NBA Player News

Yabusele (shoulder) injured his left shoulder during Thursday’s win over the Wizards. Between New York and Chicago, he appeared in 67 games this season, with his playing time increasing significantly after being traded to the Bulls. However, to make the deal happen, Yabusele had to waive his player option for the 2026-27 season. He’ll be a free agent in the summer, and landing a role where he would be able to affect fantasy basketball could prove challenging.

After a much-discussed debut in the Warriors’ loss to the Lakers on Wednesday, Lendeborg recorded his first career double-double on Friday. The rookie’s final stat line lacked only a blocked shot, but he has all the makings of a player who will offer consistent value in fantasy basketball. Stephen Curry (ankle) is not expected to play in Saturday’s game against the Suns, and Brandin Podziemski (back) has already been ruled out. If Lendeborg is sitting on your league’s waiver wire, don’t hesitate to pick him up.

Podziemski entered Friday’s game dealing with a sore lower back that kept him out of Wednesday’s loss to the Lakers. It didn’t help matters that he took an inadvertent forearm from Grizzlies center Zach Edey to the head early in the first quarter. Podziemski returned later in the period after a trip to the locker room and logged 33 minutes overall. He finished with a complete stat line, but this is it for Podz in Week 1. After Friday’s defeat, he said he would not play in Saturday’s game against the Suns.

After starting Draymond Green at center in Wednesday’s loss to the Lakers, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr opted against that approach on Friday. As a result, Ike made his first NBA start. The rookie from Gonzaga shot reasonably well, but he offered little value beyond points and three-pointers. The Warriors visit Phoenix on Saturday, and Ike may play more, as Al Horford hasn’t played both games of back-to-backs in a few years.

Curry led the Warriors in scoring on Friday, but he shot a frigid 5-of-15 from the field. The assists were solid, but this was not the best night to have the Warriors star in most fantasy lineups. After the game, Curry said he “probably” won’t play against the Suns on Saturday, bad news for fantasy managers hoping for a bounce-back effort.

With Cedric Coward (wrist) unavailable, Jackson moved into the starting lineup on Friday. Unfortunately for those who streamed him, GG offered little value as a spot starter. He picked up four fouls in 10 first-half minutes, and Kris Murray (three rebounds, one assist, and one block) would start the third quarter. Whether or not Jackson gets another opportunity on Sunday against the Kings depends on Coward’s health, but he may not be worth the streaming risk in most leagues.

Stewart made his official Grizzlies debut on Friday, playing most of his minutes when starting center Zach Edey (8/10/3/1/2) was not on the floor. Unfortunately, Beef Stew picked up four fouls in the first half, including three in the first quarter, which limited him to 16 minutes. It remains to be seen what his role will look like once the ankle is no longer a concern, but Stewart isn’t someone worth rostering in most redraft leagues just yet.

After recording 12 points and four steals in Wednesday’s season-opening win over the Jazz, Wells was more productive offensively against the Warriors. He scored an efficient 17 points, a number he met or exceeded in 18 of 69 appearances last season. Wells still isn’t at the point where he’s a must-roster player, but he should have more room to produce, especially on nights when Cedric Coward (wrist) doesn’t play.

After scoring 45 points in Wednesday’s opener, Jerome appeared to be coming down to earth in the first half of Friday’s game. However, after scoring eight first-half points on 3-of-7 shooting, the Grizzlies point guard put up 14 points in the third quarter. Jerome and the Grizzlies ripped off a 17-0 run in the fourth to move to 2-0 on the season, getting their four-game road trip off to a good start.

After struggling with his shot in his NBA debut on Wednesday, Boozer had a much better night against the Warriors. The rookie forward made four of his first five three-point attempts and scored 14 points in the first half. By the end of the night, Boozer had made franchise history, becoming the second-youngest Grizzly to record a double-double. Memphis ends its Week 1 with a game against the Kings on Sunday.

The star guards in this matchup all seemed to struggle with turnovers. Garland racked up nine, while the Lakers’ Luka Dončić (11) and Austin Reaves (six) combined for 17. Garland had a solid night shooting the basketball, but nine-cat managers took a hit because of the turnovers. He’ll look to finish Week 1 on a high note when the Clippers visit the Thunder on Sunday.