The 2026-27 NBA regular season opens October 20, but three of the league’s bigger-name fantasy assets will not be ready for it, and a fourth is in real doubt. The Clippers, Warriors and Hornets have all walked into training camp dealing with significant injuries, and the fallout is already reshaping draft boards for anyone picking teams in the next two weeks.
Clippers Lose Ingram for the Open, Beal Is Doubtful Too
Brandon Ingram has a partially torn Achilles tendon that will keep him out for the start of the season. The tear was discovered when he had surgery on his heel back in May, and the Clippers have given no firm timetable for his return beyond saying they will reevaluate as the season approaches. With Kawhi Leonard now gone, Ingram was supposed to be a focal point of the offense next to point guard Darius Garland, and losing him for the opener against Sacramento on October 21 is a real hit to that plan.
Bradley Beal is banged up too. He missed the start of training camp with right knee inflammation that flared up as he ramped back from last season’s hip surgery, and he was considered doubtful for the preseason opener against Golden State. The knee issue is not being treated as a long-term concern, but between that and the hip fracture that limited him to six games a year ago, Beal’s fantasy risk is real even once he is technically available.
The practical effect: Garland, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Rui Hachimura and Brook Lopez are the players actually on the floor for the Clippers right now, and all of them see their short-term usage tick up. In redraft leagues, that argues for bumping Garland and Hachimura slightly and treating Ingram as a wait-and-see pick rather than an early-round building block until he is actually cleared to play.
Warriors Are Down Three Rotation Pieces in Hawaii
Golden State’s camp picture is the most unsettled in the league. Kristaps Porzingis did not travel with the team to Hawaii because of what general manager Mike Dunleavy called a health issue, and the team is keeping the details private. Porzingis has already missed a combined 90 games over the last two regular seasons dealing with a lingering health problem that first surfaced after a respiratory illness in February 2025, and while Dunleavy would not rule out Porzingis being ready for the October 21 opener at the Lakers, there is no confirmed timeline yet.
Jimmy Butler is still working back from the torn ACL he suffered on January 19 against Miami. Reporting out of the Bay Area has him making steady progress with no setbacks, but he remains without a return date months into the rehab. Moses Moody is also out of the camp rotation while he works back from his own injury.
With all three sidelined, the lineup that scrimmaged together in Hawaii was Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Draymond Green and Al Horford at center. Horford starting at 40 because of the Porzingis absence is not a fantasy add in most formats, but Podziemski’s role expands in the meantime, and he is worth a look as a value play in points and assist-heavy formats while Butler and Moody remain out. The bigger lesson for drafters: Porzingis and Butler both carry legitimate injury risk beyond opening week, and neither should be drafted as a locked-in starter without a buffer plan behind them.
Knueppel’s Hamstring Clouds a Hornets Breakout Follow-Up
Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel was one of last season’s clearest fantasy success stories, starting 80 of 81 games and averaging 18.5 points as the fourth overall pick in the 2025 draft. He will not play at all in the preseason because of a left hamstring injury suffered September 9 in a pickup game at the team facility. Knueppel and teammate Grant Williams, who has the same injury, are both set for medical reevaluation during the first week of the regular season rather than a hard return date now.
Knueppel’s track record is strong enough that he should not fall far on draft boards, but the lack of preseason reps and the open-ended hamstring timeline are real risk factors. Drafters should build in some caution rather than assuming a clean start to his sophomore year.
How This Should Move Your Board
- Buy the expanded role: Darius Garland, Rui Hachimura and Brandin Podziemski all see more usage right now and are reasonable value bumps in the short term.
- Treat as hold, not build-around: Brandon Ingram and Kristaps Porzingis both have no confirmed return date, so draft them with a contingency plan rather than as a locked starter.
- Monitor, do not panic: Bradley Beal and Kon Knueppel both have injury histories worth watching, but neither situation currently points to a long absence.
- Deep stash only: Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody remain without firm return dates and should be valued as bench stashes in all but the deepest keeper formats until there is real practice participation to point to.
None of this changes the overall shape of the 2026-27 season, but it does change who is worth a top-50 pick in the next two weeks. Health, not name value, is driving ADP for three of this season’s bigger storylines right now.