Sunday Musings: Knicks get their rings, Dylan Harper starting and more going into Week 1

The 2026-27 NBA season is finally here, kicking off with a tripleheader on Tuesday, October 20. Will Denver's Nikola Jokić remain the most valuable player to roster in fantasy basketball? Or will San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama take the crown? Fantasy managers also want to know which players will emerge as excellent options and which ones will disappoint. Here are some key storylines going into Week 1, plus some low-rostered waiver-wire options and the schedule breakdown.

Five Week 1 Storylines

- Knicks receive their championship rings: The regular season begins with a tripleheader on NBC, with the second game being New York hosting Philadelphia. It's ring night for the Knicks, who won the franchise's first NBA title since 1973 back in June. Most of the key contributors are back, except Mitchell Robinson, who's now in Boston. The preseason didn't look great for Mike Brown's team, but he kept things vanilla, which contributed to the 1-4 record.

The lingering question: how will the contract statuses of some rotation players, most notably Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, impact the team throughout the season? The front office issued a statement late in the preseason that contract talks would halt for now. While Hart has a team option for 2027-28, KAT has a player option, so he could become a free agent next summer.

All five Knicks starters need to be rostered in 12-team fantasy leagues, with Towns and Jalen Brunson offering the highest floor. But don't sleep on OG Anunoby, who has provided solid top-50 value in each of his two full seasons with the franchise. New York plays three games in Week 1, all against teams that reached the postseason in 2025-26 and are expected to be Eastern Conference factors (Philadelphia, Boston, and Orlando).

- Dylan Harper moves into the Spurs' starting lineup: Harper made some waves during the offseason when he said in a GQ interview that he views himself as a starter. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson agrees, saying the second-year guard will start alongside De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle during the regular season. The question is how this will impact the Spurs' offensive spacing.

In the team's preseason finale against the Kings, the trio shot a combined 6-of-13 from beyond the arc. Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama can also knock down perimeter shots, so the Spurs won't need to compensate for poor shooting. Tuesday's opener against the Thunder will be a much tougher test for San Antonio, but the move into the starting lineup pushed Harper up fantasy draft boards.

- Kristaps Porziņǵis remains out indefinitely: The Warriors re-signed Porziņǵis this summer, giving the 7-foot-3 forward/center a two-year, $40 million deal with a player option for 2027-28. The hope was that he could be a consistent contributor after injuries, including a lingering illness, that limited Porziņǵis to 32 games (15 with the Warriors) last season. Unfortunately, he missed the entire preseason with an unspecified health issue, and it's unclear when Porziņǵis can play. With Al Horford expected to play around 20 minutes per night, Golden State enters the season lacking frontcourt depth.

As a result, Yaxel Lendeborg, who played well in Summer League and even better in the preseason, will start. Could he be worth more than a late-round flier in last-minute drafts? One could certainly argue that Lendeborg will be. Also, Draymond Green may be asked to play more minutes at center than head coach Steve Kerr would prefer. Gui Santos and Georges Niang will also factor into the frontcourt rotation as the Warriors begin the season without Porziņǵis and wings Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody.

- Will AJ Dybantsa have to miss time due to his sprained ankle: Dybantsa sprained his left ankle during the Wizards' preseason finale on Friday against the Pelicans, and his status for Washington's opener on October 21 against the Bucks is unknown. Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said the team sat Dybantsa for the second half of Friday's exhibition as a precaution. If Dybantsa can't play on Wednesday, Khris Middleton and Bilal Coulibaly appear to be the first choices to fill the void.

- Which players will complete the Lakers' starting lineup: Early in the preseason, it appeared that Quentin Grimes was on track to land a spot in the starting five. However, the Lakers' second unit lacks offensive creators, and while Grimes hasn't been much of a playmaker in his NBA career, he can provide the offensive production that group needs. He came off the bench in Friday's preseason finale, and that may be Grimes' role for the foreseeable future. Fantasy managers shouldn't worry, as he should still play plenty.

Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle rounded out the starting lineup in Friday's loss to the Nuggets, joining Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler. Williams offers a higher offensive ceiling than Thybulle if this lineup holds, but fantasy managers may be better served rostering either Grimes or Sandro Mamukelashvili

Five more storylines

- Tyrese Haliburton looked great to end the preseason, which is good news for the Pacers and fantasy managers: Given the fact that he missed all of last season after rupturing his Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, the Pacers aren't going to ask too much of their star point guard immediately. However, Haliburton looked really good in the Pacers' final two preseason games, a sign he's ready to be the elite fantasy option he was before the injury. A healthy Haliburton also raises the fantasy ceiling of multiple Pacers, most notably Pascal Siakam.

And a non-fantasy question: is Indiana being underrated in the East? Ivica Zubac brings different traits to the center position than Myles Turner did, but this is a deep group that has many of the characteristics that made it so successful before the Haliburton injury.

- The Ja Morant/Damian Lillard backcourt takes on the regular season: The Trail Blazers will have a new backcourt this season after Lillard sat out all of last season recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, and Morant was acquired from the Grizzlies. During the preseason, both guards had the ball in their hands to initiate the offense, but Morant appeared to be the point guard more consistently. Does that remain the case during the regular season? Also, how much will Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday play?

The good news is that having Morant and Lillard on the court together didn't hurt Deni Avdija's usage. He's coming off his best season, and there was legitimate concern that Avdija's fantasy value would take a significant hit. Donovan Clingan remains an excellent option for managers punting free-throw percentage, and he may also be more valuable for managers punting points, based on his preseason scoring output.

