Dwight Howard

C, Los Angeles Lakers

Dwight Howard got the starting nod in Thursday's preseason game and produced five points, eight rebounds, a steal and a block in 18 minutes.

Howard did pick up five fouls in his time on the floor but given how long it's been since he's played we'll give him a pass. More notable is that he only took two shots, as he's going to have to settle for a limited offensive role on a good Lakers team. JaVale McGee came off the bench for six points, 10 rebounds, three assists and five blocks in 19 minutes. McGee remains the vastly superior fantasy option.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

SF, Toronto Raptors

Hollis-Jefferson (groin) and Patrick McCaw (knee) are listed out prior to Tuesday's regular-season opener vs. the Pelicans.

RHJ has been dealing with a sore left groin since last Friday. He wasn't able to make an impression on Raptors' head coach Nick Nurse in the preseason, who criticized him for 'not playing hard enough and not playing with the level of defense that is expected.' He can be left on the waiver wire in most league formats.

Source: NBA injury report

Frank Ntilikina

PG, New York Knicks

Per Shams Charania, the New York Knicks are picking up former No. 8 overall pick Frank Ntilikina’s 2020-21 option worth $6.3 million.

Ntilikina's name has been part of trade rumors since joining the league. He should his upside during the FIBA tournament earlier this summer. However, to start the season, he is in competition for the starting point guard role with Dennis Smith Jr. and Elfrid Payton, and more of a deep-league stash.

Source: Shams Charania on Twitter

Malcolm Miller

SF, Toronto Raptors

Nick Nurse said that Malcolm Miller is close to being in the rotation.

Miller was treated as an afterthought for much of camp and preseason but fought his way onto the roster. He's a capable 3-point shooter and can switch across a couple positions defensively, so don't forget his name if you're in a 30-teamer.

Source: Eric Koreen on Twitter

Troy Brown Jr.

SF, Washington Wizards

Injured Wizards Troy Brown (left calf strain) and C.J. Miles (left foot stress fracture) were able to practice "a little bit" on Monday.

Brown was expected to be out for four weeks as of September 24, so he's trending in the right direction and could be back on the court soon. He's a nice deep-league target and could even get on the standard-league radar if he takes hold of a starting job. The Wizards haven't provided many updates on Miles, so his timeline is far murkier. Even when healthy, he'll only be a 3-point specialist.

Source: Candace Buckner on Twitter

Dwight Powell

PF, Dallas Mavericks

Dwight Powell (left hamstring strain) went through the non-contact portions of Monday's practice, per Rick Carlisle.

Fantasy managers should prepare to be without Powell for the season opener, though it's possible that he plays before going through a full practice. Assuming he isn't out for much longer, Powell makes for a quality late-middle round selection in any remaining fantasy drafts. Maxi Kleber and Boban Marjanovic will fill his minutes in the meantime, with Kleber already worth a late-round selection on his own merit.

Source: Brad Townsend on Twitter

Tacko Fall

C, Boston Celtics

Tacko Fall has been placed in the league's concussion protocol.

Fall got hit in the head on Saturday. His absence won't change Boston's rotation at all but we'll keep you posted on his recovery.

Source: Chris Forsberg on Twitter

PJ Washington

PF, Charlotte Hornets

Mitch Kupchak called PJ Washington the player who stuck out most positively in preseason.

That's big praise from the team brass, especially considering Washington was initially expected to spend a little time in the G League this season. Now a candidate to start on opening night, the rookie is worth a flier in most drafts. He's not our favorite late-round dart but you could certainly do worse.

Source: Rick Bonnell on Twitter

Cody Martin

PF, Charlotte Hornets

Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak said that Cody Martin, Jalen McDaniels, Robert Franks and Kobi Simmons will play primarily in the G League this season.

No surprise here, as Charlotte has been diligent about making its rookies log time with the Greensboro Swarm in recent seasons. This group is not worth monitoring in fantasy leagues.

Source: Rick Bonnell on Twitter

Buddy Hield

SG, Sacramento Kings

Sam Amick is reporting that the Kings have agreed to a four-year extension with Buddy Hield that will pay him $86 million guaranteed and up to $20 million in possible incentives.

Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that $12 million of those bonuses are "exceedingly reachable," like landing top-10 in 3-point percentage. Hield had started to indicate that he'd look to play elsewhere if the Kings weren't willing to pay up, and Sacramento came through with a big offer for one of their core pieces. He's in line for a big season and is worth taking in the third round of most fantasy formats, and still has upside to burn. Though the Kings could've waited this one out since Hield was headed for restricted free agency, they likely felt that it would be worth the effort to get this done as soon as possible. Chalk it up as another positive development, and one that should earn goodwill, for an organization that's moving in the right direction.

Source: Sam Amick on Twitter

Joe Johnson

SG, Detroit Pistons

Yahoo's Chris Haynes is reporting that Joe Johnson is dealing with some swelling in his Achilles but that tests have come back clean.

Johnson is apparently responding well to treatment. He's still not a lock to make the final roster but it seems to be trending that way. Even so, there's no need to monitor Johnson in fantasy leagues.

Source: Chris Haynes on Twitter