NBA Player News

Ayton ended with 14 points (7-9 FG), 15 rebounds and one assist over 30 minutes during Friday's 102-97 loss to the Magic.

Ayton found his shooting stroke after a tepid showing in the season opener. Ayton and Shaedon Sharpe had the most success against a solid Orlando defense, and the double-double was a relief to fantasy managers who invested in him with a high draft pick. The impact of Anfernee Simons' (thumb) injury is assuaged by a solid group of guards eager to make an impact, and they'll look to find a way to keep Ayton on the receiving end of assists in the interior.

Wagner logged 17 points (8-8 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 0-1 FT), nine rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 22 minutes during Friday's 102-97 victory over the Trail Blazers.

Wendell Carter appeared to struggle against Deandre Ayton, which gave Wagner extra time on the floor. Wagner logged only two points in the opener, but with Carter's shot running cold to begin the season, the 2018 first-round pick could see a significant uptick in minutes.

Duren chipped in 14 points (7-8 FG), 17 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 35 minutes during Friday's 111-99 victory over the Hornets. He also had five turnovers.

Duren fueled a 53-41 team rebounding edge for the Pistons, helping limit Charlotte's center duo of Mark Williams and Nick Richards to five total rebounds. The 19-year-old Duren was also extremely efficient, capitalizing at a high level around the basket. He's on the rise.

Sabonis closed Friday's 122-114 loss to Golden State with 19 points (7-15 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 18 rebounds, seven assists and three steals over 36 minutes.

Sabonis led all players with 18 boards in the contest, adding 19 points to notch his second straight double-double to begin the season. The big man also led Sacramento with seven assists, teasing his triple-double potential. Sabonis finished second in the NBA in that category with 14 triple-doubles last season, and he's started the current campaign looking like he hasn't missed a beat with averages of 20.5 points, 15.0 rebounds and 6.0 dimes through two contests.

Looney racked up eight points (4-6 FG), 12 rebounds, six assists, one block and three steals over 28 minutes during Friday's 122-114 victory over Sacramento.

As usual, Looney wasn't much of a factor on the offensive end Friday, but the big man compensated by performing well in nearly every other regard. The UCLA product led the Warriors with 12 boards and surprisingly finished second on the team with six dimes, behind only Chris Paul's 12. Looney also flourished on the defensive end after finishing without a steal or block in the regular-season opener Tuesday. Looney doesn't figure to spread stats this widely on a consistent basis, so fantasy managers should continue to view him mostly as a rebound specialist capable of chipping in a defensive stat or two.

Vucevic registered 11 points (4-15 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 2-3 FT), 12 rebounds, one assist and one block across 40 minutes during Friday's 104-103 overtime victory over the Raptors.

Vucevic has been a walking double-double for most of his 13-year career and has averaged at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in all but two of his full seasons. He struggled from the field Friday, though he wasn't the only one as the Bulls shot just 37.4 percent from the floor and went 8-for-39 from three. He'll have to work for his rebounds Saturday against the Pistons, who fielded a double-big lineup of Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren in their Friday win over the Hornets.

Adebayo had 27 points (10-24 FG, 7-9 FT), seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal in 35 minutes during Friday's 119-111 loss to the Celtics.

Adebayo finished second on the team in scoring while finishing three points shy of the 30-point mark in a big outing. Adebayo has gotten off to a strong start for the Heat this year, posting two straight games with at least 22 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks to begin the season.

Poeltl had eight points (4-5 FG) and six rebounds over 19 minutes before fouling out of Friday's 104-103 overtime loss to Chicago.

Poeltl's lack of minutes had much to do with his foul trouble throughout the game, and he played less than four minutes in the fourth quarter before fouling out. His lack of playing time may be something to monitor during the early portion of the season -- foul trouble or not -- as he logged just 24 minutes in the season opener Wednesday. Poeltl will have his hands full Saturday against reigning MVP Joel Embiid, who averaged 11.7 free throws per game last season.

Holmgren registered 16 points (5-9 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 13 rebounds, two assists, seven blocks and a steal over 31 minutes in Friday's 108-105 win over the Cavaliers.

It was a block party for Holmgren in Cleveland, whose seven blocks were a Thunder rookie record, and he was the first player to record seven rejections or more in a regular season game for the franchise since Moses Brown on May 16, 2021. This was also the first career double-double for Holmgren, and his 31 minutes played Friday is a noticeable increase from the 25 minutes he played in the season-opening win Wednesday against the Bulls. The Thunder will host the defending-champion Nuggets in their home opener Sunday, which will present Holmgren his biggest challenge yet against two-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

Lively will move into the starting lineup Friday against the Nets, according to Dallas reporter Grant Afseth.

It was a huge surprise to see Maxi Kleber starting over Lively on Opening Night, but Lively was far more effective than the veteran. After securing a double-double in his NBA debut, Lively's fantasy trajectory is pointing straight up.