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Franz Wagner Franz Wagner scores game-high 25 points Friday
Fri, Feb 21, 2025, 4:16 PM
Franz Wagner led the Magic with 25 points (9-of-19 FGs), six rebounds, three assists, one steal, two blocks and two three-pointers in a 105-104 loss to the Grizzlies on Friday.
Analysis: 24 hours after scoring 25 points in a win over the Hawks, Wagner scored another 25 points against Memphis, though it wasn't enough to add to their win total. The blame can't be placed on Wagner since he was incredibly effective in this game. He hasn't been as dominant as he was earlier in the season, but Wagner has still been productive with Paolo Banchero healthy. The Magic wrap up the week against the Wizards on Sunday, and Wagner should continue to provide elite value. |
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Paolo Banchero Paolo Banchero musters up inefficient 21 points
Fri, Feb 21, 2025, 3:57 PM
Paolo Banchero struggled with his shot on Friday, finishing with 21 points (5-of-21 FGs, 10-of-13 FTs), six rebounds, two assists, one block and one three-pointer against the Grizzlies.
Analysis: This was a tale of two halves for Banchero. He was limited to just eight minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, and he struggled in his limited action. He missed all six of his shot attempts and entered halftime with just two points. He made five of his 15 shots after halftime, which is still subpar, but he was able to score 19 of his 21 points in the second half. Banchero's free throw shooting is still a weakness, but he was able to get their with ease after halftime. Still, Banchero has scored at least 20 points in four straight games and will look to keep that going against the Wizards on Sunday. |
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Cole Anthony Cole Anthony tallies 17/9/7/2/1 line as starter
Fri, Feb 21, 2025, 3:52 PM
Jason Beede
Cole Anthony posted a full line on Friday with 17 points (6-of-12 FGs), nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals, one block and two three-pointers against the Grizzlies.
Analysis: Anthony continues to start with Jalen Suggs (quad) sidelined, and his first two games after the All-Star break have been excellent. Jamahl Mosley said before the game that they aren't going to rush Suggs back if he isn't 100 percent healthy. He missed his 11th straight game on Friday and has missed 21 of Orlando's last 22 games. It's unclear how much longer Suggs will be out, but as long as Anthony is part of the starting lineup, he should continue to turn in solid numbers. He is currently rostered in just 13 percent of Yahoo! leagues. |
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Wendell Carter Wendell Carter Jr. records double-double Friday
Fri, Feb 21, 2025, 3:47 PM
Wendell Carter Jr. recorded a double-double on Friday with 10 points (5-of-12 FGs), 11 rebounds and two steals against the Grizzlies.
Analysis: Carter Jr. remained in the starting unit for a second straight game and was once again able to have a productive night for Orlando. He played 29 minutes, which left 19 minutes for Goga Bitadze off the bench. Bitadze finished with four points, five rebounds and four blocks. That's solid production in limited action, but if the minutes continue to play out like this, Carter Jr. will remain a much better option in fantasy basketball. He's currently rostered in just 28 percent of Yahoo! leagues. |
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Jonathan Isaac Jonathan Isaac (illness) ruled out Friday vs. MEM
Fri, Feb 21, 2025, 12:02 PM
Orlando Magic
Jonathan Isaac (illness) is out for Friday's game against the Grizzlies.
Analysis: Added to the Magic injury report Friday afternoon, Isaac has been ruled out due to an illness. His absence frees up rotation minutes among the Orlando reserves, with Tristan da Silva and Caleb Houstan being two players who may play more. Da Silva offers the higher fantasy floor of the two, but his ceiling is limited coming off the bench. |
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Jonathan Isaac Jonathan Isaac (illness) questionable vs. Memphis
Fri, Feb 21, 2025, 10:35 AM
NBA Injury Report
Jonathan Isaac (illness) is questionable to play against the Grizzlies on Friday.
Analysis: Isaac is a late addition to the injury report after playing 11 minutes on Thursday night. If he ends up missing Friday's game, Tristan da Silva should take on a few extra minutes off the bench, while Caleb Houstan will likely have a chance to return to the rotation. |
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Jalen Suggs Jalen Suggs (quad) out Friday vs. Grizzlies
Fri, Feb 21, 2025, 7:34 AM
Jalen Suggs (quad) is out for Friday's game against the Grizzlies.
