October 13, 2025
Los Angeles Lakers small forward
Dalton Knecht has turned heads in training camp, with head coach JJ Redick calling him the team's best offensive performer so far. Knecht's scoring efficiency matched
LeBron James with a 117 offensive rating last season. However, his defensive struggles remain a concern, as evidenced by his 118 defensive rating, one of the worst on the roster. With the Lakers entering their first full season featuring
Luka Doncic and chasing another championship run, Knecht's ability to evolve into a more reliable two-way player could determine how large a role he earns in Redick's rotation.
--Shaun AlbinSource: Dave McMenamin
October 13, 2025
The Milwaukee Bucks have signed forward Alex Antetokounmpo to a two-way contract on Monday, likely in another move to solidify their future with star
Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 24-year-old appeared most recently for Aris B.C. of the Greek Basket League. Antetokounmpo was also formerly a member of the G-League Wisconsin Herd from 2022-24. This most recent Bucks addition won't likely impact the team on the floor this season, but could strengthen the team's bond to their superstar, as they look to extend him this upcoming offseason.
--Shaun AlbinSource: Shams Charania
October 13, 2025
Golden State Warriors guard
Moses Moody (calf) will miss the rest of the preseason due to a calf injury that he suffered during practice. ESPN's Anthony Slater reports that head coach Steve Kerr and the team are hopeful that Moody can return for the season opener. Kerr also said that he's "not too concerned," which comes as good news in the long run. Moody set career highs last season in games started (34), minutes per game (22.3), points per game (9.8), assists per game (1.3), and three-point percentage (.374). After signing a contract extension in October of 2024, Moody looks to be in the team's long-term future plans. He'll likely hold the most value as a streamer throughout the fantasy season whenever
Stephen Curry and/or
Jimmy Butler III are getting rest days. If he's unable to suit up for the first game,
Brandin Podziemski,
Buddy Hield, and
Gary Payton II would likely see some added minutes.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Anthony Slater
October 13, 2025
Miami Heat center
Kel'el Ware seems to be entering quite the pivotal season for both his development and relationship with head coach Erik Spoelstra. After a good rookie season, which saw him finish sixth in Rookie of the Year voting, Spoelstra has issued him a challenge through the preseason. He wants to see Ware consistently impact winning along with his box score. On Sunday, Ware finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, and one assist, but ended up with a -12 in plus/minus. Spoelstra did say he was "encouraged" by Ware's preseason so far, and after his performance against the Orlando Magic, Spoelstra added, "He did some impressive things, I love the way he was on the offensive glass, and we'll just continue to work with him." Ware will likely have his place in deeper fantasy leagues, but it won't be surprising if he goes undrafted in smaller leagues until he can prove to Spoelstra that he deserves to get more opportunities.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Anthony Chiang - Miami Herald
October 13, 2025
Boston Celtics guard
Derrick White was up to his usual all-around heroics in the team's preseason win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. The veteran combo guard finished the game with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three blocks across 22 minutes while shooting 4-for-9 from the floor and 2-for-7 from three. White has been a huge part of the Celtics' success ever since he came to Boston, and his value for category leagues has been immense. As one of the best guards for rebounding and block numbers, he'll likely be a hot commodity again across all fantasy leagues.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
October 13, 2025
Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward
Austin Reaves put together a very efficient shooting night in the preseason win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. The 27-year-old finished the game with 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting overall, 2-for-4 from three, and 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. He also contributed three assists, three rebounds, one steal, and one block, but coughed up five turnovers. Reaves should be a good mid-round pickup in both points and category leagues, since he'll likely be asked to be the a top two option a lot of nights. Last season was one of his best yet with averages of 20.2 points, 5.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
October 13, 2025
Golden State Warriors guard
Brandin Podziemski posted a solid outing against the Los Angeles Lakers in Sunday's preseason game. Entering his third year, the former 19th-overall pick is looking to step up his game yet again. In Sunday's exhibition game, he finished with 23 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and one steal while shooting 10-for-16 from the floor and 3-for-7 from beyond the arc. While he likely won't carry a heavy workload every night this season, Podziemski is a big part of their future while he learns from
Stephen Curry and
Jimmy Butler III. Through two seasons, he's averaged 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 turnovers across 26.7 minutes per contest. As of right now, he'll likely be a solid, later-round pickup in category leagues.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
October 12, 2025
Sacramento Kings forward
Keegan Murray (thumb) will undergo surgery to repair a torn left ulnar collateral ligament. He will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks. Murray was selected No. 4 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft and has appeared in 233 regular-season contests. Although he's coming off a down year in terms of production, he's still averaged 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 37.2% shooting from behind the arc throughout his career. The 25-year-old is currently eligible for a rookie scale extension. However, he has logged at least 76 games in each of his three seasons in the National Basketball Association, so his durability shouldn't be a concern. Until Murray is cleared to return to the court,
