Fantasy Basketball News

Stanley Johnson will be sitting out the opener due to a toe injury. (Source: James Edwards III on Twitter )

Fantasy Impact: With Johnson out, look for Luke Kennard and Glenn Robinson III to get some more opportunities Wednesday.

Courtney Lee (neck) is inactive for Wednesday's season opener vs the Hawks. (Source: Steve Popper on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Coach David Fizdale wants to give Lee time to acclimate, which is unusual considering Lee is a veteran. This will free up for time for Frank Ntilikina and possibly Alonzo Trier to get more minutes. Lee practiced on Sunday so he should be close to returning.

Carmelo Anthony will come off the bench in his Rockets debut against the Pelicans. (Source: Jonathan Feigen on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: After refusing to do so last year with OKC to wildly negative consequences, and saying in the media he would do the same in Houston, 'Melo has finally taken one for the team and accepted a role on the second unit. It makes sense to have an aging guy who can still score like Anthony supplementing the second unit rather than taking shots from the Chris Paul-James Harden duo on the first unit. Melo's success off the bench will be one of the most interesting stories of this young season.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has been confirmed out for the Nets' season opener against the Pistons. (Source: Brian Lewis on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Hollis-Jefferson practiced in full on Sunday but was still ruled out as he continues to deal with a left adductor problem for a some time now and will most likely miss Brooklyn's next game as well. With DeMarre Carroll undergoing knee surgery yesterday, youngster Caris Levert is in line for a big night against the Pistons.

Justise Winslow will be out for Miami's season opening matchup with the Magic. (Source: Manny Navarro on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Winslow along with teammate Wayne Ellington (ankle) were both declared inactive for Miami's season opener. The good news for Winslow is that coach Erik Spoelstra said the hamstring is not a long-term issue, it will however likely keep him out for the Heat's next game against the Wizards.

Wayne Ellington has been confirmed out for the Heat's season opener against the Magic.

Fantasy Impact: Ellington along with teammate Justise Winslow were both confirmed to be inactive for the Heat's season opening tilt tonight. Ellington hasn't played all preseason due to the injury and apparently hasn't healed enough for real game action. Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson will be the main beneficiaries during his absence.

Delon Wright has been ruled out for the Raptors season opener tonight against the Cavaliers. (Source: Blake Murphy on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Wright was moving very gingerly after hurting his groin last week and is therefore inactive tonight. His absence on Toronto's prolific second unit means some added opportunities for Fred Van Vleet and Norman Powell.

James Johnson will miss the Heat season opener on Wednesday as he recovers from a hernia. (Source: Heat on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Johnson has been able to get in some practices so he appears to be getting close to ready to take the court. The Heat plays the second game of a back-to-back on Thursday which Johnson should be considered questionable for. Kelly Olynyk will get some extra run with Johnson out.

Alex Len is considered probable to play in the Hawks season opener against the Knicks on Wednesday. (Source: Kevin Chouinard on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Len has been dealing with a sore back but could see extended minutes in the opener with both Dewayne Dedmon and John Collins out. Len is a capable high fantasy point per minute player as long as he can stay out of foul trouble.

Dewayne Dedmon has been ruled out for the Hawks season opener on Wednesday with an ankle injury. (Source: Kevin Chouinard on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: With Dedmon and John Collins out, look for the combination of Alex Len and Omari Spellman to get extended minutes. Dedmon has started increasing his activity but his timeframe for return is unknown.

Carroll had a successful arthroscopic procedure on his right ankle on Tuesday. (Source: Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: This knocks out Carroll from the Nets' season opener on Wednesday. The Nets did not provide a timetable for his return. With Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also in doubt for the opener, Caris LeVert could see big minutes on Wednesday night.

Crabbe has been battling injuries lately, and did not practice on Sunday. He's now officially out of the opener. (Source: Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: With Crabbe out of the rotation, expect Caris LeVert to take a more prominent role in the Nets' rotation. The Nets run a fast paced offense, and LeVert could be a cheap punt play on DFS for Wednesday slate of NBA games.

Gordon Hayward is all set to start in the season opener against the 76ers after missing all but five minutes of last season. Hayward is expected to be limited in minutes to about 25 in this game. Hayward will start with Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Al Horford. (Source: Celtics on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: The Celtics are ready to unleash the tandem of Hayward and Irving while Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier will come off the bench. Hayward should be started in all season-long leagues but is a risky DFS option in this one.

Emmanuel Mudiay (sprained right ankle) has been ruled out for Wednesday's season opener vs the Hawks. (Source: Mike Vorkunov on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Mudiay missed practice Monday so this comes as no surprise. He will fight for minutes when he's healthy but his poor performance in the preseason leaves him with little to no fantasy value.

Russell Westbrook has officially been ruled out for Tuesday's season opener against the Golden State Warriors. Westbrook will have three days to rest for Friday's game but should be questionable again for that contest. Dennis Schroder will start in his place. (Source: Royce Young on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: With Westbrook out, it will be Paul George who will lead the way for the Thunder against the Warriors. Dennis Schroder is a solid mid-range play with only two games on the slate. Steven Adams, Raymond Felton, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot also benefit.

Mike Muscala will not play in the season opener on Tuesday against the Celtics due to an ankle injury. Amir Johnson and Dario Saric will see more minutes while TJ McConnell will also get more run. (Source: Keith Pompey on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Muscala doesn't carry much fantasy value but Markelle Fultz should be fired up in all leagues and formats including DFS. Dario Saric probably benefits the most in terms of 76ers bigs.

Waiters still hasn't returned from his January foot and ankle surgery. There is still no estimated timetable for his return. (Source: Ira Winderman on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: The Heat will have to utilize Josh Richardson as much as ever. Wade, Ellington and even Rodney McGruder will handle plenty of minutes to start the season with both Dion and James Johnson unavailable.

DeMarcus Cousins has officially been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Thunder, as expected. Cousins could miss all of the 2018 games with an timetable to return is expected in December or January. With Cousins out, Damian Jones will start at C with Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell seeing more minutes. (Source: Warriors PR on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Jones is worth a look in all leagues and should be a popular DFS option as a cheap value play in the opener. Bell and Looney will see more minutes but until we see the rotation, both should be left on the waiver wire. Boogie Cousins is a strong hold in re-draft leagues.

Devin Booker will start and play against the Mavericks on Wednesday in the regular season opener. Despite offseason hand surgery, Booker is good to go and will start at point guard this season alongside Josh Jackson, Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson, and Deandre Ayton. (Source: Duane Rankin on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Booker could easily provide first-round value if he can boost up the assists this season while playing the point alongside rookie Deandre Ayton. It should also help that the Suns added Ariza and Anderson who can knock it down from three. Booker should be a popular DFS option against the Mavericks as well.

Enes Kanter sat out Friday's preseason finale against the Nets for rest purposes. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Enes Kanter played in three out of the five preseason games averaging a double double. He should be a good fantasy option at center.