NBA Player News

Ayton notched 20 points (10-17 FG), 11 rebounds and one assist over 34 minutes during Monday's 111-98 loss to the Kings.

Ayton led the Blazers with an efficient, team-high 20 points in the low-scoring loss. The big man also secured his fourth double-double in as many regular-season games this year. The 26-year-old is averaging 14.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals-plus-blocks across 32.3 minutes per game.

Kessler finished with 12 points (6-11 FG, 0-2 FT), 11 rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two steals over 30 minutes during Monday's 110-102 loss to the Mavericks.

Kessler was limited to just two points in the blowout loss to the Warriors on Oct. 25, but other than that, the big man has been excellent to start the season, posting two double-doubles in three starts. He remains an impactful player on defense as well, racking up eight blocks and three steals in those three contests.

Poeltl provided 16 points (7-13 FG, 2-2 FT), 19 rebounds, two assists and one block in 40 minutes during Monday's 127-125 overtime loss to the Nuggets.

Aside from Poeltl sniffing a 20-20 game, the fact he did that while dealing with the threat of Nikola Jokic throughout the entire contest makes it even more valuable. Poeltl is a standout two-way performer who could flourish with enough touches in Toronto, and he's enjoying a solid start to the season. Through four games, the veteran big man is averaging 12.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per contest.

Jokic ended with 40 points (18-27 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal over 44 minutes during Monday's 127-125 overtime victory over the Raptors.

Jokic seems to have taken over any plan the Nuggets might have and is doing things by himself, controlling the flow of the offense and determining when to attack and feed his teammates. Fantasy managers will certainly appreciate the high usage rage, but Jokic has proven to be a player who can fill the stat sheet even without astronomically high usage. The numbers don't lie, and Jokic is averaging a monster line of 32.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game through his first three outings of the 2024-25 campaign.

Capela closed Monday's 121-119 loss to Washington with 16 points (6-6 FG, 4-6 FT), four rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 25 minutes.

Capela had been outplayed by Onyeka Okongwu (toe) in recent games, but with the latter sidelined Monday, Capela stated his case to continue in a starting role Monday. The veteran big man displayed an efficient touch near the rim and made his mark defensively. Capela is not expected to record the numbers he used to deliver in his prime years with Houston, but he remains a serviceable fantasy option who can flirt with a double-double every time he steps on the court.

Sarr produced seven points (3-11 FG, 1-5 3Pt), nine rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal across 27 minutes during Monday's 121-119 win over the Hawks.

As has been the trend during his first games at the NBA level, Sarr was impressive from a defensive perspective but struggled to get things going on offense. Even though three games aren't enough to draw valid conclusions, Sarr is averaging just 7.0 points per game while shooting 28.6 percent from the field, although he's also putting up 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 0.7 steals per contest. The potential is clearly there, and while it's a matter of whether he can put it together, the Wizards will give him every chance in the world to develop and soak up as many minutes as he can during a rebuilding season.

Collins recorded 11 points (3-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds, one assist and two steals across 13 minutes during Monday's 106-101 loss to the Rockets.

Collins played limited minutes off the bench but finished the night with a serviceable fantasy line. As long as Victor Wembanyama is healthy, Collins is unlikely to play more than about 15 minutes on any given night. He can chip in on both ends of the floor, but without the playing time, he simply can't be trusted outside of very deep leagues.

Adams supplied six points (3-3 FG, 0-1 FT) and three rebounds across 14 minutes during Monday's 106-101 victory over San Antonio.

Adams made his debut for the Rockets, serving as the primary backup behind Alperen Sengun. Now towards the back end of his career, Adams provides the young Rockets with a veteran presence. He is unlikely to move the needle when it comes to fantasy, unless of course, Sengun misses time throughout the season. If and when that were to happen, Adams could be a viable streaming option for anyone needing rebounds.

Bryant logged four points (1-4 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT) and two rebounds over 13 minutes during Monday's 106-98 win over Detroit.

Bryant continues to play as the primary backup behind Bam Adebayo, playing limited minutes off the bench. He has been a non-factor to this point, offering nothing in the way of tangible production. Kel'el Ware put together a strong Summer League and preseason, which could eventually stand for something when it comes to who should be the backup center. While the position is currently Bryant's to lose, he is by no means a player managers need to concern themselves with.

Lopez closed with 13 points (5-14 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six rebounds, four blocks and two steals across 32 minutes during Monday's 119-108 loss to Boston.

Despite an inefficient night, the big man ended as the club's third-highest scorer behind Damian Lillard (33) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (30). Lopez also posted a game-high four blocks, and he has totaled 13 swats through four regular-season games thus far. The 36-year-old did struggle from beyond the arc, and he has shot a combined 5-for-21 from downtown this year.