Jalen Duren is out two weeks, and Philadelphia rested Embiid the night after his triple-double

A manager with John Collins on the bench had a decision to make on Sunday, and anyone who started him got 16 points and 11 rebounds in 34 minutes. That was the fantasy story of Detroit's 106-93 win in Philadelphia, more than the result: Jalen Duren will miss at least two weeks with a strained right hamstring from Friday's win over Miami, according to ESPN's recap, and the Pistons, now 3-0, will need Collins' rebounds while he is out. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 26.

Philadelphia had absences of its own. Joel Embiid sat for rest the night after his triple-double against Milwaukee, VJ Edgecombe missed the game with an abdominal contusion, and LeBron James, who had rested his back against Milwaukee, returned with 18 points beside Tyrese Maxey's 29. With both Embiid and LeBron now holding a rest night in the season's first week, this piece sets out how our projections price that alongside Duren's absence, and who to pick up.

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.