October 17, 2025
Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard
VJ Edgecombe (hip) is expected to return for the team's preseason finale on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Edgecombe last appeared on October 4th against the New York Knicks before missing time due to a minor hip issue. The third overall pick in this year's NBA Draft is projected to start on opening night when the Sixers face the Boston Celtics. The former Baylor standout impressed with his defensive instincts, athleticism, and perimeter shooting during the preseason, showcasing the versatility that made him a top prospect. His ability to stretch the floor and complement superstar
Joel Embiid should earn him a prominent role early in his rookie campaign. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues should keep an eye on Edgecombe as a potential sleeper with upside in steals and three-point production.
--Shaun AlbinSource: Jacob Moreno
October 17, 2025
San Antonio Spurs forward
Jeremy Sochan (wrist) was cleared from his calf injury a couple of weeks ago, but a new injury will keep him out of the season opener. According to ESPN, the fourth-year forward is dealing with a sprained left wrist that he suffered during a 5-on-5 drill while coming back from his calf injury. He's had a number of health issues over his first three seasons as he's only played more than 56 games in one of them. Last year, he played in 54 games and averaged 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 turnovers per game. Sochan hasn't exactly found the best role for his playstyle yet, so it has equated to some wildly inconsistent numbers game to game. He's currently best suited for a streamer-type of role in all fantasy formats.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
October 17, 2025
Milwaukee Bucks guard
AJ Green has agreed to his first extension with the team on Thursday. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Green and the Bucks agreed to a four-year extension worth $45 million, which is fully guaranteed. The 26-year-old went from 35 appearances and 9.9 minutes per contest in his rookie season to 73 games played and 22.7 minutes per game just last year. He also averaged 7.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.1 threes per game. With
Damian Lillard gone, the guard rotation will likely have a lot of movement throughout the season. Green should play a prominent role after his extension, but they also have
Cole Anthony,
Gary Trent Jr.,
Kevin Porter Jr.,
Ryan Rollins,
Andre Jackson Jr.,
Gary Harris, and
Amir Coffey. Green may serve as a sleeper pick in category leagues if he cracks the starting lineup, though.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
October 17, 2025
Boston Celtics guard
Jaylen Brown (hamstring) tweaked his hamstring during Wednesday's preseason game against the Toronto Raptors. He hasn't fully returned to practice yet, but it seems like he's trending in the right direction. Head coach Joe Mazzulla called his status day-to-day, and Brown was able to participate in everything but the live portion. The Celtics' season opener is October 22 against the Philadelphia 76ers, so it gives Brown a bit of time to get right again. With no
Jayson Tatum (Achilles), Brown has to step into the number-one role, but if he can't suit up,
Derrick White and
Anfernee Simons should see big boosts in minutes.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Souichi Terada
October 17, 2025
Detroit Pistons guard
Jaden Ivey (knee) will have to wait a bit longer to make his debut after undergoing knee surgery on Thursday. The 23-year-old hasn't played a regular-season game since January 1 of last season after suffering a fibula injury that shortened his year to only 30 appearances. According to head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and the team, there wasn't one specific event to point back to that forced him to get this surgery. He started to experience some discomfort after playing one preseason game, and it seems that his work in training camp was a bit too much, too quick. He'll now be out for four weeks and the team will re-evaluate from there. The fourth-year combo guard is due for his rookie extension and averaged 17.6 points, 4.0 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.0 turnovers per game in his shortened third season.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Vincent Goodwill
October 17, 2025
Philadelphia 76ers forward
Paul George (knee) is still recovering from offseason knee surgery and hasn't received the green light to play in any of the team's preseason contests. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the nine-time All-Star will not be available for the team's season opener on October 22. Charania reports that George should be ready to return shortly afterwards, but there isn't a firm date just yet. Last season, the former Clipper appeared in only 41 games with his new team and averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. When healthy, he should be a great fantasy asset in all formats, but it's unlikely that he will produce like he did from 2015 to 2019.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
October 17, 2025
Philadelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (knee) has been on a long and well-documented road to recovery as his knees continue to ail him as his career goes on. He last played on February 22 against the Brooklyn Nets and the team has played it safe with him ever since. He underwent another knee surgery and talked about having a better plan coming into this season. All of that has culminated in Embiid officially being able to play in the team's preseason finale on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He's still unlikely to play back-to-backs, but it will be considered a win if he can play in at least half of their regular-season games. Last season, he appeared in 19 contests and averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3.3 turnovers per game.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Kyle Neubeck
October 16, 2025
Free agent forward
Chris Livingston has been waived by the Milwaukee Bucks, who are in the middle of a roster crunch for their final roster. Livingston was the final pick of the 2023 NBA draft and signed a guaranteed deal in the offseason. He played 42 games with the Bucks over his two seasons in the NBA, averaging just 1.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 4.7 minutes per game. He did start one game last season in February, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds, and two steals in 27 minutes. He put up good numbers in the G League last year and had success in the Summer League as well. He'll probably catch on with another team, but his role and fantasy value will depend on where he lands.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Shams Charania
October 16, 2025
Sacramento Kings forward
Nique Clifford stepped up on Wednesday night in his team's exhibition loss to the Clippers. Clifford scored 19 points on an efficient 8-of-13 from the field, and added three rebounds, one steal, and two three-pointers. The first-round pick from Colorado State could be a great late-round pick since he should get a chance to contribute early in the season with
Keegan Murray (thumb) set to miss at least a month.
