October 21, 2025
New York Knicks forward
OG Anunoby (ankle) is listed as probable heading into Wednesday's opener against the Cavs. The injury report doesn't look good for New York, with the Knicks already ruling out
Mitchell Robinson (ankle) and
Josh Hart (back). To make matters worse,
Karl-Anthony Towns (quadriceps) is questionable. Anunoby is coming off a fantastic season, averaging a career-high 18.0 points with 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals. If he's available, he's certainly a must-start in any fantasy format. The 28-year-old would also be in line to smash DFS projections, even more so if KAT can't suit up. However, if Anunoby suffers a setback along the way and can't get out there on Wednesday,
Guerschon Yabusele and
Miles McBride could see a bump in production.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA In
October 21, 2025
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, New York Knicks center
Mitchell Robinson (rest) will be unavailable for Wednesday's season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 27-year-old big man is expected to be load-managed throughout the regular season after missing most of the 2024-25 campaign recovering from two ankle surgeries. When active, Robinson averaged 5.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 17.1 minutes per game across 17 contests. Fantasy managers should approach with caution, as he has appeared in just 48 total games over the past two regular seasons.
--Andrew LennoxSource: Shams Charania
October 21, 2025
New York Knicks center
Karl-Anthony Towns (quadriceps) is questionable for Wednesday's opener versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. It's been known KAT is dealing with this issue, although it's unknown if it will keep him out for the first game of the 2025 campaign.
Mitchell Robinson (ankle) has already been ruled out, so another absence at the five spot wouldn't be an ideal scenario for head coach Mike Brown in his debut with the team. At any rate, if Towns can't get on the floor,
Guerschon Yabusele, who averaged 11.3 points and 6.2 rebounds in 43 starts for the Sixers last season, would be worth considering for streaming purposes. He will be in line for even more work if
OG Anunoby (ankle), who is probable, suffers a setback heading into opening tip.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
October 21, 2025
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, New York Knicks forward
Josh Hart (back) will be sidelined for Wednesday's season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hart continues to deal with a lingering back issue that kept him sidelined for most of the preseason.
Mitchell Robinson (rest) has also been ruled out for the contest. New York will likely rely upon
Jordan Clarkson for extra scoring, while
Miles McBride and
Guerschon Yabusele could also see extra minutes on the floor. Hart is coming off a solid 2024-25 campaign, posting averages of 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, making him a valuable fantasy option once he is healthy.
--Andrew LennoxSource: Shams Charania
October 21, 2025
Boston Celtics guard
Jaylen Brown (hamstring) is questionable for Boston's season-opening matchup with the 76ers. He strained his hamstring in the final game of the preseason but has been able to put in consecutive full practices. He said he's feeling great now but is taking it one day at a time. which is a great sign for his potential availability. He's trending towards being available, but since he's questionable and the team is sure to be careful with him, you'll want to check back before tip-off before plugging him into any lineups. If he is out,
Anfernee Simons and
Josh Minott would be the top candidates to pick up more work in his absence.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NBA Injury Report
October 21, 2025
Houston Rockets forward
Tari Eason appears to be lined up to be a restricted free agent next offseason, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, who reports that the rookie did not sign his rookie extension before Monday's deadline. When healthy, the Bucket from the Bayou has shown a high ceiling, but he has battled a leg injury that has limited him from playing back-to-backs. This year, he's expected to be a key part of Houston's bench rotation after averaging 12.0 points and 6.4 rebounds last year. He'll definitely be a name to watch on the market next year if he can play his way into a bigger role in his fourth year with the Rockets.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Shams Charania
October 21, 2025
According to Michael Scotto of USA Today, Los Angeles Lakers forward/center
Maxi Kleber (oblique) will be re-evaluated in two weeks after suffering a left oblique strain. The veteran big man joins
LeBron James (back) on the sidelines to open the 2025-26 campaign. Kleber was expected to provide veteran leadership coming off the bench, but his latest setback could limit his early-season minutes. Once healthy, the 33-year-old will likely struggle to earn consistent minutes and is expected to make only a minimal fantasy impact this season.
