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
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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.
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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.
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– 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.
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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.
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– 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.
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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.