Dario Saric started in place of Murray, but Clifford has shown more fantasy potential. He'll be an early-season sleeper to watch, and he could be a good DFS or streaming play in the early going, even if he comes off the bench.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN.com
October 16, 2025
Dallas Mavericks guard/forward
Cooper Flagg has started the last two preseason games at point guard for his new team. He filled in with
D'Angelo Russell unavailable on Monday, but he stayed in the starting lineup at point guard in Wednesday's game event with Russell coming off the bench. The team hasn't confirmed the No. 1 pick's role owill be n opening night, but the jumbo lineup of Flagg,
Anthony Davis,
Dereck Lively II,
P.J. Washington, and
Klay Thompson seems to be playing well and could be the Mavs' starting five on Opening Night. Flagg finished Wednesday's game with 13 points, two rebounds, and three assists in 28 minutes. His fantasy upside is extremely high in any role, but beginning the season in the starting lineup would give him a great chance to make an immediate impact.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN.com
October 16, 2025
Boston Celtics forward
Ron Harper Jr. earned a roster spot on the Celtics with a strong preseason. After entering the league as an undrafted rookie out of Rutgers in 2022, Harper played 11 games across the last three seasons in Toronto and Detroit. He spent most of his time in the G League, including a stop with the Maine Celtics, and he also played on the team's Summer League squad. He was in camp on a tryout deal, and played 32 minutes in three preseason games, including stretches with Boston's regular starters. Harper is a versatile forward who could play his way into meaningful minutes in Boston, especially with
Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out for at least the majority of the upcoming season.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Shams Charania
October 16, 2025
Free agent guard
Spencer Dinwiddie has been waived by the Hornets, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, who adds that Charlotte had to release a guaranteed salary before next week's season opener. Dinwiddie signed a one-year deal with Charlotte in early July after spending 2025 with the Mavericks. He put up 11.0 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in 27.0 minutes per contest across 79 games in Dallas and could find another landing spot on a team needing veteran backcourt depth. He could be worth a look for DFS or deep league usage, depending on where he lands and what his role is for his new team.
--Zach ThompsonSource: Shams Charania
October 16, 2025
Detroit Pistons guard
Jaden Ivey (undisclosed) is considered day-to-day, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reports. Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Wednesday that Ivey is "working through some things," leaving his status up in the air for Thursday's preseason finale against the Washington Wizards. Heading into the preseason, Ivey was declared healthy after his 2024-25 campaign ended in early January due to a broken fibula. The 23-year-old logged 14 minutes in Detroit's first preseason game on Oct. 6 but has been sidelined since. This is a bit concerning, but there are currently no indications that Ivey's status for the season opener is in doubt.
--Taavi PailkSource: Hunter Patterson
October 16, 2025
New York Knicks guard/forward
Josh Hart (back) is making progress, but it's unclear if he will be available for Friday's preseason finale against the Charlotte Hornets, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reports. Back spasms have disrupted Hart's preparations for the new NBA season, and he has only been a limited participant in practices. Missing preseason has been a big blow for Hart, as he could have used the games to re-establish his spot among the starting five. The versatile veteran was moved to the bench during the 2025 playoffs, and there have been suggestions that new head coach Mike Brown could prefer
Mitchell Robinson over Hart as a starter.
--Taavi PailkSource: Kristian Winfield
October 16, 2025
Memphis Grizzlies forward/center
Jaren Jackson Jr. (toe) made his preseason debut in Wednesday's matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, notching 17 points in 22 minutes during a 145-116 loss. Jackson Jr. was very active offensively, taking 20 shots from the field. Unfortunately, he made only seven attempts. Three of his makes came from downtown on nine shots. Jackson Jr. also grabbed a pair of rebounds and had one block with one assist. Seeing Jackson Jr. on the floor Wednesday night will have been a pleasant surprise for fantasy managers, as he was initially expected to miss the start of the 2025-26 regular season due to offseason toe surgery. The Grizzlies star will get one more preseason game on Friday against the Miami Heat to work himself into shape before things get serious.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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