--Andrew LennoxSource: Michael Scotto
October 21, 2025
Houston Rockets forward
Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) will miss Tuesday's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He's recovering from an offseason ankle procedure and doesn't have a set timetable for his return. Houston snapped up Finney-Smith on a four-year, $53 million contract in the summer, indicating that the team values him quite highly. Once he is healthy, Finney-Smith is expected to have a regular role in the rotation. In the meantime,
Tari Eason may see increased playing time off the bench, with veteran
Jeff Green also a candidate to fill some of the vacant minutes.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
October 21, 2025
Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard
Isaiah Joe (knee) will miss Tuesday's season-opening matchup against the Houston Rockets. He has failed to shake off a knee injury, which Joe sustained during the preseason. With Joe on the shelf, the Thunder are forced to start the season without a skilled three-point sniper. Last season, Joe sank 41.2 percent of his three-point shots on 6.3 attempts per game, averaging a career-high 10.2 points. Joe's absence means that players like
Alex Caruso,
Cason Wallace, and
Aaron Wiggins will have a chance to step up and contribute more against Houston.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
October 21, 2025
Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward
Alex Caruso (ankle) is not on the injury report ahead of Tuesday's season opener against the Houston Rockets. The defensive specialist appeared to have injured his ankle in the Thunder's preseason finale against the Denver Nuggets last week, but he has fully recovered for Tuesday. Due to
Isaiah Joe's (knee) absence, Caruso could pick up additional minutes on Tuesday. However, he is clearly a much valuable player in real life than he is in fantasy hoops.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
October 21, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard
Darius Garland (toe) is not expected to play in Wednesday's season opener against the New York Knicks, according to Cleveland.com. Garland is considered "ahead of schedule" in his recovery from offseason toe surgery, but it looks like the season opener comes too soon for him to be ready for action. Garland's absence is set to give
Lonzo Ball an opportunity to start, while much of the Cavaliers offense will run through
Donovan Mitchell without him. Mitchell has averaged 29.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in games without Garland in Cleveland.
--Taavi PailkSource: Cleveland.com
October 21, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers forward
De'Andre Hunter (knee) is considered questionable for Wednesday's season opener against the New York Knicks, according to Cleveland.com. A week ago, Hunter sustained a knee contusion in a preseason contest against the Detroit Pistons. On Monday, he was only a limited participant at practice.
Jaylon Tyson is seen as the favorite to start if Hunter can't play against the Knicks. A starting role would significantly boost Tyson's fantasy stock. During his rookie campaign last year, the 22-year-old had a minimal role, averaging 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.6 minutes.
--Taavi PailkSource: Cleveland.com
October 21, 2025
Memphis Grizzlies guard
Ty Jerome (calf) will be re-evaluated in four weeks, the team announced. He sustained a high-grade right calf strain in Friday's preseason finale against the Miami Heat. The injury will delay Jerome's debut with the Grizzlies, who signed him to a three-year, $28 million contract as a free agent this offseason.
Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe) is out indefinitely and
Ja Morant (ankle) isn't at 100 percent either, so Memphis' backcourt is already battling injuries before the season has even begun. This could lead to rookie
Javon Small playing a significant role in the rotation from the start.
--Taavi PailkSource: Memphis Grizzlies PR
October 21, 2025
Indiana Pacers forward
Aaron Nesmith has agreed to a two-year contract extension ahead of the new season, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. He's signing a two-year, $40.4 million deal, which includes a trade kicker. Nesmith will begin his fourth campaign with the Pacers and could have a significantly larger role on offense due to
Tyrese Haliburton's (Achilles) absence and
Myles Turner's departure. Last season, Nesmith averaged 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds with career-high shooting percentages. He went 43.1 percent from deep and 50.7 percent overall from the field. Indiana kicks off its campaign on Thursday night with a rematch of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
October 20, 2025
Oklahoma City Thunder forward
Jalen Williams (wrist) is listed as inactive for Tuesday's opening night game against the Houston Rockets. Williams will likely be in attendance to take part in the team's ring ceremony to honor the 2024 NBA Championship, but he is officially ruled out for the season opener. The 24-year-old underwent surgery in the offseason to repair a torn ligament in his wrist, so he'll need more time to heal before he's back with his star-studded team. He averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game last season.
Alex Caruso,
Cason Wallace, and
Aaron Wiggins should get more playing time in Williams' absence. Oklahoma City having stronger depth than any other team in the league allows the club to play it safe and avoid playing Williams until he's closer to 100% healthy and ready for high-level basketball.
--Joey HaverfordSource: ESPN
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