Thaddeus Young (leg infection) will miss the Bulls home opener against the Pacers Saturday night.
Young is dealing with an infection in his left leg which kept him out of the Bulls season opener against the Hawks Wednesday. This could lead to more minutes for Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr. and rookie Patrick Williams Saturday night.
Dante Exum (hip) is expected to suit up on Saturday night against the Pistons.
Exum missed the Cavs first game with hip soreness but went through shootaround Saturday morning and should be good to go, according to Chris Fedor. The point guard played in 24 games with Cleveland last season but made just one start.
The Hornets have listed Bismack Biyombo as their starting center for Saturday night’s game vs the Thunder.
Biyombo steps into the starting lineup in the absence of Cody Zeller (hand) who is expected to be out 4-6 weeks. Biyombo talled in 11 points, four rebounds and a block in 24 minutes in the Hornets season opener. He may be able to provide some low-end value in deep leagues with his shot blocking ability in a starting role, but Nick Richards and Vernon Cary Jr. will also be vying for minutes at the center-spot.
Brandon Goodwin (elbow) is probable to play against the Grizzlies Saturday night in Memphis.
Goodwin had three points and four assists in 13 minutes in the Hawks win over the Bulls Wednesday. But with Rajon Rondo (health) available to play, Goodwin will likely see a reduced role Saturday.
Cavs guard Dante Exum (hip) is expected to suit up on Saturday night against the Pistons.
Exum missed the Cavs first game with hip soreness but went through shootaround Saturday morning and should be good to go, according to Chris Fedor. The point guard played in 24 games with Cleveland last season but made just one start.
Bulls veteran wing Garrett Temple (covid) will be a game-time decision Saturday vs the Pacers as he looks to make his season debut.
Garrett isn’t on the injury report and is hopeful that he can play either Saturday or Sunday. Regardless, the NBA vet won’t have much fantasy implications on this team.
De'Anthony Melton (COVID-protocol) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Hawks.
With Melton unavailable, Tyus Jones should be more involved in the rotation, but neither of these guys matter much with Ja Morant healthy.
Kevin Love will make his season debut against the Pistons on Saturday night after missing the Cavs opener on Wednesday.
Veteran forward Kevin Love is back in the lineup for the Cavs and doesn’t appear to be on any sort of minutes restriction. He averaged nearly 18 points and 10 rebounds a game last season, making 2.6 threes on a 37% clip in 56 games. The 32-year-old forward should provide immediate fantasy impact so get him in your lineup. Sorry to those who were excited about Larry Nance’s big first game.
Jontay Porter (right knee soreness) will not play on Saturday vs. the Hawks.
He didn't play at all during the preseason and will likely have a very marginal role once he is eventually cleared. Leave him on the wire.
Rockets point guard John Wall received a 7-day quarantine mandate from the league and will miss Saturday's game against the Blazers and Monday's game against the Nuggets.
The Rockets strange start to the season continues as Shams Charania reports that Wall, along with teammates DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Gordon, will be quarantining for a week and missing two games in the process. NBA league protocol requires teams to have at least eight players for a game and as of now, Houston meets the requirement for tonight's contest with the Blazers.
Eric Gordon won't play on Monday due to his seven-day quarantine, but he's expected to return to the lineup on Thursday.
Houston will be extremely short-handed vs. the Blazers on Saturday and Nuggets on Monday, leaving as many touches as James Harden can handle, plus extra minutes and usage for Christian Wood, Danuel House, and P.J. Tucker. Houston will also need to rely on David Nwaba, Sterling Brown and Bruno Caboclo far more heavily than usual, putting them in play as rock-bottom DFS options.
Hornets rookie Vernon Carey is hoping to break into Charlotte’s center rotation now that Cody Zeller (hand) is going to miss time.
"Biz [Bismack Biyombo] is definitely going to get the start. Hopefully, I'll be a rotation guy," Carey said of the Hornet’s current situation. Zeller is set to miss 4-6 weeks so it’s not outlandish to think the Dukie could get some action early in his rookie season. Though he will have to compete with Nick Richards who is ahead of Carey on the depth chart.
Michael Porter Jr. shot 4-of-9 from the field in Friday’s loss to the Clippers, finishing with 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and two 3-pointers in 23 minutes.
