Fantasy Basketball Opening Night Streamers: Reed Sheppard, Jonathan Kuminga, and More
Streaming fantasy players in the two games on the schedule on the NBA's opening night.
Welcome to the first day of the NBA season! With the NFL in full swing, Major League Baseball at the World Series, and even hockey underway, there is a lot to distract us, but fantasy basketball starts on Day 1, and there are four teams in action that are loaded with fantasy players.
Let's look at the two games on the schedule for opening night and the fantasy streamers on each team. You're unlikely to have a full lineup on a day with only two games, but there are always streamer-level players who stand out and can offer fantasy value in the right matchups.
Most stats below are from NBA.com. Always be sure to check active/inactive players before gametime, as statuses change up until the last minute, and any guy mentioned below could end up sitting out.
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Houston Rockets @ Oklahoma City Thunder
The defending champs kick things off against the team that may have made the biggest addition in the offseason. Houston's ceiling was pushed as high as the NBA Finals when they traded very little for Kevin Durant, adding the superstar to a team that finished second in the West last season.
These are two of the most likely teams to be there when we reach the Western Conference Finals (along with a few others), and it makes for an intriguing opening night matchup.
Houston Rockets
There are two metrics I like to look at when finding streaming fantasy basketball players: pace of play and defensive rating. A team that plays fast and is poor on defense gives opponents more easy chances to score points along with racking up other stats.
The Thunder play fast; they finished in the top five in pace in each of the past three seasons. They are an extremely good defensive team, though, finishing with by far the best defensive rating in the league last season. OKC was fourth on defense the season prior and has most of the same roster back.
I'm not excited about trying lesser players against the Thunder. Their fast pace means more assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks, but Oklahoma City makes everything tough on opposing players, so the bad cancels out the good.
Guard
Sheppard is the big name here, as the third overall pick last year is now thrust into the starting lineup after Fred VanVleet suffered a season-ending injury. Sheppard is a shooter who will probably spend a lot of time spotting up around Houston's volume ball handlers; there's plenty of fantasy upside here.
The other two are low-level players. Maybe there will be a chance to use them later in the year, but it's a bad play with the tough matchup.
Forward
Eason is a bit of a stat sheet stuffer, doing some of everything. He is owned in about 50% of leagues and can slot in at both forward spots in many leagues. Eason is dealing with an injury, so verify his status, but he's a decent pickup.
Center
Adams is a dependable player, but he's not going to put up many stats playing backup minutes. There will be more value if Alperen Sengun ever misses a stretch of games, but Adams is a player to skip for now.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Last season, Houston was right in the middle in pace and had the fifth-best defensive rating. Where the Thunder have much of the same roster, the Rockets underwent major changes, most notably the addition of Durant and loss of VanVleet but also with Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Cam Whitmore now elsewhere after playing more than 15 minutes per game last year.
I expect Houston to again max out around the middle in pace and maybe even stay below that mark. They have guys in Durant and Sengun who like to hold the ball and methodically make their moves, and what could be a shorter rotation than last season might necessitate playing slower.
The defense remains to be seen, but the Rockets probably still have the makings of an above-average D, particularly if they are going to be true contenders. While it will take some time to see what we really have in this Houston team, I'm not looking to go after them with opposing streamers.
The Thunder will be without Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe, leaving opportunities for other guys. On such a deep team, some players get squeezed, but there is a little more chance with a few rotation players out.
Guard
Dort is the big name here as a do-it-all player who usually has modest stats. He might be a direct beneficiary of Williams missing this game, as he can fill a lot of the same duties and put up numbers. Dort is a good pickup for this game.
Wallace and Caruso are lower-level contributors. Wallace does a little more scoring, while Caruso does more of everything else, so the stat category you need most might decide who you go with if you're looking for a deep-league guard.
Forward
Wiggins will be another guy who fills the gap left by Williams' absence, maybe even more directly than Dort. He set career highs with 12 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last season, modest production but enough that he could have a nice stat line in an expanded role.
Center
The other Williams is a low-level player who probably isn't worth considering in this game, especially because the Rockets have good big men.
Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Lakers
The nightcap loses a little steam because LeBron James is out for a few weeks to start the season, but we still have plenty of star power with Luka Doncic and Steph Curry on the court. Both teams are expected to be around at the end, though they seem to stand a clear step behind the Thunder at the top.
The story on these teams is likely to be told in the postseason, and this is only the first page in the long book of the 2025-26 season.
Golden State Warriors
Last season, the Lakers ranked 20th in pace and 18th in defensive rating. They made changes in the offseason, most notably bringing in Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart while losing Dorian Finney-Smith and D'Angelo Russell, each of whom played more than 25 minutes per game.
The team will also be different without James, so it's tough to know what to expect. I'm cautiously optimistic about targeting the Lakers with opposing fantasy players.
Guard
Moses Moody and De'Anthony Melton are both out, leaving Hield and Podziemski as the guys to fill the spot next to Curry. Rookie Will Richard could get a little play as well, but we'll focus on the veterans who are going to be on the court most.
Hield is a shooter and scorer, but his volume has been down the past several years, leaving him as a low-level fantasy player. Hield doesn't add much else. Podziemski is another guy who does a little of everything but does it at a lower level, keeping him with a modest fantasy ceiling.
Forward
Kuminga had a contentious offseason but finally agreed to terms on a contract with the Warriors, and he is expected to be full-go, though he does have an ankle injury that's worth monitoring. Kuminga is a good fantasy player, as he averaged more than 15 points and 4.5 assists per game last season; he's a worthy player for your lineup today.
Center
After flirting with retirement, Horford agreed to return for his 19th season. His stats are below a fantasy level at this point in his career, and he should only be counted on in the best matchups. Jackson-Davis is a low-level player and not on the fantasy radar.
Los Angeles Lakers
Golden State played at a middling pace last year and had the seventh-best defensive rating. That's not the profile of a team that I want to go after with fantasy players. Based on their roster and their history, I doubt we will be looking to target the Warriors often.
With only two games in action, though, and a major player like James out of the lineup, there are going to be plenty of touches that need to be filled, leaving some extra value for the streaming-level players. It's worth a look if nothing else.
Guard
- Gabe Vincent
- Marcus Smart
Vincent doesn't add much statistically and isn't under fantasy consideration. Smart is the guy to think about, as he is a veteran who fills the stat sheet in multiple ways. He saw all his numbers drop last season along with his minutes, but Smart could see a bigger role on a winning team with a need for him.
Forward
Hachimura might be expected to carry a bigger load with James out. He was right around 13 points and five rebounds per game last year, but there will be more asked of him scoring the ball. Hachimura is a good pickup early in the season.
LaRavia and Knecht are lower-level players who will get extra run with James out of the lineup. I don't want to count on either, but they are deep-league options who are worth watching until James returns.
Center
Hayes is another low-level fantasy player. He will grab some rebounds and could have more value if Ayton misses a stretch, but for now, Hayes is probably best left out of your lineup.
