1 week agoNew Orleans Pelicans guard
Dejounte Murray (personal) is uncertain to suit up for Wednesday's season opener against the Chicago Bulls. Murray is currently away from the team due to a family emergency. Head coach Willie Green said the team was hopeful that Murray would return for a workout on Tuesday. It seems that Murray is trending towards a game-time decision ahead of Wednesday's game. Backup guard
Jose Alvarado (knee) is listed as questionable for this game as well.
CJ McCollum would likely be asked to be the primary ball handler if Murray sits out. Also,
Jordan Hawkins and
Antonio Reeves would see more minutes in the rotation.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoNew Orleans Pelicans guard
Jose Alvarado (knee) is currently listed as questionable ahead of the season opener against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Alvarado is currently dealing with a right knee contusion that could possibly sideline him for Wednesday's game or longer. The 26-year-old figures to be the primary backup to
Dejounte Murray (personal) who is also questionable for this game. The Pelicans could be in some trouble if both guards are unable to play.
Jordan Hawkins or
Antonio Reeves would be candidates for more minutes if Alvarado sits out. Hawkins is the more appealing option between the two, but there should be better streaming choices available.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoMiami Heat guard
Josh Richardson (heel) has been ruled out for Wednesday's season opener against the Orlando Magic. Richardson saw his season come to an early end last year due to a shoulder issue. He appears to be finally over that, but now Richardson is dealing with a left heel injury. The 31-year-old will miss the season opener, but will hopefully be available for Saturday's game against the Charlotte Hornets. Until then,
Duncan Robinson and
Alec Burks figure to see increased playing time. Neither of them are likely to see enough minutes to warrant rostering in most formats. Between the two, Robinson is the better fantasy option due to his ability to shoot from beyond the arc.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoMilwaukee Bucks forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) is currently listed as probable ahead of Wednesday's season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers. The superstar forward is dealing with tendinitis in his knee, but it isn't expected to sideline him for the season opener. It's obviously never good to see Antetokounmpo pop up on the injury report before a game is played. However, this doesn't sound like it's going to be an issue that is going to force him to miss time. Fantasy managers who took Antetokounmpo in the first-round of fantasy drafts should expect him to suit up on Wednesday.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 week agoChicago Bulls point guard
Lonzo Ball (knee) will suit up for Wednesday's season opener versus the New Orleans Pelicans. After being sidelined with knee injuries, Ball saw action in the preseason for the first time since January 2022. The 26-year-old will most likely see minute restrictions despite playing well during the preseason. With limits in place for now, Ball will not make much of an impact in fantasy, as he will consistently play less than 20 minutes per contest.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
1 week agoPhiladelphia 76ers forward
Paul George (knee) will miss the team's regular-season opener against the Bucks Wednesday, per Shams Charania of ESPN. The 76ers will start the season with a depleted rotation as star center
Joel Embiid (knee) is also out and will likely miss up to three games. George has been limited in practice and will be reevaluated later in the week. Expect
Caleb Martin and
Kelly Oubre Jr. to see more time on the court while the 34-year-old veteran is sidelined.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
1 week agoPhiladelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (knee) will be sidelined for Wednesday's regular-season opener versus the Milwaukee Bucks, and he will likely be out on Friday against the Raptors in Toronto, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The former MVP is expected to participate in scrimmages soon, but he could miss up to three games before being reevaluated, the 76ers announced. With the absence of Embiid,
Andre Drummond will likely see an uptick in minutes early in the regular season.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Tim Bontemps
1 week agoAccording to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Mavericks point guard
Luka Doncic (calf) said he is ready to play Thursday in the season opener against the Spurs. Doncic missed all preseason with a left calf contusion, but the injury was considered minor. The 25-year-old also mentioned that his calf feels "perfect." Fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief as there should be no restrictions on Doncic for the Mavs first regular season contest.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Mike Curtis
2 weeks agoWashington Wizards forward/center
Alexandre Sarr (calf) hopes to be available when the team kicks off its 2024-25 campaign by hosting the defending-champion Boston Celtics on Thursday. He's nursing calf soreness, which forced Sarr to miss Washington's final two preseason games. Sarr looked in good form during the preseason before dropping out of the lineup. He averaged 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks while shooting 54 percent from three-point range with 3.4 attempts. The 19-year-old would become a very popular man among fantasy managers if he manages to post similar numbers during the regular season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Varun Shankar
2 weeks agoMemphis Grizzlies guard/forward
Vince Williams Jr. (shin) has been ruled out for the start of the season. According to Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins, Williams Jr. is "a couple of weeks away" from being ready to play. The 24-year-old is recovering from a shin stress reaction. Once he's healthy again, Williams Jr. will be leading the second unit. He did most of his damage as a starter last year, so Williams Jr.'s fantasy stock will be lower in 2024-25 unless Memphis starts losing its key guys to injuries again.
Jake LaRavia and
John Konchar should handle Williams Jr.'s minutes until he's ready to return. Neither player is a good fantasy option.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Damichael Cole
2 weeks agoMemphis Grizzlies shooting guard
Luke Kennard (foot) has been ruled out for at least the first week of the 2024-25 regular season by head coach Taylor Jenkins. Kennard is battling foot soreness sustained during preseason action last week. Memphis has three games scheduled for the first week, starting with a matchup against Utah on Wednesday.
John Konchar could see more time on the court in Kennard's absence, although the Grizzlies have their regular backcourt healthy for the start of the season, leaving the bench guys with few opportunities to make an impact.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Damichael Cole
2 weeks agoChicago Bulls forward
Patrick Williams (ankle) was able to practice on Monday. He exited Chicago's preseason finale against Cleveland with an ankle injury, but it looks like it wasn't anything serious. Williams also battled a wrist injury during the preseason. However, as of right now, Williams should be expected to be in the lineup for Wednesday's season opener against New Orleans. The 23-year-old is set to begin the campaign as a starter, and fantasy managers could get some decent value out of him. Last season, Williams averaged 11.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.9 steals in 30 games as a member of the first unit.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: K.C. Johnson
2 weeks agoBrooklyn Nets center
Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) is trending in the right direction and is expected to play in Wednesday's season opener against Atlanta. Claxton missed the preseason due to a hamstring issue but has had a chance to rehab the injury for a few weeks now and should be good to go on Wednesday. Claxton averaged 10.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks against the Hawks a season ago and could have even more fun on Wednesday night, as Atlanta's bigs have been troubled by health issues.
Clint Capela (ankle) was hurt near the end of preseason, and
Onyeka Okongwu missed most of the preseason action while recovering from a toe procedure, making only one 16-minute appearance.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: C.J. Holmes
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Lakers power forward
Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) isn't ready to play in Tuesday's season opener against the Timberwolves. After having procedures done on both feet in May, there was hope a week ago that Vanderbilt would be ready for the start of the regular season, but he still needs more time to recover. He will sit out at least the first five games before being re-evaluated. This is a bitter blow for Vanderbilt after he already missed most of last season because of health issues. Due to his absence,
Rui Hachimura has had an opportunity to lock down a starting role. He posted 15.4 points and 4.8 rebounds as a starter last season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 weeks agoLos Angeles Lakers center
Christian Koloko (illness) will sit out Tuesday's season opener against Minnesota. Following a bout with blood clots, Koloko isn't yet ready to play. The Cameroonian big man was brought in on a two-way contract last month. He adds an extra frontcourt option to the Lakers but isn't expected to play a big role for the team, and it appears likely that Koloko will spend most of the campaign in the G League.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
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