Category: Basketball

At last, the 2025-26 regular season is here. The Thunder will receive their championship rings on Tuesday and then look to remain on top in what's expected to be a loaded Western Conference. Which teams are best equipped to challenge Oklahoma City? Will Cleveland and New York live up to lofty expectations in the East? Are Detroit and Orlando ready to make the next step and establish themselves as true factors? In addition to those questions, there's a lot for fantasy managers to sift through in the days before Tuesday's opener. Here's a look at the Week 1 slate and some key storylines.

Week 1 Games Played

3 Games: ATL, BOS, BRK, CHA, CLE, DAL, DET, GSW, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHX, POR, SAC, SAS, TOR, WAS

2 Games: CHI, DEN, HOU, NOR, PHI, UTA

Week 1 Back-to-backs

Tuesday-Wednesday: None

Wednesday-Thursday: None

Thursday-Friday: GSW

Friday-Saturday: ATL, MEM, ORL, PHX

Saturday-Sunday: CHA, IND

Sunday-Monday (Week 2): BOS, BRK, CLE, DAL, DET, LAL, MIN, POR, SAS, TOR

Week 1 Storylines of Note

- Tuesday and Thursday are the light schedule days for the opening week.

As has become tradition, the NBA regular season opens with a Tuesday night doubleheader. Houston will visit Oklahoma City (6:30 PM Eastern, NBC and Peacock) in the opener as the Thunder, who could be without Jalen Williams, receive their championship rings, with the nightcap being Golden State's trip south to face the Lakers (10 PM Eastern, NBC and Peacock). The most notable injury for the four teams playing on Tuesday is LeBron James' absence due to sciatica. Gabe Vincent was part of the Lakers' starting lineup for Friday's preseason finale and will remain in that role for the foreseeable future. He's primarily an option for managers needing three-pointers. While those who have Luka Donĉić or Austin Reaves rostered should expect their usage numbers to increase.

Thursday's doubleheader opens with a rematch of the NBA Finals, as the Thunder visit the Pacers, followed by the Warriors hosting the Nuggets. Indiana's perimeter situation will grab the attention of many fantasy managers. Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) is out for the year, and backup T.J. McConnell (hamstring) is unlikely to return to action until November. Andrew Nembhard rose up draft boards due to the injuries, as did Bennedict Mathurin, since he will fill the void left in the starting lineup by Haliburton's injury. Fantasy managers may also bet on Pascal Siakam being asked to do even more offensively.

The Pacers must also account for Myles Turner's exit, with Isaiah Jackson set to move into the starting center role. He's coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon, so offseason Jay Huff and power forward Obi Toppin will also be key in the Pacers' frontcourt. As for the other teams in action on Thursday, Denver added Cameron Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanĉiūnas and Bruce Brown during the offseason, with Johnson expected to be the most impactful of the four in fantasy basketball.

- Houston, New Orleans and Utah have the worst Week 1 schedules.

In addition to only playing two games, these teams will be done with their Week 1 slates on Friday. For those playing the new Yahoo! fantasy game High Score, these are the teams to avoid when scouring the waiver wire for potential difference-makers to end the week. This won't be an issue for key contributors like Houston's Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün or New Orleans' Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole and Trey Murphy. But, role players who have the potential to add value off the bench are better off being left on the waiver wire until Sunday evening in preparation for Week 2. All three teams will be active on that Monday as part of an 11-game slate.

- Wednesday, Friday and Sunday are the busiest days of Week 1.

Wednesday and Friday's schedules consist of 12 games, with nine games being played on Sunday to complete Week 1. Among the teams active on all three days are the Celtics, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Pistons, Clippers and Knicks, to name a few. Boston's roster looks far different than the one that began last season, with Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out and multiple frontcourt contributors in new places. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White should lead the way, with Anfernee Simons and Payton Pritchard also representing solid fantasy value on the perimeter.