Porter Jr. scored seven of his 10 points during the first quarter, and by the fourth quarter Michael Malone chose to go with Will Barton instead. Which one receives the starting nod is a fluid situation, even with Porter Jr. having been the starter in Denver’s first two games. Porter will provide solid fantasy value either as a starter or a reserve, but second unit minutes would likely mean more time with the ball in his hands. As a starter, he’s third in the pecking order behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Monte Morris finished Friday’s loss to the Clippers with 13 points (3-of-7 FGs, 6-of-7 FTs), one rebound, four assists, one steal and one 3-pointer in 30 minutes.
For all the talk of Morris and offseason signing Facundo Campazzo sharing the court, there really hasn’t been much of that during Denver’s first two games. Campazzo played just eight minutes in Wednesday’s loss to Sacramento, and he only had a three-minute stint to his credit Friday night. As for Morris, his minutes nearly doubled after he played 16 minutes in the opener. Morris still has some fantasy value, while Campazzo shouldn't be on anyone's radar.
Will Barton shot 4-of-10 from the field and 6-of-9 from the foul line in Friday’s loss to the Clippers, scoring 15 points with five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one 3-pointer in 29 minutes.
arton came off the bench for the second straight game, with Michael Porter Jr. serving as the team’s starting small forward. While the two shared the court during the first quarter, due in large part to MPJ’s hot start, Barton subbed in for him during the third quarter. And while Denver attempted to mount a rally during the fourth, it was Barton on the court and not Porter. Both players are safe bets for mid-round value, with Porter's ceiling being slightly higher.
P.J. Dozier accounted for seven points (3-of-5 FGs), two rebounds and one 3-pointer in 19 minutes during Friday’s loss to the Clippers.
Dozier is a rotation player, and coach Michael Malone has nicknamed the versatile guard the “South Carolina Army Knife.” He's been used more as a forward thus far, and the feeling is that Dozier can fill any position other than center. While playing time will be available for this reason, at best Dozier is a fill-in option if the Nuggets lose someone due to injury.
Nicolas Batum finished Friday’s win over the Nuggets with 13 points (5-of-8 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal, one blocked shot and two 3-pointers in 36 minutes.
Making his second straight start in place of the injured Marcus Morris (foot), Batum posted his first double-double since March 15, 2018. It’s fair to wonder if Batum is a better fit in the starting lineup than Morris, as he needs even fewer touches to be effective. There’s some waiver wire value to be had here in the short-term, especially if Kawhi Leonard (face) has to miss time after leaving Friday’s game during the fourth quarter.
Serge Ibaka played 21 minutes in Friday’s win over the Nuggets, accounting for 15 points (6-of-9 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), two rebounds, two assists, one blocked shot and two 3-pointers.
Ibaka has scored 15 points in 21 minutes in each of the Clippers’ first two games, working well alongside stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Providing length and rim protection defensively, the veteran center is also 4-of-5 from beyond the arc this season. Ibaka is currently providing top-100 production in 9-cat, which falls in line with what he’s done throughout his NBA career.
Limited by foul trouble, Patrick Beverley posted a line of nine points (3-of-6 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), two rebounds, two steals and two 3-pointers in 22 minutes Friday vs. Denver.
Beverley was whistled for two quick fouls, and that seemed to impact his rhythm throughout the night. But the veteran guard still managed to tally a couple 3-pointers and a couple steals, so all wasn’t lost for those who have rostered him. That being said, Beverley’s value to the Clippers rotation far outweighs his fantasy value.
Lou Williams accounted for eight points (3-of-7 FGs), four rebounds, three assists, one steal and two 3-pointers in 24 minutes Friday vs. Denver.
Williams didn’t have his best night scoring-wise, but he did provide welcome contributions as a rebounder and assist man. He’s a player worth watching in the coming days, as Kawhi Leonard (face) left Friday’s game during the fourth quarter. An extended absence for Leonard would mean more scoring opportunities for Williams, even if he remains on the bench. Luke Kennard, who finished Friday’s win with eight points (2-of-6 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), six rebounds, two assists and two 3-pointers, could be the one who moves into the starting lineup in this scenario.