- Sacramento goes into the season light on frontcourt options: The Kings were hit hard by injuries during the preseason, losing Maxime Raynaud (knee) and Dylan Cardwell (calf). Based on their respective re-evaluation timelines, both will miss the start of the regular season. Precious Achiuwa, who finished last season as a starter, will take on a larger role despite coming off the bench. Ben Simmons, initially signed to back up rookie Darius Acuff Jr. at point guard, will start.

Whether at guard or forward, he can create for the Kings, and injuries to Raynaud and Cardwell likely raise Simmons' early-season fantasy ceiling. Jonathan Mogbo may get some early-season minutes, but fantasy managers should focus on Simmons and Achiuwa.

- Charlotte likely to be down multiple rotation players: The Hornets did not have Kon Knueppel, Coby White or Grant Williams during the preseason, as Knueppel and Williams were out with hamstring injuries while White was sidelined by a strained calf. Add in Grayson Allen, who missed the final few preseason games with a knee injury, and Charlotte may be without four rotation players when they open their season on October 21 against the Nets.

Knueppel and White are the biggest names, as both were expected to start. Dennis Schröder served as the starting point guard, and that should remain the case if White can't play in Week 1. Knueppel's place is a bit more complicated, given his importance as one of the Hornets' main scorers. Brandon Miller and Naz Reid will have to carry the offensive workload. Would Royce O'Neale be worth the streaming risk while Knueppel sits? He can provide three-pointers and steals, but not much else.

- October 19 is rookie scale extension deadline day for 2023 first-round picks: So far, only five members of that draft class have finalized contract extensions that will go into effect next season: Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio), Amen Thompson (Houston), Keyonte George (Utah), Ausar Thompson (Detroit) and Brandin Podziemski (Golden State). Sixteen other members of that class are eligible for an extension until Monday's deadline, including Brandon Miller (Charlotte), Anthony Black (Orlando), Scoot Henderson (Portland), and Cason Wallace (Oklahoma City). Depending on what happens between now and Monday evening, next summer's restricted free agent class could be pretty crowded.

Three Questions

1. How will the 76ers utilize LeBron James?

In the immediate aftermath of his signing with the 76ers, much of the conversation surrounding James' role in Philadelphia focused on him sharing playmaking duties with Tyrese Maxey. However, that was when the 76ers were relatively healthy in the frontcourt.

Of course, we all know about Joel Embiid's injury history. However, Adem Bona didn't play at all during the preseason because of a foot injury, and Ariel Hukporti suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture in the preseason opener against the Knicks. As a result, head coach Nick Nurse mentioned James as one option to help address the team's depth concerns at center.

In addition to Bona once he's cleared, Dean Wade, Dominick Barlow, and Jabari Walker are three other possibilities, but we may see LeBron do some of his playmaking at the center position. With the 76ers playing four games in Week 1, the only team doing so, fantasy managers should have a good idea of what it will look like if LeBron plays at five.

2. What are the fantasy ceilings of Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball in Minnesota?

After multiple playoff runs following the trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York, the Timberwolves decided to change course this offseason. Naz Reid (Charlotte) and Julius Randle (Brooklyn) were out, and Ball was in. He'll share the backcourt with Edwards as Minnesota looks to take the next step in the West. While there will be some defensive questions to answer, adding a playmaker like Ball may raise Edwards' already-high fantasy ceiling on the offensive end of the floor.

Jaden McDaniels may also benefit from the changes, as losing Reid and Randle means the Timberwolves will need more offense from one of the NBA's top on-ball defenders. Also, Donte DiVincenzo's Achilles injury opens opportunities for Ayo Dosunmu and Jonathan Kuminga, with the latter signed late in free agency.

3. Which Thunder guard will be most trustworthy in fantasy basketball?

The economics of the modern NBA have forced front offices to make difficult decisions, and Oklahoma City is no exception. This offseason, the Thunder traded Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins to Atlanta and Isaiah Joe to Detroit to manage the salary cap. As a result, Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain will take on larger roles as Oklahoma City looks to win its second title in three seasons.

Wallace, who started 58 games last season, will take on that role full-time, while Mitchell and McCain will be the first two guards off the bench. While Wallace and Mitchell were close to top-100 players in category leagues last season, McCain was nowhere near that threshold, whether you're talking about the entire season or the 30 games he played after being traded to Oklahoma City. While Wallace and Mitchell are worth considering in 12-team formats, McCain is a deeper-league option for now.

Scouring the waiver wire (players rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues)

G: Bennedict Mathurin (New Orleans, 20%); Mikel Brown Jr. (Brooklyn, 19%); Jared McCain (Oklahoma City, 17%)

F: Dillon Brooks (Phoenix, 43%); Saddiq Bey (New Orleans, 38%); PJ Washington (Dallas, 38%); Kelly Oubre Jr. (Indiana, 14%)

C: Nikola Vučević (Orlando, 28%); Mitchell Robinson (Boston, 26%); Bobby Portis (Miami, 21%); Jalen Smith (Chicago, 13%)

Schedule Breakdown

Week 1 Games Played

4 Games: PHI

3 Games: ATL, BKN, CHA, CHI, DAL, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOR, NYK, OKC, ORL, SAC, SAS, TOR, UTA, WAS

2 Games: BOS, CLE, DEN, PHI, POR

Week 1 Back-to-backs

Monday-Tuesday: None

Tuesday-Wednesday: None

Wednesday-Thursday: None

Thursday-Friday: None

Friday-Saturday: ATL, CHA, CHI, DAL, GSW, HOU, MIA, MIL, NOR, SAS, WAS

Saturday-Sunday: BKN, PHI

Sunday-Monday (Week 2): IND, MIN, OKC, UTA