Orlando

Magic

Cater is back after sitting out Thursday’s loss to the Hornets. His return means that Goga Bitadze, who logged 19 minutes on Thursday, will head to the bench. Moritz Wagner should remain in the backup center role.

While Friday’s transaction does not affect fantasy basketball, it means Cain is eligible to play in the postseason. Also, the Magic have now filled all 15 of their standard contract slots for the 2025-26 season.

Carter did not play in Thursday’s loss to the Hornets, sitting out due to a rib contusion. Goga Bitadze started but only played 19 minutes, with reserve Moritz Wagner also playing 19 minutes. That isn’t enough for either to offer reliable streaming value, especially with the Magic willing to go small for extended periods if needed.

Banchero continues to alternate between efficient and inefficient performances. He was awesome against the Thunder on Tuesday, but he struggled in this one, which led to a third straight loss after seven straight wins. Still, Banchero is fantastic in points leagues because even he is inefficient, he still pours in the counting stats. Hopefully the trend will continue, and Banchero will finish out the week with a strong outing against the Lakers on Saturday.

After two straight games with fewer than 20 points, Bane got back on track in this one. However, due to the lopsided score, he only played 26 minutes, or this could have been a much bigger night for him. Bane has been incredible in 2026 despite a shaky start to his tenure with the Magic, which has led to him ranking in the top 10 in nine-category leagues over the past month. They’ll wrap up the week against the Lakers on Saturday.

With Wendell Carter Jr. (ribs) sidelined for this game, Bitadze got the starting nod at center. Unfortunately, he was even less productive than he was in his previous start, when he produced nine points, six rebounds, two assists and one block in 22 minutes. Bitadze had some excellent stretches as a streamer last season, but he hasn’t played much this year, and when there have been opportunities for him to play extra minutes, he hasn’t been given the chance. Even if Carter remains out, Bitadze isn’t worth streaming.

With Wendell Carter Jr. (ribs) sidelined against Charlotte, Bitadze will make a return to the starting unit. In his most recent start, Bitadze contributed nine points, six rebounds, two assists and one block in 22 minutes. He’ll be more productive than he typically is, but Bitadze likely won’t be worth streaming.

WCJ is a late addition to the injury report, and his absence means Goga Bitadze could earn a spot start with Moritz Wagner backing him up. Bitadze has averaged 11.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks across two starts this season.

Banchero struggled with his shot in Monday’s loss to the Hawks, but he was able to get back on track in this one, even if the end result was another loss. He had his third double-double over his last four games and was efficient from both the floor and free throw line. It hasn’t come consistently, but Banchero has had some excellent performances over the past month. He’ll look to keep it going in Charlotte on Thursday.

While Bane and Jevon Carter (13/3/2/2 with three three-pointers) shot a combined 6-of-13 from beyond the arc on Monday, the other Magic players were a combined 8-of-30. Combine that with Nickeil Alexander-Walker going off for 41 points, and it’s easy to see why Orlando’s seven-game win streak came to an end. Since the All-Star break, Bane has provided top-10 value in nine-cat formats, according to Basketball Monster. After a slow start to the season, he has been everything the Magic hoped he would be when they acquired Bane from the Grizzlies in the summer.