Wendell Carter Jr. took nine shots in two games and then 12 in one, and the shots decide what he is worth

On Sunday and Monday, Wendell Carter Jr. took nine shots between the two games and scored 13 points. On Thursday in Phoenix he took 12 and made 10 of them, finishing with season highs of 27 points and 13 rebounds in a 117-104 loss in which Orlando committed 25 turnovers that the Suns turned into 36 points, according to the Associated Press recap on ESPN. His line was worth 55 ESPN fantasy points, level with Franz Wagner and behind only Devin Booker across the two games played on Thursday.

Our 9-cat board moved him from 116th to 96th and our points board from 125th to 114th under ESPN's standard scoring, while the analysts' consensus has him 164th on both, which is outside the 156 players a 12-team league rosters. ESPN has him on 53.5% of teams, so in about half of all leagues the decision is still open. The answer depends on the format, because his eight games have come in two very different kinds.

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.