NBA Player News

Gafford injured his right shoulder during Tuesday’s loss to the Bucks, but his name is not on the injury report for Friday. The same can be said for Marshall, who did not play at all. Both are worth slotting into fantasy lineups, especially with P.J. Washington and Marvin Bagley III trending toward sitting. Gafford being available means fewer opportunities for Moussa Cissé, who is not guaranteed to be active as a two-way contract player.

Isaac, who agreed to a one-year contract with the Magic in July, missed the team’s first two preseason games for personal reasons. While he gives Orlando another frontcourt option, his injury history and the other options available to head coach Sean Sweeney make Isaac a non-factor in fantasy leagues.

Black suffered a right ankle sprain during a voluntary workout ahead of training camp and has not appeared in any of Orlando’s preseason games. He’s making good progress in his recovery, but the team will continue to “be smart” about how it handles the young guard’s potential return. He’s still worth selecting in the later rounds of drafts, especially given starting point guard Jalen Suggs’ injury history.

Jemison, who spent last season on a two-way contract with the Knicks, agreed to a two-way deal with the Raptors in early August. The 6-foot-11 center appeared in just one preseason game for Toronto, whose rookie big Nate Bittle returned from injury and played in Tuesday’s exhibition win over the Knicks.

Christie was a second-round pick by the Clippers in 2024. Known for his defense, the 21-year-old guard appeared in 55 games for Los Angeles last season, but averaged only 8.7 minutes per game. Christie has plenty of time left to prove himself in another uniform and should get that opportunity soon enough.

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.

Trail Blazers head coach Micah Nori has been toying with the starting lineup in the preseason, with Damian Lillard and Scoot Henderson starting in this game, while Morant and Jrue Holiday came off the bench. Morant was still productive, and it’s clear the four guards will all have a significant role. Morant and Holiday will reportedly start in their next preseason game, and the starting unit for opening night still hasn’t been decided.

If there were concerns about Avdija’s usage with all the changes to Portland’s backcourt, he has addressed those during the preseason. Clearly, he’s still the focal point of the offense. He has averaged 24.5 points in 23 minutes per game through two preseason appearances. It’s a tiny sample size, but Avdija is still going to be a fantasy stud this season and have the ball in his hands a ton.

Suiting up for the first time as a Laker, Kessler was able to produce at a high level in just 16 minutes. He was able to showcase his fantasy appeal, even with Luka Dončić getting a rest night. That pick-and-roll duo should be excellent for fantasy managers, and Kessler has a chance to finally cash in on the fantasy potential that he showcased during his first two seasons.

This was a little taste of how good Reaves can in fantasy basketball this season. Of course, Luka Dončić was sidelined, which allowed Reaves to score 23 points in just the first half. Dončić will be primary source of offense, but when he’s sidelined, Reaves will see a ton of usage, with the only downside being his turnovers. Reaves will still be productive enough when Dončić is healthy to be worth taking in the second or third round of drafts.

Lendeborg’s strong preseason continued in this game, though it is worth noting that he tweaked his left ankle in the third quarter. He shot his free throws before exiting and wasn’t limping and was able to return to the game. There’s no reason to think it will impact his status for opening night, where he should be part of the Warriors’ starting unit.