NBA Player News

This certainly wasn’t the performance the Magic were hoping to get out of their star player. Banchero and Franz Wagner combined for just 30 points in the loss, though Banchero’s inefficiencies stuck out. He also shot 7-of-22 and had six turnovers in the regular season finale on Sunday. They’ll need him to be much better against the Hornets on Friday to keep their season alive.

With Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet locked into their spots in the Spurs’ rotation, Reed will likely be the third center in his rookie season. If there’s one area where he can be valuable, it’s on the glass. Reed grabbed 17 boards on Monday, including eight on the offensive end. That doesn’t make him a redraft-league target, but you should roster the first-round pick out of UConn in dynasty leagues.

Johnson, the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year, was inserted into the Spurs’ starting lineup on Monday. Obviously, he won’t be asked to fill that role very often once the regular season begins. Another issue for Johnson’s fantasy outlook is the emergence of Dylan Harper, even though they don’t play the same position, and the addition of Tobias Harris. The deeper rotation means someone will lose playing time, and that could be Johnson.

With many of the Spurs’ regulars sitting out Monday’s game, Barnes moved into the starting lineup. As expected, the veteran forward hunted his shot aggressively and earned multiple trips to the foul line. Given San Antonio’s depth when everyone is available, Barnes is unlikely to offer much value in most fantasy leagues this season.

With Jusuf Nurkić (toe) out for at least four weeks, Hayes is likely to be Utah’s starting center come Opening Night. He didn’t offer much rebounding value on Monday, and over his career, Hayes averages 5.8 rebounds per game when he starts. Fantasy managers shouldn’t expect much from him as a starter, but Hayes’s biggest value will be letting Jaren Jackson Jr. stay at power forward.

Jackson was whistled for five fouls during the first half, but his defensive aggression was likely influenced by the expectation that he’d be done at halftime. Jackson recorded a complete stat line in his 18 minutes, and he should be a highly valuable frontcourt player in category leagues this season. The key will be to stay healthy, as injuries limited Jackson to 48 games in 2025-26.

Peterson was the lone Jazz starter to see any action after halftime, logging nine minutes in the third quarter. The Jazz inserted Isaiah Collier (11 points, three rebounds, six assists, five steals, and one three-pointer) to start the second half, suggesting they currently view Peterson solely as a two-guard. His taking that role when he’s on the floor with Keyonte George isn’t a surprise, but Peterson may not get many point guard minutes when Utah’s PG1 sits.

Anunoby was one of three Knicks starters to finish Monday’s exhibition in double figures, joining Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Despite providing top-50 value each of the last two seasons, OG’s current ADP still sits in the high-60s. With that in mind, he could return excellent fantasy value in 2026-27, especially if he’s more aggressive in looking for his own shot.

Monday’s game was the first of two in as many nights for the Knicks, who visit the Raptors on Tuesday. Even if Brunson and the other starters are available, they may not play much in New York’s final road game this preseason. Unsurprisingly, Brunson was the most productive starter against the Timberwolves, and he’ll lead the way offensively on many nights during the regular season.

The partnership between Edwards and LaMelo Ball (10 points, three rebounds, seven assists, one block and one three-pointer) has looked good in the preseason. The Timberwolves clearly prioritized getting a playmaker to share the court with Ant-Man, and Ball fits the mold. There will likely be some growing pains once the results count, but this should be another big year for Edwards. He has a first-round ADP in 12-team leagues, and that’s fair.

With Julius Randle and Naz Reid out of the picture in Minnesota, McDaniels should have more room to operate as a scorer. He was very effective against the Knicks, shooting nearly 67 percent from the field overall and going 4-of-5 from deep. With an ADP in the nineties, McDaniels could be a steal in fantasy basketball this season.