As for the frontcourt, is this the year Chris Boucher emerges as a consistent fantasy option? He'll have every opportunity to step up, as will Luka Garza, Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman Sr. What happens during Week 1 will dictate which Celtics frontcourt player(s) are viewed as reliable fantasy options; Queta (24 percent) and Garza (12 percent) have the highest rostered percentages of those four, and Josh Minott could also emerge.

- Who will be the Grizzlies' starting point guard?

The good news for Memphis is that Jaren Jackson Jr. (foot) made his preseason debut on Friday and looked good. However, the Grizzlies have been hit hard by injuries at point guard. Ja Morant (ankle) did not play during the preseason and is not a lock to be available for Wednesday's season opener against the Pelicans. Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe) is out indefinitely as he needs to undergo surgery, and Ty Jerome (calf) was injured during the first quarter of Friday's win over the Heat.

The best-case scenario would be that Morant is cleared to play on Wednesday and Jerome's calf does not keep him on the sideline. The worst-case scenario would be that Morant and Jerome cannot play against New Orleans, likely resulting in rookie Javon Small being tabbed to fill the void. Small, who's rostered in less than one percent of Yahoo! leagues, did play well during the preseason. Depending on what the Grizzlies reveal on Monday and Tuesday regarding Morant and Jerome, there could be a mad dash to computers to add Small ahead of Wednesday's opener. Also, Memphis' three-game Week 1 includes a Friday/Saturday back-to-back; it isn't difficult to envision an injury management day for Morant (if available) due to the time missed and his overall injury history.

- The schedule breaks well for fantasy managers who have Joel Embiid rostered.

Yes, the 76ers only play two games during Week 1. However, that may be good for Embiid, who's returning from knee surgery and played 19 minutes in his first (and only) preseason action on Friday against the Timberwolves. He recorded 14 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two three-pointers, a reminder that Embiid doesn't need too much time to go off. However, the 76ers will exercise caution in increasing the 2023 MVP's workload.

Hopefully, Embiid can play both Week 1 games, as the 76ers begin Week 2 with a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back. Adem Bona, who's rostered in eight percent of Yahoo! leagues and started alongside Embiid on Friday, would have the most to gain fantasy-wise if the 76ers were to limit their star center's workload or decide to rest him outright at some point.

- Ten teams, including the Celtics, Lakers and Spurs, end Week 1 with a Sunday/Monday back-to-back.

There should not be many concerns regarding player availability for back-to-backs at this point in the season. However, that isn't guaranteed. Boston's back-to-back appears to be the most intensive from a travel standpoint, as they'll play road games against the Pistons (Sunday) and Pelicans (Monday). The aforementioned Tillman may be the one to watch availability-wise, as he only appeared in 33 games last season due to injuries. His moments of fantasy relevance have been rare, and he's rostered in less than one percent of Yahoo! leagues.

- Will Phoenix have Mark Williams for Week 1, and how much will he play?

Williams, who did not play at all during the preseason as the Suns cautiously ramped up his workload, did participate in a controlled scrimmage on Saturday. His status for Week 1 will be determined after the Suns ramp things up in practices on Monday and Tuesday, but he appears to be trending in the right direction. Phoenix's three-game Week 1 slate concludes with a Friday/Saturday road back-to-back against the Clippers and Nuggets, two teams that pose significant challenges at the center position.

Oso Ighodaro (one percent rostered) was the starting center during the preseason, with Nick Richards (three percent) and Khaman Maluach (seven percent) coming off the bench. Even if Williams can play in Wednesday's opener against the Kings, this will likely be a two-game week for him at best.

- The Kings will be down two starters for Week 1.

Keegan Murray (thumb) won't be back until mid-November at the earliest, while Domantas Sabonis (hamstring) will miss at least the first two games. Add Malik Monk missing the end of the preseason due to illness, and head coach Doug Christie won't be working with a full deck when the regular season begins. Drew Eubanks (one percent rostered) started the preseason finale for Sabonis, but Murray's replacement is not as straightforward. Dario Ŝarić (less than one percent) started on Wednesday but came off the bench two nights later, with Isaac Jones (less than one percent) starting on Friday.

