Houston Rockets center Steven Adams (calf) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Dallas Mavericks. The 33-year-old underwent season-ending ankle surgery in January and returned to play 14 minutes in a preseason game against Dallas. Adams averaged 5.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game last season and enters the 2026-27 campaign as Alperen Sengun's primary backup. His rebounding gives him some fantasy appeal in deeper leagues, and Clint Capela could see more minutes when Adams is sidelined. Houston is expected to manage Adams' workload early in the season, including sitting him for one game of back-to-back sets.

According to The Athletic, Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said guard Fred VanVleet will sit out one game in back-to-back sets early in the regular season. The 32-year-old missed the entire 2025-26 campaign after tearing his right ACL. Houston will likely manage VanVleet's workload carefully as he works his way back to full strength. While his playing time could be limited early on, his ability to contribute three-pointers, assists, and steals should keep him fantasy-relevant once he returns to a full workload.

Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Max Christie (foot) is available for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Houston Rockets, according to Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. Christie has been dealing with foot soreness but is ready to suit up for the season opener. The 23-year-old could see some ball-handling responsibilities, although he'll have to compete with Kyrie Irving and Marcus Sasser for backcourt minutes this season. Christie's playmaking ability and three-point shooting could make him a valuable streaming option in fantasy leagues throughout the 2026-27 campaign.

According to Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin (back) will miss several weeks due to a lower back stress reaction. The 25-year-old averaged 5.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game last season while shooting 47.8 percent from the field. Tomlin is scheduled to be re-evaluated in three to four weeks, but there's no guarantee he'll be cleared to return at that point. Given his limited production and uncertain recovery timeline, Tomlin is unlikely to be on the fantasy radar outside of deeper leagues.