Coby White and Kon Knueppel go into opening week hurt, and who starts for Charlotte
White missed the whole preseason with a calf strain and Knueppel is unsure for the opener with a hamstring, which puts Dennis Schröder and Grayson Allen in line for starts.
By James · 3 min read
Kon KnueppelCoby WhiteLaMelo BallPhotos: NBAProCharlotte opens in Brooklyn on Wednesday with two of its three best scorers unsure to play. Coby White strained his left calf in training camp and was ruled out for the entire preseason on October 5, as NBC Sports and TSN both reported, and he strained a calf in each leg last season, which is why Fantasy Alarm expects him to be limited when he does come back. Kon Knueppel tweaked his hamstring, and general manager Jeff Peterson said he did not know whether Knueppel would be available for the opener, as ClutchPoints and Fantasy Alarm reported on October 15.
- Kon Knueppel CHA67thvs 63rd
- Coby White CHA84thvs 72nd
- LaMelo Ball MIN30thvs 29th
- Grayson Allen CHA167thvs 163rd
- Dennis Schröder CHA202ndvs 200+
Both players are expensive picks, Knueppel 67th and White 84th on our points board under ESPN's standard scoring, and the analysts' consensus has them 63rd and 72nd. This piece sets out what our projections give each of them, why we would still draft both, and which two veterans Charlotte acquired this offseason are most likely to take their minutes in the meantime.
Every player in this story is on the fantasy basketball rankings and the 2026-27 projections, and the NBA depth charts show where each one stands in his team’s rotation tonight.