Keon Ellis (13 percent) may be the best option with Murray sidelined, especially when factoring in Monk's recent absence. For managers willing to roll the dice, especially in deep leagues, why not kick the tires on rookie Nique Clifford (two percent)? He doesn't offer the size Murray provides, but the first-round pick is a versatile player who can be used at all three perimeter positions. It may not click for Clifford immediately, but he's a rookie who may prove more valuable to fantasy managers as the season progresses.

It's early in the season, but injuries are hitting the Grizzlies hard. Ja Morant is in question for the opener recovering from an ankle sprain, while centers Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke are both out as well due to injuries.

Now add Scotty Pippen Jr. to the mix, with the team announcing he will miss at least three months following surgery on his left big toe.

A Sesamoidectomy is the removal of a small, round bone — maybe the size of a pea or smaller — embedded within tendons around the big toe. Those bones help absorb pressure and facilitate movement, but can lead to pain when chronically stressed.

Ty Jerome will likely see an increase in minutes with Pippen out (as long as Jerome is healthy, he left the final Grizzlies preseason game with a calf issue). With Desmond Bane now in Orlando, more was going to fall on the plate of Pippen and now someone else needs to step up in those minutes.

Memphis has been hit hard by injuries in the past few seasons, an issue that began with Morant, who has played in just 59 games over those two seasons. The Grizzlies need a mostly healthy season to get a sense of just how good this team is and what needs to come next.

This had always been the plan.

From the day the Warriors signed Seth Curry to play alongside his older brother Stephen Curry for the first time professionally, it was made clear that the Warriors were eventually going to cut and waive Curry, only to re-sign him a month or two later. That cut came on Saturday.

Team finances and the tax aprons drove this. The Warriors are hard-capped at the second apron (because they used the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Al Horford). After agreeing to a new contract with Jonathan Kuminga, then soon after deals for Horford and De'Anthony Melton, the Warriors were bumping up against that cap. One of Seth Curry or Gui Santos had to be waived to get under that hard cap to start the season, and Curry was always the guy going to get the time off (this was clearly communicated with everyone, including Stephen).

The Warriors can re-sign Seth Curry on Nov. 15, when they will have the space to sign a pro-rated minimum contract for the rest of the season. However, the Warriors may wait longer than that, maybe into December, just to give themselves more cushion against the tax apron line.

Seth, 35, shot 45.6% on 3-pointers last season on his way to averaging 6.5 points a game in Charlotte. His shooting and style of play mesh well with the Warriors once they re-sign him, in a month or two.

While many prefer more traditional formats when playing fantasy basketball, others are more willing to try new formats. With that in mind, Yahoo! Sports has introduced its new High Score fantasy basketball game. There are some differences between this league and the head-to-head and roto setups we've grown accustomed to over the years. Let's look at how High Score is played, beginning with the rosters.

2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Draft Prep Guide: Rankings, strategy, sleepers, mock draft results, and more

Your one-stop-shop for Rotoworld’s fantasy basketball draft coverage.

• Rotoworld Staff,

- Each team has ten players, but only six will be active.

Lineups are set at the beginning of the week, with six active players and four on the bench. There are two guard slots for players with the point guard and/or shooting guard designation, three frontcourt slots (small forward, power forward and center) and one utility spot that can be occupied by any player regardless of position. The other four players will be on your bench, and you can slot them in at any point in the week.

However, there is a key factor that you'll need to take into consideration when moving a bench player into the lineup for that week. The points accrued by the player you've decided to bench come off the board and can't be recouped. Returning a benched player to the active lineup later in the week doesn't do the trick; only the points earned in games from that point onward will be eligible. Each player's high score from any game played during that week will count toward your team's score, so targeting players capable of an explosive performance is the best way to approach your draft.

- How does scoring work?

There are only five scoring categories for default High Score leagues, which are weighted.

