Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors

Watson isn't guaranteed a spot in the starting five immediately but will have the chance to compete for it during training camp. The 24-year-old forward figures to play a sizable role for Cleveland after being acquired from the Nuggets in August in a multi-team deal. Watson was limited to just 54 regular-season appearances (40 starts) in 2025-26 due in large part to a strained hamstring, though he impressed when healthy, averaging career highs in points (14.6), rebounds (4.9), assists (2.1) and steals (0.9) while chipping in 1.1 blocks per game and shooting 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. His length and defensive versatility will be key for a Cleveland team trying to reach the Finals for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. However, his growth on the offensive end will also be crucial to achieving that objective. Watson is one of the top candidates to join James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the starting lineup, but Atkinson isn't ready to commit to that idea just yet, as the Cavaliers have other options like Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson.

There remains significant uncertainty surrounding his return timeline, as his injury typically carries a nine-to-12-month recovery window. A return sometime between Christmas and March appears to be a reasonable range for now, though fantasy managers shouldn't put much stock into a specific target date until Butler progresses further in his rehab.

The diagnosis ends Moody's season, and he'll require a long recovery period. Through 60 regular-season appearances, the fifth-year swingman averaged a career-high 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals in 25.7 minutes per game. With Moody's campaign now over, De'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton should continue to help pick up the slack in the Golden State backcourt down the stretch.

Knee