Fantasy Basketball

Mamukelashvili, who starred for Georgia at EuroBasket this summer, made a positive impression in his Raptors preseason debut. The forward/center made the most of his 23 minutes on the floor, shooting 75 percent from the field and finishing a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. Even with Jakob Poeltl sitting out Monday’s game, Mamukelashvili came off the bench, with Jonathan Mogbo (6/2/0/2) receiving the starting nod. Given his shooting ability, Mamu will be part of the rotation once the regular season begins. However, his touches may be limited due to Toronto’s many scoring options on the perimeter and the wings.

Barrett performed well in Toronto’s preseason opener in Vancouver. He played an efficient brand of basketball, whether he was looking for his shot or facilitating. The issue for Barrett in fantasy basketball is how much he will have the ball in his hands. Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram, and Scottie Barnes will all require opportunities to make plays, which may limit Barrett’s ceiling. Also, he’s never been a great option in category leagues, failing to crack the top-150 in any of his first six NBA seasons. As of Monday evening, Barrett boasted a Yahoo! ADP of 82.4, which is too high given the track record.

Acquired from the Pelicans at the February trade deadline, Monday’s exhibition was the first game action for Ingram since December 7. Given the time missed, he looked sharp offensively, shooting 50 percent from the field and only committing one turnover. From a fantasy standpoint, the concern for the Raptors’ wings is whether the room will be too crowded. In addition to Ingram, Scottie Barnes (1/4/5/3) and RJ Barrett are in the starting lineup. At the same time, options like Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter and Ochai Agbaji will compete for rotation minutes off the bench. While he has been a top-100 player six straight seasons, Ingram’s injury history makes him challenging to trust in standard leagues.

While he did shoot the ball well on Monday, Jokić was uncharacteristically sloppy regarding “ball control.” He committed six turnovers on the night, a number he met or exceeded eight times last season. Given how productive the three-time MVP is, fantasy managers have little to worry about regarding Jokić. Of the eight games in which he recorded six turnovers in 2024-25, the Joker was responsible for five double-doubles and three triple-doubles. More concerning for Nuggets head coach David Adelman was that his team combined to commit 31 turnovers on Monday; Jokić will be fine.

After none of the Nuggets starters played more than 19 minutes in Saturday’s preseason opener, with Murray logging 16, the first five began the third quarter of Monday’s victory on the court. Murray looked reasonably sharp against the Raptors, shooting 60 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc. His fantasy value last season took a hit due to a slow start, but the Nuggets point guard shot the ball better after the All-Star break. The combination of Denver’s improved depth and the exit of Michael Porter Jr. may raise Murray’s fantasy ceiling, even if his role won’t change much.

After only attempting two shots from the field in Denver’s preseason opener on Saturday, Braun was far more active offensively in Vancouver. And he didn’t miss, making all eight of his shot attempts in the 112-108 victory. Braun was close to a top-50 player in nine-cat formats in his first season as a starter, exceeding his Yahoo! ADP by a significant margin. He’s undoubtedly capable of duplicating that production, but the Nuggets are deeper than they were a season ago. Fantasy managers will want to begin considering Braun in the latter stages of the sixth round in 12-team category leagues.

Despite shooting inefficiently from beyond the arc, the fourth-year forward utilized a high volume of shots to conclude as one of five Thunder players to reach double figures in scoring. Dieng’s rebounding and playmaking were also noteworthy as he tallied a team-high in assists in his 35 minutes of game action. He’s now logged two productive preseason outings, which could serve as momentum the rest of the way and into the regular season. Dieng has yet to earn a consistent role in Oklahoma City’s nightly rotation.

Barnhizer got the start on Monday and utilized high free-throw volume to finish as the Thunder’s leading scorer on the evening. The rookie forward also cleaned the glass well in his game-high 37 minutes and added another steal, bringing him to six through the first couple of preseason games. Barnhizer’s role on a stacked championship-winning team is unclear, but he’s been consistent and productive when his name has been called thus far. He’ll have a chance to log another strong preseason game against the Hornets on Thursday.

For the second preseason game in a row, Williams spent the majority of his time on offense looking for the three-point shot. He chipped in five threes on Sunday and followed with four more on Monday. As the versatile two-way center enters his fourth season, it’s clear that the long ball will remain a point of emphasis for him in the Thunder’s title defense. He’ll likely remain Isaiah Hartenstein’s primary backup in Year 4.

Russell surveyed the court well in his limited reps on Monday evening. He recorded a team-high in assists and chipped in a basket from beyond the arc along the way. Russell’s continuity with Anthony Davis, his former teammate with the Lakers, is expected to play a key role in the Mavericks’ start to the season. His shooting and playmaking will also be pivotal while the Mavericks remain without an expected return date for their superstar guard, Kyrie Irving (knee).