NBA Player News

Terry was not available for Sunday’s win over the Trail Blazers. While his availability does not affect fantasy basketball, fellow two-way contract player MarJon Beauchamp has picked up a few additional minutes in Terry’s absence.

Cunningham and the Pistons remained undefeated after defeating the 76ers, doing so without two starters. With Jalen Duren out for at least two weeks and Ausar Thompson also unavailable on Sunday, Cunningham will have to do more of the heavy lifting for the Pistons in the short term. Beyond scoring, he provided excellent value for fantasy managers across the board. The Pistons play three games in Week 2, starting with the Knicks on Tuesday.

While Mikal Bridges (six points, five rebounds, one assist, and one block) continues to offer limited fantasy value, Hart has started strong. The Knicks’ wing posted a strong stat line on Sunday and has been a top-50 fantasy player through the first week of the season. Expecting Hart to sustain that isn’t realistic, given all that he brings to the table. That said, some managers may consider selling high before Week 2.

Brunson led all scorers with 28 points, but the Magic made him work for every shot that he took. The Knicks’ point guard needed 28 field-goal attempts to reach that total, and he made 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. As a team, New York shot 9-of-38 from three while Orlando was 18-of-42. Essentially, that was the ballgame. Brunson has been inefficient as a scorer so far, and things won’t get any easier for him when the Pistons visit MSG on Tuesday.

Anunoby has scored 20 or more points in consecutive games and shot a respectable percentage against the Magic on Sunday. His final stat line didn’t include any defensive stats, but that is not usually a concern for OG over an entire season. More concerning, the Knicks still haven’t won a game, and Sunday’s defeat dropped the reigning champs to 0-3. New York plays three games in Week 2, starting Tuesday against the Pistons.

In Orlando’s first two games, Bane shot 26.9 percent from the field and 21.1 percent from beyond the arc. To say he needed a night like Sunday is an understatement. Bane shot 4-of-9 from deep, and his 22 points were one less than his total in losses to the Hawks and Timberwolves. In addition to Paolo Banchero, the Magic could be without Jalen Suggs for an extended period after he injured his right knee in the fourth quarter. As a result, they’ll need more scoring from Bane.

While the Magic started Jase Richardson (3 points, 1 three-pointer in 10 minutes) for the injured Paolo Banchero on Sunday, this was a prime spot for da Silva to provide greater fantasy value. That’s exactly what he did: he shot 5-of-9 from three and scored 19 of Orlando’s 47 bench points. The Magic also lost Jalen Suggs (knee) on Sunday, and a potential extended absence is another reason to add da Silva if he’s available.

After missing the entire preseason and Orlando’s first two games with a sprained ankle, Black made his first appearance on Sunday. He was excellent, especially in the first quarter, scoring 12 points off the bench. With Paolo Banchero (ankle) likely out for 4-6 weeks and Jalen Suggs (knee) going down during the fourth quarter, Black’s return came at a great time for Orlando. Even though the Magic don’t play their next game until Wednesday, fantasy managers should add Black if he’s sitting on the waiver wire.

Barrett helped keep the Raptors within striking distance of the Timberwolves in the first half, scoring 14 points. Unfortunately for him, he went cold in the third quarter, along with the rest of the Raptors, shooting 1-of-5 from the field. Toronto was outscored 35-15 as Kawhi Leonard’s absence and Scottie Barnes’ 0-of-12 shooting caught up to them. Barrett and the Raptors will look to bounce back on Wednesday against the Magic.

Quickley had a productive night, but it didn’t matter much when two other Raptors starters (Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl) went scoreless, shooting 0-of-14 from the field combined. IQ’s current fantasy value doesn’t align with his preseason ADP, but he’s a relatively safe bet for at least top-100 value. The Raptors play three games in Week 2, starting with the Magic on Wednesday.

Due to Kawhi Leonard’s swollen left knee, Walter was plugged into the Raptors’ starting lineup on Sunday. He was one of the few who had productive nights, shooting over 50 percent from the field and leading the Raptors in scoring. Walter’s fantasy value will hinge on who else the Raptors have available each night, most notably Leonard. But Sunday’s performance showed that he’s a worthwhile streamer when starting.