Analysis: Suggs has played once since going down with a quad injury January 3. This absence will extend to Friday's game against the Grizzlies as he's already been ruled out. The 23-year-old point guard was reportedly running in practice on Tuesday so while he's not back just yet his return likely isn't far away. |
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Franz Wagner Franz Wagner records 25/7/5 line vs. Atlanta
Thu, Feb 20, 2025, 6:45 PM
Franz Wagner lit up the Hawks with 25 points (9-of-18 FGs, 7-of-11 FTs), seven rebounds and five assists on Thursday.
Analysis: When Orlando lost to the Hawks just before the All-Star break, Wagner and Paolo Banchero combined to score 68 of Orlando's 106 points. The star forwards only combined for 61 of the team's 114 points on Thursday, but it was enough to reverse their fortunes. Wagner has taken a massive step forward this season, and he has been able to keep that up since returning from a torn right oblique. Sharing the ball with Banchero has slightly limited Wagner's production, but he has still been elite in fantasy basketball. |
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Paolo Banchero Paolo Banchero scores 36 points in win over Hawks
Thu, Feb 20, 2025, 6:28 PM
Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 36 points (11-of-25 FGs, 11-of-16 FTs), 11 rebounds, five assists and three three-pointers in a 114-108 win over the Hawks on Thursday.
Analysis: Banchero did most of his work in the second quarter of Thursday's win. After scoring just two points in the opening frame, Banchero dropped 18 points in the second to help Orlando take a halftime lead despite a poor first quarter. Banchero was inconsistent in January, which isn't surprising after he missed three months, but he is starting to get back to elite production, even if it doesn't translate well to category leagues. This was Banchero's highest-scoring performance since he dropped 50 points in October, and he'll look to keep it going into a matchup with the Grizzlies on Friday. |
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Wendell Carter Wendell Carter Jr. grabs 15 rebounds as starter
Thu, Feb 20, 2025, 5:41 PM
Wendell Carter Jr. moved into the starting lineup on Thursday and finished with nine points (4-of-8 FGs), 15 rebounds and one block against the Hawks.
Analysis: Carter Jr. has had a down season, and a lengthy early absence resulted in Goga Bitadze taking over as the team's starting center. However, Bitadze has slowed down after an excellent stretch, which resulted in Carter Jr. returning to the starting lineup in Orlando's first game after the All-Star break. WCJ is rostered in just 24 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but if he remains in the starting unit moving forward, he may be worth rostering. Orlando has two more games this week, with home matchups against the Grizzlies and Wizards on Friday and Sunday. |
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Wendell Carter ORL starting Anthony, KCP, Franz, Paolo, Carter
Thu, Feb 20, 2025, 12:08 PM
Orlando Magic
Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Wendell Carter Jr. will start Thursday's game against the Hawks.
Analysis: Carter is the lone change to the Magic starting lineup in the team's first game out of the All-Star break. He replaces Goga Bitadze, who made five straight starts but offered limited production. Anthony continues to start for Jalen Suggs, who has been out since January 25 with a quad injury. |
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Jalen Suggs Jalen Suggs running at practice but no contact
Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 6:51 AM
Fawzan Amer on Twitter
Jalen Suggs participated in running portions of Tuesday's practice, but he was withheld from taking contact.
Analysis: Suggs missed nine games before the All-Star break but, while this update may seem encouraging, the fact that he's still not taking contact after such an extended break casts serious doubt on his availability this week. Orlando plays a back-to-back set on Thursday and Friday against the Hawks and Grizzlies before wrapping up the week against the Wizards on Sunday. Cole Anthony and Anthony Black should continue to see increased minutes for as long as Suggs is sidelined. |
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Anthony Black Anthony Black tallies 18 points, full stat line
Wed, Feb 12, 2025, 3:26 PM
Anthony Black amassed 18 points (8-of-13 FGs, 0-of-1 FTs), four rebounds, three assists, one steal, two blocks, and two 3-pointers in 24 minutes in Wednesday's win over the Hornets.
