October 21, 2025
According to NBA reporter Jovan Buha, Los Angeles Lakers guard
Gabe Vincent will start in Tuesday's opener versus the Golden State Warriors.
LeBron James (back) is out, so head coach JJ Redick will roll with Vincent,
Luka Doncic,
Austin Reaves,
Rui Hachimura, and
Deandre Ayton to kick off the 2025 campaign. Of course, that is always subject to change moving ahead, and it likely will. For now, the 29-year-old will get some work with the first-five. Vincent wasn't consistently showcased in Redick's rotation last season, although he at least averaged 8.5 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 steals in 11 starts. Unfortunately, that type of production from Vincent won't do much for season-long fantasy managers. However, there is a value opportunity there for DFS participants.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Jovan Buha
October 21, 2025
Golden State Warriors forward
Jimmy Butler III (ankle) will play on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. The veteran was listed on the injury report due to a sprained left ankle. While he carried a probable designation, suggesting he would play all along, fantasy managers are happy to see the official update. Butler began last season with the Miami Heat before being traded to the Dubs ahead of the deadline. He played well in his 55 appearances, averaging 17.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. His percentages from deep have decreased over the years. However, the 36-year-old is still a must-start in any fantasy format. With Butler available,
Al Horford and
Buddy Hield will likely see fewer minutes.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
October 21, 2025
Golden State Warriors forward
Jonathan Kuminga (ankle) is officially active for Tuesday's game versus the Los Angeles Lakers. It was an eventful offseason for Kuminga, with the 23-year-old agreeing to a two-year, $48.5 million contract after months of negotiations. While it's unknown how much longer he'll stay in Golden State once he's eligible to be traded, it appears he'll at least start his fifth season as a member of the starting lineup. Of course, that may change as the year progresses. For now, Kuminga is a must-start, although his weak shooting percentages from last season are something category managers would love to see improve.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
October 21, 2025
Minnesota Timberwolves guard
Anthony Edwards (back) is questionable for Wednesday's matchup with the Trail Blazers. The 24-year-old is battling back spasms. Although his injury designation suggests he has a chance of suiting up, fantasy managers should monitor things throughout the day on Monday. The 24-year-old averaged a career-high 27.6 points last season, adding 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals. He's also logged 79 games in each of the last three seasons, so it would be surprising to not see him out there for the opener. If Edwards isn't available,
Donte DiVincenzo,
Jaden McDaniels, and
Julius Randle should all benefit from a production standpoint. The same can be said for
Naz Reid and
Mike Conley, who would be in line for more work.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Timberwolves PR
October 21, 2025
San Antonio Spurs guard
De'Aaron Fox (hamstring) won't suit up for Wednesday's season opener against the Dallas Mavericks. Fox has been dealing with a right hamstring strain since late September and also underwent surgery on his left pinkie finger back in March. The veteran guard will likely return to the floor in early November if he continues to progress without setbacks. With Fox sidelined to start the season, rookie
Dylan Harper could see increased playing time, while
Stephon Castle should have plenty of scoring opportunities in the backcourt.
--Andrew LennoxSource: NBA Injury Report
October 21, 2025
New Orleans Pelicans center
Kevon Looney (knee) won't be available to suit up for the team's season opener against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. Looney has been out of action due to a proximal tibiofibular ligament sprain in his left knee and could be out for two more weeks. The 29-year-old had been working through knee pain, and he will likely have to wait until November to make his debut with his new team. Looney agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the Pelicans in June after 10 seasons with the Warriors. While he is sidelined, rookie big man
Derik Queen could see an expanded role backing up projected starting center,
Yves Missi.
--Andrew LennoxSource: NBA Injury Report
October 21, 2025
Dallas Mavericks center
Daniel Gafford (ankle) is listed as doubtful ahead of Wednesday's game against the Spurs. Head coach Jason Kidd indicated on Tuesday morning that Gafford was questionable. However, his designation on the injury reports suggests he won't be out there for the opener. With
Anthony Davis and
Dereck Lively II likely to see most of the work underneath the rim, there's a chance
P.J. Washington also spends time at the four and five spots throughout the contest. If so,
Naji Marshall could receive a bump in minutes. Still, Marshall has been a streaky scorer during his career, making him a risky fantasy option for managers in any format.
--Dennis ClausenSource: NBA Injury Report
October 21, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard
Darius Garland (toe) is unavailable for Wednesday's season opener against the New York Knicks. Garland underwent offseason toe surgery and is close to returning, but he will be sidelined for at least the season opener. While the 25-year-old is unavailable,
Lonzo Ball will likely get the nod to start, while
Donovan Mitchell will likely see an abundant amount of scoring opportunities. Mitchell posted averages of 29.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in games without Garland in Cleveland.
--Andrew LennoxSource: NBA Injury Report
October 21, 2025
Miami Heat center
Kel'el Ware (ankle) is questionable for Wednesday's meeting in Orlando. The 21-year-old averaged 9.3 points, 7.4 boards, and 1.1 blocks last season and is projected to take a leap in his sophomore campaign. However, he rolled his ankle at the end of Tuesday's practice, putting his availability for the opener in jeopardy. With an 82-game schedule on tap, head coach Erik Spoelstra could play it safe by giving him the night off. If that's the case,
Bam Adebayo may slide over to the five spot, with
Nikola Jovic or
Andrew Wiggins in line to enter the starting lineup.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Anthony Chiang
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
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