of close-range shots in the extra period that proved costly. Overall, this was an encouraging night for the rookie, even with the outcome and the low field-goal percentage.

Traoré got off to a good start on Tuesday, scoring 10 points in the first half. Unfortunately, he was relatively quiet after halftime and left the game in the fourth quarter with cramps. Over his last two games, Traoré has totaled 32 points, eight assists, three steals and two blocks. He was inserted into the starting lineup on Tuesday, and the results were encouraging. Traoré isn’t a must-roster player, but he’s worth adding to watch lists in deep leagues.

Porter shot 6-of-12 from three on Tuesday, bouncing back from a 0-of-5 effort in Sunday’s loss to the Pacers. He’s made at least four three-pointers in three of Brooklyn’s first four games, and that output is one reason MPJ has been close to a top-25 player through the season’s first week. Another challenging matchup looms, however, as the Nets host the Pistons on Friday.

Randle fouled out late in overtime on Tuesday, but he posted a solid stat line before leaving. That said, he shot 0-of-5 from three and turned the ball over five times. Randle’s had the ball in his hands a lot in Brooklyn’s first four games, which has raised his fantasy ceiling. However, his four turnovers per game are an issue in nine-cat formats.

In Boston’s first three games, Walsh shot 4-of-12 from the field and scored nine points. He matched that total in the first half of Tuesday’s overtime win, and his 15 points are his most in a game since February 11 (16 vs. Chicago). The Celtics don’t look to him for much scoring, but there can be catch-and-shoot opportunities playing off of Jayson Tatum, Paul George and Derrick White. He took advantage against the Nets, shooting 3-of-5 from deep.

Having shot 11-of-29 from the field in Boston’s last two games, George was more accurate on Tuesday. Add in the rebounds, assists, and steals, and this was a good night for those rostering him. Also of note was George’s ability to play 36 minutes in the second game of a back-to-back. Hopefully, the inability to stay healthy the last two seasons doesn’t carry over into 2026-27. So far, so good.

The Celtics’ second game in as many nights was more dramatic than many expected, as they needed overtime and a Tatum pull-up at the buzzer to beat the Nets. He finished with an excellent stat line, shooting 50 percent from the field and committing no turnovers. Counting the postseason, this was Tatum’s first 40-point game since Game 4 of the Celtics’ 2025 second-round series against the Knicks (the game in which he was injured).

LaVine has scored at least 22 points in each of Sacramento’s first four games, and against the Spurs, he made 70 percent of his shots from the field. With this being a contract year for LaVine, the question is whether a strong first half of the season will put him on the radar of contending teams heading into the February trade deadline. If so, joining a team with meaningful basketball to play in March could preserve LaVine’s fantasy value.

While the field-goal percentage remains relatively low, Acuff shot 40 percent from the field in Tuesday’s defeat. His percentage has increased in each of Sacramento’s first four games, and the rookie point guard has recorded 19 assists and 11 turnovers. Acuff still has plenty of work to do on efficiency, but he is making strides, which is good news for the Kings and fantasy managers.

Despite having his hands full with Victor Wembanyama, Sabonis still managed to put up a quality stat line. The Kings center finished two assists shy of a triple-double, and he has recorded at least eight assists in three of his first four games. While Darius Acuff Jr. is expected to be the franchise’s point guard of the future, the Kings may be better served letting Sabonis facilitate more offense at this stage of the rookie’s career. And if that continues, Sabonis should be an elite fantasy center.