On Wednesday, Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced that the team had exercised its fourth-year contract option on forward/center Chet Holmgren. Last season, he received NBA All-Rookie First Team honors as he started 82 games. He also finished second in Rookie of the Year voting after averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.3 blocks in 29.4 minutes. The 22-year-old quietly filled the stat sheet last season, and he will also make a significant impact in fantasy for this year's campaign.

Boston Celtics small forward Sam Hauser is listed as questionable for tomorrow night's game against the Washington Wizards with lower back pain. Hauser was able to log 24 minutes in Tuesday night's thrashing of the New York Knicks and put up 10 points while going two-for-seven from deep. Those numbers are in line with what Hauser produced off the bench for Boston last season and aren't fully a beneficiary of garbage time. If Hauser is ruled out for tomorrow night's game, expect Xavier Tillman Sr. to get a bit more shooting volume at the forward position, though his scoring threats are more likely to happen in the interior rather than from deep. It's possible that Payton Pritchard may see more of an uptick in three point attempts to make up for Hauser's absence if he is indeed ruled out. Fantasy managers should target Pritchard over Tillman Sr. if there's a choice between the two.

The NBA is likely to investigate the Philadelphia 76ers later this week in regards to Joel Embiid's player participation. The Sixers rested their star center all preseason and plan to sit him for at least the first three games of the regular season, putting his potential season debut to be next Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons. It's generally a standard for the league to investigate teams any time a start player misses a nationally televised game as Wednesday's home opener against the Bucks will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. From Philadelphia's perspective, their plan is to keep Embiid healthy for the postseason. The big man has been nursing his left knee after tearing his meniscus in late January and is incredibly important to the Sixers' success. While Embiid rests his knee, Andre Drummond will be starting in his place. Drummond should be able to grab a significant amount of rebounds after averaging nine rebounds per game for the Chicago Bulls last season. Drummond will be a very solid fantasy option until Embiid returns to the lineup.

Sacramento Kings shooting guard Kevin Huerter (shoulder) has been cleared to return from his shoulder injury and will play in the Kings' season opener on Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Huerter was sidelined with the injury for the last 15 games of the 2023-2024 season and will be a welcome return to the Kings' lineup. Head coach Mike Brown noted the other day that the 26-year-old would "probably" start if he was able to return, meaning he may still hold his normal fantasy value that managers have grown accustomed to. His role may be affected, though, by both the acquisition of DeMar DeRozan and the departure of Harrison Barnes. Given Huerter's value is generally dependent on his three-point shooting, fantasy managers should still expect him to get up his usual amount of threes to replace Barnes' volume. DeRozan generally doesn't do much of his damage from behind the arc, so fantasy managers should not worry about Huerter losing volume to him.

Utah Jazz point guard Isaiah Collier (hamstring) has been ruled out for the Jazz's season opener on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies. Collier's absence isn't a surprise as the rookie was diagnosed with a hamstring strain last week and was expected to miss at least 10 days. Fantasy managers should expect his debut to happen no sooner than Monday when the Jazz travel to Dallas to play the Mavericks. Collier was drafted with the 29th overall pick out of USC where he averaged 16.3 PPG and 4.3 APG for the Trojans. Collier missing time shouldn't change much for the Jazz as he was slated to come off the bench for Utah. Expect veteran Patty Mills to take his place as the backup point guard for Utah. Mills' production over the last four seasons has dropped off and he likely will not be a reliable fantasy option for those looking to fill Collier's place.

Utah Jazz shooting guard Johnny Juzang (thumb) has been ruled out for the Jazz's season opener on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies. Juzang has a right thumb sprain and the team has not given a potential return date yet. The 23-year-old performed well from deep during the preseason, shooting over 50% from three. However, he was still likely to find himself outside of the Jazz's rotation. His absence will likely go unnoticed for Utah fans. Fantasy managers looking for depth at the guard position may want to consider Svi Mykhailiuk who came over from Boston this offseason. Mykhailiuk's output wasn't inspiring off Boston's bench but he did shoot 38.9% from three. During the preseason the 27-year-old averaged 12.5 PPG on 9.5 FGA while averaging two threes made per game. He is much more likely to have a significant fantasy impact than Juzang once Juzang is back and healthy.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert signed a three-year $110 million extension Monday according to ESPN's Shams Charania. As part of the move, Gobert declined his $46.6 million player option for 2025-2026 as the extension will start with the 2025-2026 season, keeping him in Minnesota through 2028. The 32-year-old is entering his third season with Minnesota as their starting center and will have to get used to playing alongside the newly acquired Julius Randle after Minnesota traded Karl Anthony-Towns to the New York Knicks. Gobert has averaged 13.7 PPG and 12.3 RPG coming into Tuesday night's season opener, making him a reliable option around the rim. In his first game after signing his new extension, Gobert scored 13 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Timberwolves' 110-103 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He will continue to be a reliable fantasy option in Minnesota's offensive system for the coming years, especially for fantasy managers in need of rebound production.

Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (hamstring) will be unavailable on Wednesday when the team starts its 2024-25 campaign against Golden State. The injury-prone big man is rehabbing a Grade 1 hamstring strain he suffered in training camp. Williams III was initially ruled out for two weeks, but it's taking him longer to get into game shape. Donovan Clingan should get more playing time due to Williams III's absence. However, the seven-foot-three rookie may not be used much on Wednesday against the dynamic Warriors, who don't have a traditional big man in their starting lineup.

