Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter (illness) left the team's shootaround session early on Monday and is still considered questionable for the game against the Miami Heat. He was forced to watch from the sidelines during their last game against the Raptors, and it seems that he's not fully recovered from his illness just yet. If he has to remain sidelined for another game, Malik Monk, Keon Ellis, and Doug McDermott will all see added opportunities.

Sacramento Kings forward Doug McDermott will move into the starting five ahead of Saturday's game against the Toronto Raptors. The veteran forward will get the starting nod with Kevin Huerter (illness) unable to play. Keon Ellis figured to get the start, but the Kings decided to go with McDermott. Normally, McDermott isn't a great fantasy option off the bench, but he could be more effective with extended run. He should be able to provide reliable shooting from beyond the arc.

Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter (illness) won't play on Saturday in Toronto. The 26-year-old struggled in Friday's win over the Hawks, amassing 10 points and shooting 2-for-8 from behind the arc. He's under the weather, so his next chance to get back on the floor will be on Monday in Miami. But until then, Keon Ellis will likely slide into the starting lineup. Ellis averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.7 while shooting 40.4% from deep in 21 starts last season, giving him some upside for fantasy managers in need of a streaming option.

Sacramento Kings guard/forward Malik Monk (hand) isn't on the injury report ahead of Thursday's season opener against the Timberwolves. He appears to be good to go for the contest after battling right-hand soreness last week. Monk, who has been among the NBA's top bench scorers in recent years, will begin another campaign as a member of the Kings' second unit. However, he should still get a lot of action and can do big damage once he gets going. Minnesota had no answer to Monk the last time these teams met, as the 26-year-old went off for 39 points off the bench in a 124-120 overtime win.

Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan (personal) will be in the lineup on Thursday versus Minnesota. DeRozan sat out Friday's practice for personal reasons but isn't listed on the injury report. This will mark DeRozan's debut with the Kings following a big sign-and-trade deal that brought him to Sacramento in the summer. With De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis next to him, DeRozan's usage rate looks bound to drop in 2024-25, but the presence of two costars should also help him get plenty of good looks.