NBA Player News

Hartenstein had four points (2-4 FG), three rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in 17 minutes during Tuesday's 116-104 win over the Spurs.

Hartenstein picked up five personal fouls, preventing him from establishing a rhythm against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. The veteran center played fewer minutes than Chet Holmgren and saw rookie Aday Mara contribute seven points in nearly 12 minutes off the bench. Hartenstein's passing and defensive versatility remain valuable, but Tuesday's limited workload resulted in an underwhelming fantasy performance.

Duren provided 22 points (8-13 FG, 6-7 FT), nine rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 28 minutes during Tuesday's 121-113 victory over the Celtics.

Duren narrowly missed a double-double while matching Cade Cunningham for Detroit's scoring lead. The former also converted a pivotal three-point play during the Pistons' fourth-quarter comeback and committed just one turnover. His efficient finishing and strong free-throw shooting were notable, particularly after he connected on six of seven attempts from the charity stripe. Duren remains a reliable source of points, rebounds and field-goal percentage in fantasy formats.

Queta amassed three points (1-3 FG, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal over 22 minutes during Tuesday's 121-113 loss to the Pistons.

Queta played more minutes than starting center Mitchell Robinson, who logged 18 but struggled to make an impact offensively and committed four fouls. The two blocks and a steal helped salvage his fantasy production, and his playing time suggests Boston could continue splitting center minutes between Queta and Robinson. However, the timeshare may limit Queta's rebounding and scoring opportunities.

Wembanyama registered 12 points (1-13 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 10-12 FT), 13 rebounds, three assists, six blocks and one steal over 34 minutes during Tuesday's 116-104 loss to the Thunder.

Wembanyama had a night to forget offensively, going ice cold from the field and missing his first 12 shots. He scored only on an alley-oop from Fox as time expired in the third quarter. He still led San Antonio in rebounds and blocks and went 10-of-12 from the line to reach double figures. Wembanyama will look for a bounce-back when he faces Houston in Austin on Friday.

Mara produced seven points (3-4 FG, 1-2 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one block across 12 minutes during Tuesday's 116-104 win over the Spurs.

Mara made a significant impact in his NBA debut, scoring efficiently off the bench in 12 minutes. The 7-3 rookie's biggest moment came on defense, when he blocked a Victor Wembanyama alley-oop attempt. Thunder centers Isaiah Hartenstein and Holmgren took most of the minutes in the frontcourt, but Mara's success against Wembanyama should earn him more minutes going forward.

Reed accumulated six points (2-3 FG, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, two assists and one steal over 17 minutes during Tuesday's 121-113 victory over the Celtics.

Reed turned in a serviceable performance, doing just enough to keep him in the discussion for standard fantasy leagues. Assuming he can play at least 17 minutes per game, he should be able to do just enough to hold value, particularly in big-friendly builds. Given that Javonte Green was shooting the lights out in this one, there is also a chance that Reed could see a little more court time on most nights, a fact that shouldn't be lost on fantasy managers.

Robinson posted four points (2-2 FG, 0-2 FT), three rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal in 18 minutes during Tuesday's 121-113 loss to the Pistons.

Robinson was given the starting nod for the season opener, supplanting Neemias Queta. Despite the promotion, Robinson still played just 18 minutes, providing very little outside of his three combined steals and blocks. Luka Garza also featured in the rotation, logging eight minutes off the bench. Given that all three could spend time at the center spot, it's hard to know who should be prioritized in fantasy. For now, let's work under the assumption that Queta will play the most minutes, perhaps providing him with the safest floor.

Embiid ended with 13 points (4-15 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 11 rebounds, six assists, three blocks and two steals in 33 minutes during Tuesday's 106-100 win over the Knicks.

Embiid tied for fourth place in scoring for the 76ers on Tuesday, but he did lead the team in rebounding while sacrificing some usage to accommodate for the arrivals of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. The star big man endured a start-stop 2025-26 campaign due to various injuries, and Embiid is looking to play at least 60 regular-season games this year for the first time since 2022-23.

Drummond had 12 points (5-13 FG, 2-4 FT), 14 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal in 24 minutes during Tuesday's 106-100 loss to Philadelphia.

Karl-Anthony Towns picked up two early fouls Tuesday, which helped allow Drummond to log a double-double before the start of the second half. The veteran center might make for a popular fantasy pickup following a productive Opening Night showing, but the expectation is still that Drummond will be stuck in a reserve role going forward.

Towns ended with 19 points (6-9 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 4-7 FT), 12 rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks over 24 minutes in Tuesday's 106-100 loss to Philadelphia.

Towns found himself in early foul trouble on Opening Night. As a result, he would finish the first half with just five points in six minutes of work. It was a different story in the second half, with the 30-year-old veteran amassing 14 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. It wasn't a perfect game from Towns, who could be entering his final year as a Knick. Still, he began the year with a double-double, and while he also had issues taking care of the ball, it was a good start to the 2026-27 campaign.