Fantasy News

Memphis has a three-way competition brewing for No. 1 point guard duties ahead of training camp, featuring Scotty Pippen (toe), Ty Jerome (ankle) and Spencer. Even if he fails to seize a starting position to open the year, Spencer is far more likely than D'Angelo Russell to play meaningful minutes in the backcourt off the bench for the rebuilding Grizzlies. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (finger) also agreed to a buyout with Memphis on Saturday, further improving Spencer's chances of claiming a big role with the second unit.

Pippen will have to gain clearance ahead of training camp after undergoing a toe procedure in March, but he certainly appears to be a winner of the team's offseason moves. Ty Jerome (ankle) poses a significant risk to Pippen's role, however, and the two guards figure to engage in a battle for the top role at the point this fall. Pippen is looking to bounce back following an injury-ruined 2025-25 campaign, during which he averaged 11.4 points, 4.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 21.2 minutes per game across 10 regular-season appearances (six starts).

Scotty Pippen (toe) appears to be the early favorite for the starting spot at point guard, but there's no denying how effective Jerome was when healthy in 2025-26. Across 15 regular-season appearances, Jerome averaged a hyper-efficient 19.7 points, 5.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in just 22.6 minutes per game. Pippen underwent a toe procedure in March, so it remains to be seen if he'll be cleared for full participation in training camp this fall.

Irving is close to a full ACL surgery recovery, so he should be a full participant by the time training camp comes around in the fall. The star guard hasn't yet gotten the chance to take the floor since the Mavericks drafted Cooper Flagg last year, so it'll be interesting to see how the two mesh once they're sharing the backcourt duties together.

Additionally, the Hawks added rookie Kingston Flemings while previously acquiring Aaron Wiggins. Alexander-Walker's defensive versatility and three-point shooting should still earn him a big role in the rotation, but the Hawks suddenly have much greater depth on the wing, making it more difficult for him to secure consistent touches. As a result, Alexander-Walker's upside may not be as appealing as it was in 2025-26.

While Paul George is expected to absorb most of Jaylen Brown's minutes, George's recent durability concerns may create additional opportunities for Hauser on the wing throughout the season. Hauser should continue to provide elite three-point shooting, with his fantasy value receiving a boost whenever George requires maintenance days or misses time.

Although Paul George is expected to step into a starting role, Brown's departure creates extra ball-handling and scoring chances throughout the rotation, potentially allowing Pritchard to build on last season's breakout campaign. Increased minutes in three-guard lineups could help preserve his fantasy relevance despite George's arrival.

George's ability to space the floor and operate off the ball should fit well alongside White. However, Brown's departure leaves significant shot-creation opportunities that White may be asked to fill. His versatile stat profile already gives him a high fantasy floor, and a modest increase in usage would further boost his value.

While George remains an effective two-way wing, he's unlikely to command the same offensive workload as Brown at this stage of his career, potentially leading to even greater scoring and playmaking responsibilities for Tatum. Assuming he returns to full health, Tatum has a legitimate path to career-best usage in 2026-27.

While Porter should continue to benefit from Randle's ability to draw defensive attention, Randle's high-usage style may reduce Porter's shot volume after he emerged as the team's top-scoring option last season. Porter should still have plenty of fantasy appeal due to his elite shooting and rebounding, but his scoring upside may take a slight hit if Randle dominates possessions as expected.

The Nuggets will hold onto Jones after the Thunder offered him a deal Saturday. The 25-year-old wing went undrafted in 2024 and began his career on a two-way pact, though he was eventually upgraded to a standard deal in February. He appeared in 64 regular-season games (37 starts) in 2025-26, averaging 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.8 steals across 22.1 minutes per contest.