The 2025-26 NBA season has officially kicked off, while the now-ongoing PBA Philippine Cup kickstarts the second-oldest pro basketball league in the world’s golden anniversary, and there are a couple of matchups that I’m looking forward to competing in.
In partnership with Daily Fantasy, I’m here to share my must-roster players for this week's slate of games in the NBA and PBA — and why you should consider making them part of your lineup.
CHI v. SAS (Nov. 11)
Must-Roster:
CHI: Josh Giddey, Nikola Vucevic
SAS: Victor Wembanyama
Surprisingly, the Chicago Bulls are at the top of the Eastern Conference this early into the season, and a big reason for their success is the combination of Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic. The former continues to surprise in Daily Fantasy formats, and the latter remains surprisingly strong on the box score at age 35.
Victor Wembanyama has experienced a bit of a downturn in previous games, but I’m confident he’ll get his mojo back very, very soon, which is why he’s still a must-roster player — even at 22.5 credits.
ORL v. NYK (Nov. 13)
Must-Roster:
ORL: Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs
NYK: Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns
No surprises here, if I’m building a team for this matchup, it’s mainly going to revolve around Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. New York’s new dynamic duo has been tearing it up so far this season, and I love the consistency that they bring to the games.
For the Magic, Paolo Banchero has already reached the no-brainer category in this regard since he’s their number one option, so he’s definitely gonna put up numbers.
The surprise for some, though, might be seeing Jalen Suggs as part of my must-roster players. Orlando has benefited from having Anthony Black run the show for a while, but if Suggs is finally fully healthy and ready to keep it going, he’ll be someone that you’d want on your roster.
ROS v. TNT (Nov. 15)
Must-Roster:
ROS: Leonard “Santi” Santillan, Jhonard Clarito
TNT: Kelly Williams, Calvin Oftana, Rey Nambatac
In case you missed it, Rain or Shine center Keith Datu was recently ruled out for the remainder of PBA Season 50 after sustaining a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee during their game versus the Phoenix Fuel Masters on November 5. I’m wishing him a speedy recovery.
While he’s on the mend, I’m expecting ROS head coach Yeng Guiao to give his minutes evenly to Leonard Santillan and Jhonard Clarito, who I believe are more than worthy of taking up Datu’s minutes.
As for TNT, Kelly Williams is a must-roster after going on a heater against Terrafirma on Nov. 7. I think he’ll carry that momentum into this game.
Calvin Oftana and Rey Nambatac both have the potential to explode in this matchup, despite going up against two elite-level defenders in the soon-to-retire star in Gabe Norwood, and his heir apparent, Gian Mamuyac.
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