Franz Wagner
ORL • Forward • #22
Franz Wagner shot 10-of-22 from the field and 5-of-5 from the foul line in a Game 5 loss to the Celtics on Tuesday, amassing 25 points, four rebounds, four assists and one steal in 40 minutes.
Wagner finished his fourth NBA season with a solid performance in Orlando’s season finale. He scored at least 23 points and made at least 10 field goals in all five games. While teammate Paolo Banchero’s value in points leagues took a significant hit since he only appeared in 46 games, Wagner retained some of his value by appearing in 60. Regarding category leagues, Franz was a top-40 player in eight- and nine-cat formats. He exceeded his Yahoo! ADP (46), and stands to be a safe third- or fourth-round pick next fall. Wagner’s new contract kicks in next season, and he’ll earn nearly $38.7 million in 2025-26.
4 days ago
April 30, 2025 3:39 AM
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Wendell Carter Jr.
ORL • Center-Forward • #34
4 days ago
Wendell Carter Jr. recorded 12 points (5-of-10 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs), 10 rebounds, one assist and two steals in 34 minutes in a Game 5 loss to the Celtics on Tuesday.
Carter reached double digits in rebounds in four of the five games, recording two double-doubles. While he certainly wasn’t elite, the Magic center had a decent finish to his fourth full season with the franchise. Appearing in 68 regular-season games, Carter’s scoring output decreased, but he was more productive in rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots. Unfortunately, the starting role has not made WCJ a significant fantasy asset, as he finished the season ranked outside the top-175 in category leagues and outside the top-150 in points leagues. With three guaranteed seasons remaining on his contract, Carter will likely go into training camp locked into the starting center role.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
ORL • Guard • #3
4 days ago
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope tallied eight points (3-of-9 FGs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and two three-pointers in 30 minutes in a Game 5 loss to the Celtics on Tuesday.
Caldwell-Pope had a brutal series, scoring no more than eight points in any of the five games. The veteran wing shot 6-of-23 from beyond the arc, which isn’t good enough for a team that lacked consistent scorers beyond Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Signed last summer with the hope that he could be a veteran voice who could also provide 3-and-D value, Caldwell-Pope underwhelmed in his first season with the Magic. He finished the regular season ranked outside the top-150 in eight- and nine-cat formats in category leagues, but KCP was close to a top-100 option in points leagues. At best, he’ll be worthy of late-round consideration in 12-team leagues next fall.
Paolo Banchero
ORL • Forward • #5
4 days ago
Paolo Banchero played 30 minutes in a Game 5 loss to the Celtics on Tuesday, tallying 19 points (6-of-15 FGs, 5-of-7 FTs), nine rebounds, six assists and two three-pointers.
Having scored at least 29 points in each of the first four games of this series, Banchero appeared to be a safe bet to have another good night with Orlando’s season on the line. Unfortunately, that is not how things played out. With 9:46 remaining in the third quarter and the game tied at 53, Banchero was called for his fifth foul. Magic coach Jamahl Mosley removed his star forward from the game, and Boston took over with a 35-9 run. To say this was a disappointing end to a highly productive season for Banchero would be an understatement. He did not reach his Yahoo! ADP (35) in category or points leagues, but the Magic forward’s issues in fantasy basketball had more to do with him only playing 46 games than any statistical deficiencies. Banchero will be worth grabbing within the first 50 picks in drafts next fall, especially in points leagues.
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LeBron James
LAL • Forward • #23
1 day ago
ESPN’s Dave Mcamenamin reports that LeBron James suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee in Wednesday’s loss to Minnesota.
James suffered the injury when collided with Donte DiVincenzo in the fourth quarter of the closeout Game 5. The recovery time for the injury is 3-5 weeks, but James will have no need to rush back to the court after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs. It’s unclear if he’ll return for a 23rd season, but if he does, he should be recovered from this latest injury prior to training camp.
Source: Dave McMenamin
Aaron Gordon
DEN • Forward • #32
2 days ago
Aaron Gordon accumulated 19 points (9-of-16 FGs), five rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and one three-pointer in 41 minutes in a Game 6 loss to the Clippers on Thursday.
Having shot 40 percent from three in the first five games of the series, Gordon provided solid value in that category after making a career-best 43.6 percent of his attempts during the regular season. Unfortunately for the Nuggets, he came back to earth on Thursday, going 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. While Gordon shot the ball well overall, better three-point shooting would have helped the Nuggets compensate for Michael Porter Jr.'s poor night. Denver will host Game 7 on Saturday night.
Kawhi Leonard
LAC • Forward • #2
2 days ago
Kawhi Leonard had a strong performance in the win over the Nuggets, finishing with 27 points (11-of-22 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), 10 rebounds, five assists and two three-pointers in Game 6 on Thursday.
Leonard followed up a near-triple-double performance in Game 5 with a big double-double. The scoring total was the former two-time NBA Finals MVP’s highest output on the series since a masterful Game 2, where he scored 39 points. Leonard got the job done at all three levels and was steady throughout. The Clippers will need more of the same from their go-to scorer on Saturday when they head to Denver for a series-deciding Game 7.