Analysis: While the production has been inconsistent, Black has reached double figures in three of his last six outings. The second-year guard had a good night shooting the ball against the Hornets and recorded a complete stat line. Black can be a factor defensively, but his fantasy ceiling is low due to the lackluster offensive production. Hopefully, nights like Wednesday can be closer to the norm after the All-Star break. |
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Franz Wagner Franz Wagner scores 16 points in comfortable win
Wed, Feb 12, 2025, 3:25 PM
Franz Wagner accounted for 16 points (6-of-11 FGs, 4-of-5 FTs), seven rebounds, and two assists in 32 minutes in Wednesday's win over the Hornets.
Analysis: Two nights removed from going off for 37 points in a loss to the Hawks, Wagner put up a comparatively pedestrian stat line on Wednesday. While he's only been a sixth-round player in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks, Franz remains a top-25 player for the season. Orlando plays three games after the All-Star break to complete Week 16 in Yahoo leagues. |
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Paolo Banchero Paolo Banchero leads Magic with 24 points vs. CHA
Wed, Feb 12, 2025, 3:25 PM
Paolo Banchero logged 30 minutes in Wednesday's win over the Hornets, tallying 24 points (8-of-20 FGs, 4-of-5 FTs), eight rebounds, six assists, one block, and four 3-pointers.
Analysis: Banchero went into the All-Star break with a solid performance, dishing out six assists without committing a turnover. However, turnovers and percentages have been an issue for the Magic forward. Over the past two weeks, Banchero has averaged 2.5 turnovers per game and shot 40.9 percent from the field and 67.6 percent from the foul line. He's averaging over 22 points per game on the season, but the eight-cat fantasy value has regressed compared to his 2023-24 All-Star campaign. |
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Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ejected Wednesday vs. CHA
Wed, Feb 12, 2025, 2:08 PM
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was ejected from Wednesday's game against the Hornets during the second quarter.
Analysis: Caldwell-Pope received two technical fouls with 2.1 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The first was issued due to KCP and Charlotte's Nick Smith Jr. exchanging words, and the veteran guard would receive a second immediately after for arguing with an official. Caldwell-Pope finished with two points (1-of-5 FGs) and three rebounds. With KCP done for the night, Jett Howard started the third quarter. |
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Jonathan Isaac Jonathan Isaac (back) out Wednesday vs. Hornets
Wed, Feb 12, 2025, 12:00 PM
Jonathan Isaac (back) is out for Wednesday's game against the Hornets.
Analysis: No surprise here as Isaac popped up on the injury report as questionable with low back tightness just hours before game-time. His absence won't have a significant impact on fantasy basketball, though the Magic will be down a man in their rotation. |
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Jonathan Isaac Jonathan Isaac (back) questionable Wednesday
Wed, Feb 12, 2025, 11:46 AM
Jonathan Isaac (back) is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Hornets
Analysis: Isaac popped up on the injury report with low back tightness merely hours before game-time Wednesday. The 27-year-old power forward could be on the wrong side of questionable. Give his lack of playing time, Isaac's availability won't significantly impact fantasy basketball either way. |
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Jalen Suggs Jalen Suggs (quad) ruled out Wednesday vs. Hornets
Wed, Feb 12, 2025, 11:19 AM
NBA Injury Report
Jalen Suggs (quad) is out for Wednesday's game against the Hornets.
Analysis: No surprise here as Suggs was initially listed as doubtful with a left quad contusion. The 23-year-old point guard is set to miss his ninth straight game due to the injury. Cole Anthony and Anthony Black should continue to handle the point guard minutes for the Magic. While Anthony has started the past four games, Black has been more productive. |
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Jalen Suggs Jalen Suggs (quad) doubtful Wednesday
Tue, Feb 11, 2025, 10:43 AM
NBA Injury Report
Jalen Suggs (quad) is doubtful for Wednesday's matchup with the Hornets.
Analysis: Suggs is headed for a ninth straight absence which means Cole Anthony should remain with the first unit. Anthony replaced Anthony Black in the starting lineup four games ago, but the latter has been more productive. |
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