3 weeks agoPortland Trail Blazers guard
Scoot Henderson is not part of the starting five during Wednesday's season opener against the Golden State Warriors. The expectation was that Henderson would start alongside
Anfernee Simons in the backcourt. Instead, Simons will be the point guard while
Toumani Camara serves as the shooting guard on Wednesday. The hope is that Henderson will get roughly 20 minutes of action off the bench. It seems a bit odd that the rebuilding Blazers have opted to have their former No. 3 overall selection come off the bench, but maybe things will change over time. Henderson is worth rostering in most formats, but isn't a must-start right now.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Casey Holdahl
3 weeks agoIndiana Pacers center
James Wiseman (calf) won't return during Wednesday's season opener against the Detroit Pistons. Wiseman limped off the court after suffering what looked to be a non-contact injury during the first half of Wednesday's game. This is bad news with
Isaiah Jackson (groin) inactive for the season opener. That means,
Obi Toppin could see big minutes during the second half of this contest. Wiseman finished with six points and one rebound in four minutes of action. The 23-year-old figures to be the primary backup to Jackson once both players are healthy. Until then, Toppin could be asked to play big minutes for Indiana.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Pat Boylan
3 weeks agoOklahoma City Thunder forward
Jalen Williams (ankle) has been removed from the injury report ahead of Thursday's season opener against the Denver Nuggets. Williams suffered a left ankle sprain during a preseason contest against Atlanta and missed practice last week because of it. Despite that, Williams appears to be ready to go and should be in the starting five for Thursday's game. The 23-year-old averaged 19.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists across 31 minutes per game last season. He figures to start at power forward and be a viable fantasy option in most formats.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 weeks agoNew Orleans Pelicans guard
Jose Alvarado (knee) will suit up for Wednesday's matchup against the Bulls. He's been plagued by a right knee contusion and was listed as questionable. Fortunately, he's good to go. The Pelicans could certainly use him, considering the team will be without
Zion Williamson (illness). As a result, Alvarado may see more minutes from off the bench, making him a viable fantasy option in any format.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Andrew Lopez
3 weeks agoNew Orleans Pelicans guard
Dejounte Murray (personal) will play on Wednesday against Chicago. He was away while dealing with a personal matter. However, the veteran was at shootaround on Wednesday and warmed up with the team, so fantasy managers had a feeling he'd be out there. Without
Zion Williamson (illness) available, Murray could surge versus the Bulls. He'll also be a popular DFS option.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Andrew Lopez
3 weeks agoPhiladelphia 76ers forward
Kenyon Martin Jr. will start Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Martin is starting because
Paul George (knee) is sidelined. The 23-year-old played a career-low 12.4 minutes per contest in last year's campaign, suiting up for the Clippers and 76ers across 60 regular-season games. With the start in the Sixers opener, Martin will likely play a minimal role in the offensive attack this evening.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Keith Pompey
3 weeks agoCharlotte Hornets forward
Josh Green (Achilles) won't play on Wednesday versus the Rockets. The 23-year-old is battling Achilles soreness and was initially listed as questionable. However, he won't be available, so his next chance to suit up will be on Friday versus Atlanta. Without Green in the mix,
Cody Martin will likely take his spot in the rotation. The 2019 No. 36 overall pick was decent in 22 starts last season, averaging 7.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.0 steals, giving him value to fantasy managers in deeper formats.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Charlotte Hornets PR
3 weeks agoBrooklyn Nets utility man
Ben Simmons will start in Wednesday's matchup versus the Hawks.
Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) will suit up. However, head coach Jordi Fernandez indicated he would be on a minutes restriction. Simmons struggled last season. Yet, there's no denying his triple-double upside, so he could easily surpass his fantasy expectations now that he's in the starting lineup.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Brooklyn Nets
3 weeks agoCleveland Cavaliers forward
Dean Wade will start in Wednesday's meeting with the Raptors.
Max Strus (ankle) will be sidelined for at least four weeks, so Wade will do his best to fill the void in the lineup. Unfortunately, the 27-year-old averaged only 6.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 32 starts last season. With that in mind, fantasy managers shouldn't consider him a trustworthy option versus Toronto. Instead,
Caris LeVert could exceed offensive expectations and is worth streaming, even though he'll come off the bench.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Chris Fedor
3 weeks agoPhiladelphia 76ers' guard
Eric Gordon will start Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks. The veteran signed a one-year deal with the 76ers in the off-season after spending last season in Phoenix, where he averaged 8.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists across 68 games. As the season progresses, the 35-year-old will provide a three-point scoring threat off the bench but will likely not be much of a fantasy factor.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Keith Pompey
3 weeks agoNew Orleans Pelicans forward
Dejounte Murray (personal) has been upgraded from questionable to probable for Wednesday's meeting with the Chicago Bulls. He was away from the team due to a personal matter, although he was spotted at shootaround on Wednesday and is currently warming up. Of course, anything can change, but it appears fantasy managers will have him in the lineup for opening night. With
Zion Williamson (illness) out, Murray could exceed his fantasy expectations, especially on the scoring end.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Madeline Adams
3 weeks agoBrooklyn Nets center
Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) will play fewer minutes than usual in Wednesday's matchup versus the Hawks. The 25-year-old missed the entire preseason with a hamstring injury, so head coach Jordi Fernandez wants to play it safe. Still, Claxton is worth starting in all fantasy setups, even with a cap on his minutes. But with
Day'Ron Sharpe (hamstring) sidelined,
Noah Clowney could spend more time in the middle. There's also a chance the Nets go small, with
Dorian Finney-Smith and
Ben Simmons handling things underneath the basket.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Brian Lewis
3 weeks agoNew Orleans Pelicans forward
Zion Williamson (illness) won't play against the Bulls on Wednesday. The 24-year-old has been under the weather, so fantasy managers already felt things were moving in this direction. However, he missed shootaround on Wednesday, which further solidified he wouldn't be good to go. Without Williamson in the lineup,
Javonte Green may roll with the first five. But
Dejounte Murray (personal), assuming he plays,
Brandon Ingram, and
CJ McCollum will likely benefit the most.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: New Orleans Pelicans
3 weeks agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) will suit up for Wednesday's matchup with the 76ers. He has a case of Tendinitis. However, the veteran was listed as probable, so there wasn't much concern regarding his availability. With
Khris Middleton (ankles) still sidelined, Antetokounmpo and
Damian Lillard should see even more looks at the basket. Fantasy managers already know he's a must-start. Yet, Antetokounmpo's fantasy potential is greater without Middleton on the floor.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Eric Nehm
3 weeks agoPhiladelphia 76ers center
Andre Drummond will start on Wednesday night versus Milwaukee.
Joel Embiid (knee) won't suit up for at least three games, so Drummond may see plenty of time in the middle for the foreseeable future. The 31-year-old was dominant in 10 starts with the Bulls last season, averaging 14.1 points, 17.9 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals. As a result, Drummond should be featured in any fantasy lineup imaginable. There's also room for
Guerschon Yabusele to get involved enough to warrant starting consideration in deeper fantasy setups.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Keith Pompey
RADIO