New Orleans Pelicans guard/forward Trey Murphy III (hamstring) will remain on the sidelines for Wednesday's season opener against Chicago. He was given a three-week timeline for his return when Murphy III strained his right hamstring at the start of October. Unfortunately, Wednesday's game comes too soon for him to be ready to play. According to The Athletic's Will Guillory, Murphy III said on Tuesday that he's "making steady progress with his rehab." New Orleans' jack of all trades has started jogging but isn't yet clear for printing or physical contact. It looks like Murphy III might still be a couple of weeks away from playing. Herb Jones and three-point bomber Jordan Hawkins should be the biggest beneficiaries of Murphy III's absence.

Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Josh Green (Achilles) is considered questionable to play on Wednesday against Houston. He's been nursing an Achilles injury for a couple of weeks, landing on the injury report ahead of the season opener. Green is penciled in to start at the small forward position for the Hornets this season. His absence would open the door for Cody Martin to jump into the starting lineup. When healthy, Martin can be a productive player. He has averaged 8.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals as a starter for his career.

Brooklyn Nets forward Bojan Bogdanovic (foot) will not be available for Wednesday's season opener versus Atlanta. We will miss out on the battle of the Bogdanovics, with the Nets forward still nursing a foot injury. Bogdanovic reportedly hasn't even been cleared for five-on-five contact, so it might take a while until he's ready to make his season debut. The Croatian veteran will be a good secondary scoring option off the bench for the Nets this season. With him out, Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson have a chance to see more minutes in the rotation. However, they likely still won't make a big enough contribution to warrant fantasy consideration.

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (ankle) has been given the green light to play in Wednesday's season opener against Brooklyn. Capela sustained an ankle injury late in preseason, but he isn't on the injury report ahead of Wednesday's game. Capela averaged a double-double against the Nets last season with 10.3 points and 10.8 rebounds. He also recorded 2.3 blocks across four head-to-head meetings. The Swiss big man will share the center minutes with Onyeka Okongwu for another campaign. Okongwu logged 7.0 points and 9.5 rebounds against Brooklyn last term.

Brooklyn Nets forward/center Trendon Watford (hamstring) will not play against Atlanta on Wednesday. Watford was ruled out for two weeks on Oct. 7 but hasn't recovered in time to be ready for the season opener. His next chance to play will come on Friday versus Orlando, although it's unclear if Watford is even close to being game-ready. With Day'Ron Sharpe (hamstring) also unavailable, Noah Clowney will join Claxton in an attempt to outbattle Atlanta's one-two punch of Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu in the paint.

Brooklyn Nets center Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) isn't listed on the injury report ahead of Wednesday's matchup against Atlanta. This strongly indicates that he will be ready to play in the season opener despite missing the preseason with a hamstring injury. Claxton should be out to prove his worth right away after getting a four-year, $100 million contract from the Nets in the summer. However, considering he's just back from injury, the team could elect to limit Claxton's minutes in the opener. This would put Noah Clowney in a good position to perform, as the Nets lack alternative frontcourt options.

Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter (shoulder) has a chance to play in Thursday's meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He's been working his way back from shoulder surgery. However, head coach Mike Brown said after Tuesday's practice that Huerter "looks good," adding, "he doesn't look like he's missed a beat." Brown also indicated the 26-year-old would "probably" start if he's cleared to play. Fantasy managers can consider Huerter a starting option if that's the case. If he doesn't suit up, Keon Ellis, who averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 40.4% shooting from deep in 21 starts last season, would be worth streaming in deep category formats.

Phoenix Suns forward Grayson Allen (Achilles) is anticipated to suit up for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The former Duke Blue Devil has been dealing with Achilles soreness and is uncertain to go for the Suns' opener. However, barring a setback, he should be good to go. Allen is coming off the best year of his career, averaging 13.5 points and shooting 46.1% from behind the arc. While he's anticipated to come off the bench in 2024-25, he'll see enough minutes to remain relevant for fantasy managers. His three-point prowess is an added boost for category participants.

Houston Rockets center Steven Adams (knee, calf) is questionable for Wednesday's game versus the Charlotte Hornets. The veteran, who missed the 2023-24 campaign, was traded to Houston in February. While he's expected to continue providing leadership to a young, up-and-coming club, he will come off the bench behind Alperen Sengun, so he'll have a tough time providing consistent production for fantasy managers. With that said, even if Adams suits up, he could see fewer minutes than anticipated while he gets up to speed. Keep him out of the starting lineup.

Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (foot) has resumed on-court activities. Unfortunately, he remains without a return date, with the Hornets planning to provide an update "when appropriate." The 2022 No. 15 overall pick appeared in only 19 games last season. Unfortunately, he strained a tendon in his foot nearly a month ago while working his way back and has been on the shelf since. With that in mind, Nick Richards, who averaged 10.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 51 starts during the 2023-24 campaign, is more than capable of holding things down underneath the rim until Williams can return.

Toronto Raptors forward/center Kelly Olynyk (back) won't play in Wednesday's game against the Cavaliers. The veteran is battling a back issue, although it's unknown when he'll be ready to play. Olynyk had a decent run with the Raptors last season, averaging 12.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists (28 games). However, he shot 33.8% from behind the arc, a significant regression from his time in Utah. Olynyk is expected to come off the bench behind Jakob Poeltl this season, so Bruno Fernando and Chris Boucher should see more action until he returns.

Toronto Raptors guard/forward Bruce Brown (knee) won't play in Wednesday's matchup with the Cavaliers. He remains without a return date. The 28-year-old is coming off arthroscopic knee surgery. Fortunately, he's recently been practicing somewhat, so he is moving in the right direction. Brown is coming off a down year, averaging 9.6 points in 34 games with the Raptors in 2023-24. He'll likely need time to ramp up once he's cleared to return. But with RJ Barrett (shoulder) and Kelly Olynyk (back) also out for the opener, Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and Gradey Dick should be Toronto's top producers on the offensive end.