Franz

Wagner

Franz Wagner led the way for the Magic in this one and he really helped spearhead this offense. These are the types of performances that you want as a Franz owner without Paolo. It’s easier when you’re going against the Jazz, but it’s good see him hit some 3’s in this one. He started talking smack to the Jazz and really got going in the fourth quarter.

For the first time since February 8-10, 2025, Wagner has scored at least 30 points in back-to-back games. Against the Kings, he scored at least seven points in all four quarters and was perfect from the foul line. With Paolo Banchero (ankle) still out, Wagner boasts a higher fantasy ceiling and has been a top-20 player over the last two weeks, according to Basketball Monster.

Wagner continues to serve as Orlando’s main option with Paolo Banchero (ankle) likely out until at least late November. He knocked down just 3-of-7 from three-point range, but dished out double-digit assists for the fourth time in his last five contests. He’s averaging 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.3 steals through nine games. The Magic have a three-game week on tap that features matchups against the Kings, Jazz and Bucks.

With both Paolo Banchero (ankle) and Jalen Suggs (knee) out, Wagner has stepped up as the team’s primary playmaker. That has led to some incredible assist numbers this season. He matched his previous career high for dimes last week before setting it last weekend. He set a new career high for assists once again in this game. Wagner has taken on a lot of responsibility on both ends of the floor, but he hasn’t excelled as a scorer. Still, he has been productive in other categories while trying to keep Orlando afloat until they get healthier.

Wagner recorded at least nine assists in three of his last four games entering play Monday. He still had six assists against the Wizards, which is nothing to sneeze at. Wagner will continue to see just about all the usage he can handle with Paolo Banchero sidelined.

While Wagner set a career high with 12 assists, he struggled to make shots. Shooting 54.2 percent from inside the arc entering Sunday, the Magic forward shot 4-of-16 from inside the arc against the Celtics. Wagner is shooting 39.6 percent for the season, but three-point shooting has been the issue (18.5 percent entering Sunday). He’ll look to turn things around on Monday against the Wizards.

The assists were a massive boost to his performance and should be a boost to your fantasy team, especially at this part of the week. With Paolo out, he has the opportunity to show what he can do, and see if there’s some untapped upside that he didn’t get to show with Paolo there. A lot of his upside will be dependent on the 3-point shot and he hasn’t shot it well up to this point in the season.

Franz was one of the only players that could get shots up in this game. The Magic struggled with efficiency as they dealt with the Raptors aggressive defense, but you can see it affected Franz with the 7 turnovers. The Magic will play the Raptors again on Friday and will get a second chance at redemption where he will look to have a better performance.

Wagner had a rough first three quarters on Sunday, scoring two points on 1-of-10 shooting. Something changed in the fourth, as he shot 8-of-13 from the field and 5-of-5 from the foul line. Wagner scored 21 of Orlando’s 40 fourth-quarter points, with the Magic delivering Sean Sweeney his first win as an NBA head coach. Orlando plays three games in Week 2, starting with the Raptors on Wednesday. With Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs injured, Wagner will carry even more of the offensive workload.

Wagner played 32 minutes before fouling out of Friday’s defeat with a little over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. While he shot a solid overall field-goal percentage, the Magic forward made 3-of-6 from the foul line and committed six turnovers. Over two games, Wagner has recorded 10 assists and nine turnovers, something he’ll need to clean up. Orlando ends its Week 1 with a game against the Knicks on Sunday.