Will

Riley

Watkins reportedly suffered the injury during the Wizards’ summer league opener against the Jazz, which explains why he didn’t appear again after playing 20 minutes as a starter in that game. Watkins was selected with the 43rd pick in 2025 and was solid as a rookie, especially down the stretch of the season. Now, there is a chance he misses the entirety of his sophomore campaign. It’s unclear if he would’ve had much of a role this upcoming season, but this solidifies that Bilal Coulibaly and Will Riley will see most of the wing minutes off the bench.

In the aftermath of his exit from Sacramento, DeRozan was considered to be a player likely headed to a team with postseason ambitions. Miami, Cleveland and Denver have all expressed interest since the veteran wing hit free agency, and now Washington has reportedly worked its way into the mix. Given the number of young wings on the Wizards’ roster, adding DeRozan would create even more of a logjam, potentially limiting the short-term fantasy potential of a Kyshawn George or Will Riley.

Given how well Dybantsa played in his two appearances in Las Vegas, this was the expected conclusion for the first overall pick in last month’s draft. The 6-foot-9 forward totaled 50 points in his two appearances, most recently recording a 23/7/2/3/2 line in Sunday’s win over the Kings. Dybantsa being ruled out for the rest of summer league will allow the other young Wizards more room to show what they can provide. Fantasy-wise, Dybantsa should be one of the first rookies off the board in drafts, regardless of league format. Will Riley and Tre Johnson are also done for the summer.

The first 38 minutes of this game were relatively quiet for Riley, especially coming off a strong rookie season. However, he came alive late in this game, scoring nine points in the final 2:12 of the fourth quarter, which allowed the Wizards to seal the win. With the Wizards likely competing for a postseason spot this year, Riley will play a smaller role than he did as a rookie, though he’s clearly still progressing as a player.

While the final game of his rookie season was not particularly good, Riley played well more often than not over the last month. The 6-foot-8 wing scored in double figures in 11 of his last 12 games, providing seventh-round fantasy value during that stretch. The Wizards have a lot of young wings on their roster going into the offseason, making it challenging to project Riley’s value in redraft leagues next fall. Not to mention a likely high lottery pick in what’s projected to be a loaded draft. However, Riley is unquestionably worth holding onto in dynasty leagues.

Riley has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 11 appearances, including Friday’s defeat. With multiple Wizards wings sidelined due to injury, the rookie has been allowed to do more offensively, whether he’s coming off the bench or starting. For fantasy managers in active leagues, Riley is worth a look for the Wizards’ season finale on Sunday against the Cavaliers.

Coulibaly is back after missing Thursday’s loss to the Bulls and reclaims his place in the starting lineup. Will Riley heads to the bench, but he should still play plenty due to the Wizards still being shorthanded on the wings.

While he struggled with his shot on Thursday, going 1-of-9 from three, Riley’s overall stat line would be valuable in category leagues. The rookie wing recorded six “stocks” and offered solid value in rebounds and assists. Kyshawn George had a similar finish to last season, which boosted his ADP going into drafts last fall. The Wizards’ wing rotation is a bit more crowded going into this offseason, so Riley may not be able to do the same, but there’s a lot to like about the 20-year-old wing.

Four of the Wizards’ five starters are unchanged from the quintet that the Bulls blew out on Tuesday. Bilal Coulibaly (heel) is out, and he has been replaced in the lineup by Riley. The rookie wing should play plenty in the Wizards’ final three games of the season.

Coulibaly, who was held out of Sunday’s loss to the Nets due to heel bursitis, logged 24 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Bulls. His absence for Thursday’s rematch opens up a spot in the starting lineup, with Will Riley and Justin Champagnie being potential replacements.