NBA

Dëmin said during the offseason that he hopes to have the ball in his hands more this season, and he’s started at point guard in both of Brooklyn’s preseason games. Through two games, the second-year guard has totaled 10 assists and three turnovers. Adding Julius Randle (14 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals) to the rotation should help Dëmin as a playmaker and raise his fantasy ceiling. His ADP of 118 makes sense, but don’t be surprised if it creeps up some between now and the start of the regular season.

Drummond’s ability to hit the boards was the main reason why the Knicks signed him to fill the void left by Mitchell Robinson. Five of Drummond’s nine rebounds on Thursday came on the offensive end of the floor. He may not be the rim protector that Robinson was, but Drummond will be an important member of the Knicks’ bench unit.

After a relatively quiet night in the Knicks’ preseason opener on Monday, Hart recorded a complete stat line on Thursday. With an ADP just inside the top-100, Hart is once again positioned to be a fantasy steal, especially in category leagues. He may not be the “sexiest” option for managers seeking significant upside, but one could do a lot worse than selecting Hart in drafts.

Dybantsa made his preseason NBA debut on Thursday as a starter for the Wizards. Khris Middleton didn’t play against the Knicks, but it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Wizards’ first overall pick from this past summer won’t start on Opening Night. Dybantsa’s athleticism and offensive tools make him an enticing prospect, and his four steals on Thursday shouldn’t be overlooked. He won’t do that consistently, but pressuring passing lanes is another of Dybantsa’s strengths.

With Alex Sarr still not fully recovered from offseason foot surgery, Ayton started at center on Thursday. While he didn’t add much offensively, the 7-footer grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds in 17 minutes. A healthy Sarr will relegate Ayton to the bench when the time comes, but the veteran makes for a decent insurance policy worth considering in the latter rounds of fantasy drafts.

Young looked sharp in his first appearance this preseason, shooting over 50 percent from the field and committing just two turnovers in 17 minutes. Even with the turnover concerns, Young should be highly valuable to fantasy managers in any league format. For those punting turnovers, he’s likely to go in the second round of drafts at worst.

Davis made his Wizards’ preseason debut on Thursday, playing 17 minutes against the Knicks. The veteran forward/center had a good night, with his final stat line lacking only a steal. With reports earlier this week that the Wizards are highly unlikely to give Davis the max extension he wants, this will be a contract year for the veteran big man. With that in mind, he’ll have a lot to play for this season. If Davis stays healthy, that sets him up to be a fantasy steal given his third-round ADP.

With Dejounte Murray sitting out Thursday’s game, Fears moved into the starting lineup in Miami. The second-year guard logged 19 minutes, finishing with one more turnover (three) than assists. Playing time shouldn’t be an issue for Fears this season, but a healthy Murray lowers his fantasy ceiling considerably. At best, Fears is a late-round flier in redraft leagues.

Poole appeared in only 39 games last season, and his chances of earning consistent rotation minutes in 2026-27 don’t look good. That said, he shot the ball well in Miami, knocking down three of his four three-point attempts. You gain little by using a draft pick on Poole in most fantasy leagues, but he has a clean slate under new head coach Jamahl Mosley.

As of Thursday evening, Queen had a Yahoo! ADP of 85. That’s pretty high, especially for a player who isn’t guaranteed a starting role once the regular season begins. Yves Missi (11 points, nine rebounds), a superior defender, started at center in New Orleans’ two preseason games. First-year head coach Jamahl Mosley could very well go with Queen once the games count, but he’ll have to do more as a defender to make that happen. Given the uncertainty, using a top-100 pick on Queen is risky.