DeMar DeRozan and
Zach LaVine might shuffle to the three and four spots, with
Malik Monk entering the starting lineup. Of course, that could change periodically while Murray is on the shelf.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Anthony Slater
October 12, 2025
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, free-agent guard
Russell Westbrook and the Sacramento Kings have a "strong mutual interest" in a contract heading into the 2025 campaign. The Kings struggled to get production from the bench in 2024, so adding Westbrook could go a long way in helping the team stay competitive throughout the season. The 36-year-old averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds last season for the Nuggets. However, he declined his $3.5 million player option to become a free agent. Sacramento has an open roster spot, although only time will tell if both sides can work out a new deal. While Westbrook should still have some gas left in the tank, his MVP days are likely well behind him. Still, he should offer flashes of fantasy production throughout the season, assuming he eventually lands a contract.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Shams Charania
October 10, 2025
Los Angeles Lakers center
Deandre Ayton, the team's marquee offseason addition, revealed Wednesday that he has yet to share the floor with superstars
Luka Doncic or
LeBron James. With James expected to miss the first few weeks of the season, Ayton's ability to mesh quickly will be crucial to keeping Los Angeles competitive out of the gate. The 27-year-old big man averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds across 40 games with the Trail Blazers last season but has battled inconsistency and injuries throughout his career. The Lakers are banking on Ayton's presence inside to stabilize the frontcourt and complement Doncic's playmaking once the team's full roster is healthy.
--Shaun AlbinSource: Valentina Martinez
October 10, 2025
Philadelphia 76ers guard
VJ Edgecombe (hip) is dealing with a sore hip, which held him out of practice on Thursday. Beat reporter Kyle Neubeck states that the rookie will not play on Friday, and he's considered day-to-day. Edgecombe is expected to practice next week and even participated in shootaround on Friday morning. This issue seems to be more precautionary than anything else, but his return to practice would still be something to monitor. Edgecombe was the third-overall pick in this year's draft and displayed some insanely athletic plays during the two preseason games against the New York Knicks. With
Jared McCain (thumb),
Paul George (knee), and
Joel Embiid (knee) all on the mend, Edgecombe could see a sizeable chunk of minutes to start the season.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Kyle Neubeck
October 10, 2025
Indiana Pacers guard
T.J. McConnell (hamstring) originally tweaked his hamstring during the preseason game on Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played only eight minutes and exited in the second quarter. Now, according to beat reporter Tony East, head coach Rick Carlisle is saying that the veteran point guard is going to be out "at least a month." This brings the team's backcourt depth into question after
Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) is already expected to miss the season, and
Ben Sheppard (undisclosed) remains out, while they decided to cut
Delon Wright.
Cameron Payne did sign a camp deal with the team, but McConnell will be in line for an uptick in minutes whenever he returns. The 33-year-old averaged 9.1 points, 4.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.4 turnovers across 17.9 minutes per game last year.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Tony East
October 10, 2025
Indiana Pacers guard
Ben Sheppard (undisclosed) already missed the team's preseason opener, and he's headed for a couple more absences. Beat reporter Tony East reports that head coach Rick Carlisle said Sheppard is "unlikely" to play in either one of the team's next two games. Their game against the San Antonio Spurs on October 17 is "more plausible." Sheppard has seen increased playing time each season since being drafted in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. With
Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) out for the season, and a handful of other injuries to start the preseason, their guard depth is going to be very important. Last year, Sheppard averaged 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 threes across 19.5 minutes per game, but could see a bump in playing time when he returns.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Tony East
October 10, 2025
San Antonio Spurs guard
Dylan Harper (thumb) has officially been cleared for his preseason debut on Friday against the Utah Jazz. According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, Harper is "in line" to receive some minutes for his first exhibition game ahead of the new season. The second-overall pick underwent thumb surgery about a month ago to address a torn ligament in his left thumb, and was hopeful at the time that he would be ready for the season opener. Barring any setbacks, it looks like the Rutgers product should be ready to go. In his lone year at Rutgers, Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game while shooting .484 from the floor and .333 from deep.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Jeff McDonald
October 9, 2025
Philadelphia 76ers guard
VJ Edgecombe (hip) was unable to practice with the team on Thursday due to left-hip soreness. The No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft has an extremely high ceiling and should be poised for a big role for the Sixers this year, if he can stay healthy. The Sixers have had awful injury issues the last few years, so Edgecombe's missing practice hopefully doesn't continue that trend. He has looked very strong when healthy, and he'll be a great sleeper in all formats if he's able to be healthy when the Sixers start the season on October 22 against the Celtics in Boston.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Kyle Neubeck
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