NBA Player News

Add Porter’s name to the list of Raptors players who will not be available for Saturday’s game. His absence will free up additional minutes for Jalen McDaniels and Mouhamadou Gueye, neither of whom need to be streamed in most fantasy leagues.

Siakam had a career-high 24 points per game last year, which was understandable with Tyrese Haliburton on the shelf with a torn Achilles. Siakam leading the Pacers with 30 points in Haliburton’s first game back is bullish for his fantasy value. Haliburton’s return just opened up the floor even more for Siakam, who took 23 attempts from the field. If this continues, Siakam could set a new career-high scoring average this year.

Ball looked comfortable with his new team, pairing with Anthony Edwards to hit 14-of-30 from the arc. Just as big for fantasy managers, especially those in category leagues, was Ball’s single turnover in 28 minutes. Expecting him to do that consistently would be greedy, but Minnesota’s lineup should keep Ball from feeling like he has to do too much offensively. Which would be great for his fantasy outlook.

Haliburton was overcome with emotion in the postgame interview after he had 23 points and the Pacers won the first game he’s played since he suffered a torn Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. It was certainly a meaningful milestone for the 26-year-old point guard, who was also diagnosed with shingles while recovering from his torn Achilles. Haliburton was sharp in the preseason and in the regular season opener he looked ready to deliver first-round fantasy value once again.

Despite all the attention on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s official Heat debut, Edwards stole the show on Wednesday. The Timberwolves’ star guard scored at least nine points in each quarter, including 15 in the third. Edwards and LaMelo Ball became the first Timberwolves tandem to hit at least five three-pointers in the same season opener. Also, he’s the first player in franchise history to score 30 or more in consecutive openers. This was a great start for Edwards and those who have him rostered.

Keyonte George continued right where he left off last season and continued to get buckets. He will need to do more than score if he’s going to help lead the Jazz to the playoffs. He will likely continue to put up numbers throughout the year.

As a team, the Bulls shot 31.8 percent from the field on Wednesday, so Buzelis wasn’t the only one to have an off night. The good news for fantasy managers was that he got to the foul line often, which boosted his point total. Toronto isn’t an easy matchup for wings, so the hope is that Buzelis will bounce back on Friday in Milwaukee.

It was a difficult night all around for the Jazz. Obviously, we would want him to be more aggressive, but it was his first real NBA game. He’ll be much better than this. I like the fact that he was second on the team in minutes, which shows the trust Will Hardy has in him. If you have him, be patient, but he was going later in redraft leagues anyway, so if he doesn’t start producing soon, you can feel free to move on.

None of the Bulls played particularly well in Wednesday’s 135-92 defeat, so this result can’t be pinned on Giddey alone. The concern for fantasy managers is that his cold shooting in the preseason carried over into Wednesday’s season opener. The hope is that Giddey will bounce back on Friday when the Bulls visit the Bucks, who are also rebuilding.

Porter averaged 1.1 steals last year, which was his career-high. He was active on defense Wednesday, recording three steals in the process. Porter poured in points on the offensive end as well, finishing with 26 points and five three-pointers. In his first game playing with Julius Randle, Porter showed that he can coexist with another high-level teammate. The two combined for 59 points in the first game of what should be a productive partnership.

Regardless of position, efficiency can be an issue for rookies, and that was certainly the case for Wilson in his official NBA debut. In addition to shooting 33.3 percent from the field, the lottery pick out of North Carolina racked up nine turnovers. Wilson will be a high-usage player this season, but that may hurt his fantasy value, especially for those who can’t afford a major drop in field-goal percentage or an increase in turnovers. The good news is that the rookie has better nights ahead, because Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard are challenging matchups for any wing.