NBA Player News

Harris had an interesting eight-point, six-rebound, four-assist line on Friday, but as you can see he has a ways to go before he should be relied upon in a fantasy league.

Sacramento adding DeMar DeRozan to the roster this summer means there may not be as many instances of Sabonis bringing up the ball and initiating offense. That’s a bit concerning, given that he averaged a career-high 8.2 assists per game last season. Sabonis finished Thursday’s loss with one while committing four turnovers. Overall, Domas should be fine regarding fantasy value. However, the assist output will impact the ceiling if it decreases sharply.

This was an encouraging stat line for fantasy managers. Not only did Murray lead the team in minutes (tied with DeMar DeRozan), but he was second in field-goal attempts. With DeRozan joining the lineup this summer, there was concern that Murray’s fantasy ceiling could be lower. There’s a lot more basketball to play, but the usage on Thursday was good to see.

DeRozan’s official Kings debut was solid, thanks primarily to his ability to get to the foul line. He attempted 14 of Sacramento’s 35 free throws on the night and was the only player for either team to hit double digits in points from the stripe. DeRozan won’t offer much 3-point production, so consistent trips to the line drive up his value as a scorer.

While Huerter was cleared for full contact on October 11, it was more than a week later when he finally participated fully in practice. So, it’s unsurprising that his playing time was limited in Thursday’s opener. Malik Monk (17 points, one rebound, four assists, and one 3-pointer in 26 minutes) is the superior fantasy option despite coming off the bench, while Huerter’s return drops Keon Ellis (two points, one rebound, and two steals in 11 minutes) off of most boards.

Fox put up a solid assist tally and didn’t miss a free throw, but the efficiency was lacking in Sacramento’s season opener. He was just 1-of-4 from beyond the arc, and adding DeMar DeRozan means the shots will be more evenly distributed among four of Sacramento’s five starters. Tallying more assists can protect some of Fox’s fantasy value, but the lineup change makes the percentages more critical. Also noteworthy from Thursday’s game was Fox exiting momentarily after banging knees with Donte DiVincenzo. While he did return to action, don’t be surprised if Fox shows up on the injury report ahead of Saturday’s game against the Lakers.

Reid is another Timberwolves player who redeemed himself after playing poorly in Tuesday’s loss to the Lakers. He was more impactful as a scorer and rebounder, and the defensive was solid despite the lack of steals or blocked shots. Despite coming off the bench, Reid can be a more valuable fantasy option this season, as there’s a greater need for his offensive production. However, the defense must also be reliable if the Timberwolves are to contend in the West.

After an inauspicious debut in the Timberwolves’ loss to the Lakers on Tuesday, Randle was considerably better in Sacramento. He scored 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the first half, keeping the Timberwolves afloat while Anthony Edwards struggled. Ant-Man was much better after the halftime break, but Minnesota likely falls short without Randle’s first-half performance.

Edwards started slowly on Thursday, scoring nine points on 3-of-9 shooting in the first half. After halftime, he did what stars are supposed to do, taking over offensively to help put the Timberwolves in position to win. And Edwards’ free throws with just over two seconds remaining gave Minnesota the lead for good. While the Timberwolves continue to work Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo into the fold, they’ll need Edwards to be at his best. He was that player during the second half on Thursday.

As expected, Westbrook brought the energy in his Nuggets debut. Unfortunately, he and the rest of the bench brought little production, especially offensively. Denver’s reserved combined to score 16 points, and the Nuggets don’t have the same margin for error they’ve had in recent seasons. Westbrook’s play is worth monitoring, but the inefficiency makes him a difficult player to rely on in standard leagues.

Yes, Jokic recorded a triple-double and a full stat line. But he was outplayed by Chet Holmgren for most of the night, with Denver’s lack of depth not doing the Joker any favors. Jokic will be fine moving forward; the track record is too good to ignore. But one way for his fantasy value to take a hit is if the supporting cast isn’t consistently productive.