NBA Player News

Orlando makes just one change from the starting lineup used in their most recent game, a loss to the Bucks Thursday night. Bamba, who recently cleared the league’s health and safety protocols, is back in the starting lineup, and Freddie Gillespie returns to the bench. Bamba doesn’t lack fantasy upside, but managers will want to prepare themselves for the possibility that he’ll be on a minutes limit.

Horford, who is expected to play around 20 minutes per game during the regular season, logged 15 minutes on Friday. That was all he needed to put up quality offensive numbers, shooting 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. Even with Kristaps Porziņģis out indefinitely due to illness, Horford’s limited minutes aren’t enough to make him a viable option in standard fantasy leagues.

The Warriors started Charles Bassey (six points, four rebounds) at center for their preseason finale on Friday, but he logged just eight minutes. With Kristaps Porziņģis out indefinitely and Al Horford limited to 20 minutes per game, Green will at times be asked to slide into the center position. He’s coming off an underwhelming 2025-26 season, but the Warriors’ need for frontcourt help may improve Draymond’s fantasy outlook.

As in Summer League, Lendeborg showed throughout the preseason that he’s ready to contribute immediately. Given the Warriors’ injury report, they’ll need the rookie forward to do that if they’re to be a factor in the West. He recorded a complete stat line in Friday’s preseason finale and appears to have already established good chemistry with the Warriors’ veterans, especially Al Horford. Using a top-100 pick on Lendeborg wouldn’t be a reach, given his likely role as a starter.

As of Friday, Avdija had a Yahoo ADP of 40, suggesting fantasy managers aren’t too concerned about the potential impact of sharing the court with Damian Lillard and Ja Morant on the All-Star forward. Against the Warriors, Avdija led the Blazers starters with 15 attempts, and usage shouldn’t be an issue for him once the regular season begins. He didn’t shoot well Friday, but fantasy managers shouldn’t worry about that. He boasts top-50 fantasy potential, especially in turnover-punt builds.

Morant had a good night shooting the basketball, making 80 percent of his attempts and all three of his three-pointers. He finished with more turnovers (four) than assists (three), but fantasy managers likely know Morant will have some high-turnover nights. More importantly, he stays healthy, as the athletic point guard has had at least one extended absence throughout his career. Availability and efficiency concerns have hurt Morant’s ADP, as he’ll be more valuable to managers willing to punt turnovers.

Based on Friday’s starting lineup, fantasy managers can assume (if they haven’t already) that the Trail Blazers will start Lillard and Ja Morant together to begin the regular season. Both took 10 field-goal attempts against the Warriors, and Lillard also got 13 free-throw attempts. However, in the 22:29 they shared the court, Portland posted a net rating of minus-20.6. Lillard’s offensive production won’t be an issue, but defensive concerns may force head coach Micah Nori to stagger Lillard and Morant’s minutes more than he did on Friday.

The Warriors treated Friday’s game like a dress rehearsal for the regular season, so Curry saw some fourth-quarter action. Unsurprisingly, he led the starters in points and shot attempts, and he’ll carry a heavy offensive workload despite Steve Kerr’s desire to keep Curry’s minutes down early in the season. Golden State won’t have Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody or Kristaps Porziņģis to start the season, so Curry will take a lot of shots, even if the stated goal is to keep him at about 32 minutes per game.

Jordan Goodwin has some fantasy streaming appeal, even in limited minutes. His ability to get rebounds, assists, and defensive numbers is high level. He’s not someone to draft in redraft leagues unless you’re in a 16-team league or deeper but could be a sneaky streamer if someone like Collin Gillespie or Jalen Green misses time.

Khaman Maluach is a good per minute producer while not demanding the ball. While he still can be raw, he’s improved to the point where he should play a role with Oso Ighodaro as the other center. He should be a good flyer in the back end of drafts.

Brice Sensabaugh is a proven scorer and will have value as a points streamer with some three pointers. The Jazz aren’t likely to be able to afford Sensabaugh unless they make other moves. In dynasty leagues, it might be worth inquiring what it would cost to acquire him. In 22 games as a starter last year, he averaged 20.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3 assists, three 3-pointers and shot 50.5% FG, 42.9% 3FG%, and 79.7% FT on 3 attempts per game. While it’s likely that he’s not a starter, he can be in 6^th man of the year conversations for years to come.