Lindy

Waters

Due to calf and wrist injuries, Sochan did not make his first appearance of the season until Wednesday. He looked sharp offensively, only missing one shot from the field. More encouraging may be the fact that Sochan played 23 minutes without any issues. Also making their season debuts for the Spurs were Lindy Waters III (six points, one rebound and two three-pointers) and Kelly Olynyk (four points, four rebounds and three assists), but they’re unlikely to impact fantasy basketball in the way that Sochan potentially can.

Sochan, Olynyk and Waters are available to make their first appearances of the 2025-26 season, with the first two offering higher fantasy ceilings. However, all will come off the bench, limiting their impact in fantasy basketball. Sochan and Olynyk are worth watching in the short term, but neither is a “must-add” player.

Water underwent a laser eye procedure less than a week before the start of the regular season and has not played since. That may change on Wednesday, based on the questionable tag. Once available, Waters’ impact on fantasy basketball will be minimal due to the number of options that San Antonio has on the wings.

A preseason physical uncovered that the procedure was needed at this time, but the expectation is that he will be available to play shortly after the season opener. Waters could be back for the Spurs against the Pelicans on October 24.

Vassell, who did not play in Sunday’s preseason opener against Guangdong, is available and will start against the Heat. His insertion into the starting lineup is the lone change for San Antonio, with Lindy Waters III being bumped to the bench. With De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper unavailable, look for Vassell to spend ample time on the ball as a playmaker, with Wemby also getting his chances to fill that role.

Waters enjoyed a solid start to last season with the Warriors, but he wasn’t offered as significant of a role when he was dealt to the Pistons. Now, he’ll get a fresh start with San Antonio, though minutes may be difficult to come by. He’ll provide some floor-spacing in the rotation, but it is unlikely he plays a significant role.

Fantasy managers in active leagues (and DFS tournaments) likely hoped to get more out of Holland on Sunday. The rookie did not provide much value as a starter, playing 23 minutes before giving way to players such as Lindy Waters III (18/5/1/1/1 with six three-pointers in 35 minutes) and even 17 minutes to the other Ron — Ron Harper Jr.. Holland will be in the Pistons’ rotation when the playoffs begin next weekend, but his playing time and value will be limited against the Knicks.

Sasser, Holland and Isaiah Stewart will all sit out Wednesday’s matchup with the Thunder, while Stewart will miss an additional game after getting slapped with a two-game suspension. Neither Sasser nor Holland has played meaningful minutes consistently this season, but their absences will allow Simone Fontecchio and Lindy Waters III to log a little extra court time.

Schroder made his Pistons debut on Sunday. As expected, his role was limited. Of course, getting used to a new system and teammates is necessary. However, the more significant issue for Schroder is the depth chart, as he’s backing up an All-Star in Cade Cunningham. That limits the veteran point guard’s fantasy ceiling significantly, making him a deep-league player at best. As for the other former Warrior acquired by the Pistons, Lindy Waters III was a DNP-CD on Sunday. He faces an even more challenging climb to rotation minutes than Schroder.

Schroder and Waters were traded to the Pistons at the deadline, and the former has a better chance of cracking the rotation. Cade Cunningham is considered probable for Sunday’s game, and Schroder likely slots in behind him as the backup point guard. While this would not make the former Warrior a player worth rostering in standard leagues, it would likely push Marcus Sasser out of the rotation. As for Waters, Detroit doesn’t lack options on the wings, even with Jaden Ivey (fractured fibula) sidelined.