Points: 1 point each

Rebounds: 1 point each

Assists: 2 points each

Steals: 3 points each

Blocks: 3 points each

For those who have played DFS, those point values will look somewhat similar, although rebounds and assists tend to count for 1.2 per rebound or assist. There are no decimals to deal with in High Score, only whole numbers. For those used to worrying about percentages or turnovers, those won't matter in High Score. That boosts the values of players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young and Zion Williamson, to name a few.

The game also limits some of the risk of drafting injury-prone players in other fantasy formats. Will you still use a first-round pick on Joel Embiid or Ja Morant, to name two players with prior injury issues? Probably not, but managers will be better positioned to compensate for a player missing time in High Score.

While the High Score format will take some getting used to, it's a relatively simple deal from a scoring standpoint. The substitution situation and what that can do to weekly scoring may take many managers the most time to get used to, possibly losing a matchup or two. With these rules in mind, I recently entered a draft, hoping to craft a team that could do some damage in the High Score format.

I picked from the second slot in a 10-round snake draft, kicking things off with San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. Below is how the draft played out.

2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Draft Strategy Mega Guide

Rotoworld fantasy basketball staffers offer up all the advice you need going into your fantasy drafts on one page.

• Raphielle Johnson,
• Noah Rubin,

Final team:

F,C Victor Wembanyama
F,C Alperen Şengün
G Jalen Brunson
G,F,C Dyson Daniels
F,C Joel Embiid
F,C OG Anunoby
G,F,C Cam Thomas
G,F,C Shaedon Sharpe
F,C Ausar Thompson
F,C RJ Barrett

Drafting a player of Wembanyama's caliber who can offer elite value in all five scoring categories opens things up regarding crafting your High Score team. I leaned toward offense with Şengün and Brunson, but Daniels was a must-have for me in the fourth round. Even with the second pick of the fifth round, I was unwilling to risk losing out on a defender of his caliber, especially after he racked up 229 steals and 55 blocked shots in 2024-25.

The back half of my draft focused primarily on players capable of putting in an explosive offensive performance, especially Thomas and Sharpe. The former is entering a contract year on a rebuilding team, while the latter is under similar pressure in Portland. Thompson hasn't been an explosive offensive option in Detroit, but I believe in what he brings to the table defensively. And with Jaden Ivey out to begin the regular season, there may be more room for Thompson to spread his wings as a slasher within the Pistons' offense.

This news is not a surprise. In fact, Trae Young was resigned to this outcome months ago.

Young and the Atlanta Hawks will not reach terms on a contract extension before the start of the season, something confirmed by Joe Varden and Fred Katz at The Athletic. Young will make $46 million this season and has a player option for $48.9 million next season — he could, in theory, leave the team for nothing as a free agent next summer.

Young's extension can be agreed to and signed at any point during this season, and Young has hinted on social media that he wants to sign one. However, Hawks management has built the best team around Young he has ever had, and new GM Onsi Saleh wants to see how all of this looks before extending anyone. On paper, the Hawks appear to be a top-four team in the East, with the potential to be a playoff threat to the Cavaliers and Knicks at the top of the conference. But what will they look like on the court?

Atlanta was aggressive in building out this roster. The Hawks traded for Kristaps Porzingis, who brings much-needed shot blocking on defense as well as a pick-and-pop partner for Young. Atlanta sign-and-traded for Nickeil Alexander-Walker to add shooting and defense on the wing. Speaking of shooting, the Hawks went out and got Luke Kennard.

Then there are the players in house expected to take a step forward. Jalen Johnson is healthy again after what looked to be a breakout season a year ago. Zaccharie Risacher seems poised to make a leap in his second season. Dyson Daniels was the league's Most Improved Player a season ago, while this is a big year for big man Onyeka Okongwu.

That's a lot of talent, but it puts pressure on Young to show he can be the leader of this team, not just a scorer or offensive force but a floor general when the team needs it. If Young can put all the puzzle pieces together, he will get his extension (his max would be four years, $229 million, but the number likely comes in a little below that).

It's just not happening before the season.