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.
UTA v. LAL (Nov. 24)
Must-Roster Players Suggestion:
UTA: Jusuf Nurkic, Lauri Markkanen
LAL: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves
I made this lineup with the thought that LeBron James will take some time off, as the Los Angeles Lakers have more than enough talent to defeat the Utah Jazz.
To that end, I’m expecting Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to pick up the production with the 23-year veteran (likely) sitting out this matchup. But if ever James plays, you’ll need to get creative with how to build around them since you’ll be committing 57 of your 100 credits to just them three.
As for Utah, Lauri Markkanen is as must-roster a player as it gets this season. I wanted Keyonte George on here, but 14 credits is too much, so my suggestion is to go after Isaiah Collier instead at 9.5 credits.
LAL v. LAC (Nov. 26) - Chris
Must-Roster Players Suggestion:
LAL: LeBron James, Luka Doncic
LAC: John Collins, Ivica Zubac
I fully expect LeBron James to play this game, which is why he’s a no-brainer for the Lakers alongside Luka Doncic.
The part I had difficulty with is excluding James Harden from my roster. But the fact is, both teams’ top-tier players are among the cream of the crop, so it’s unsurprising that they are expensive to add to my roster. What I’d do instead, though, is to build around John Collins and Ivica Zubac. Zu has the drop on Deandre Ayton, and I won’t be surprised if he outworks him on the box score.
Sneaky tip: Add Bogdan Bogdanovic to your lineups if you can. Bradley Beal is out for the season, and the 33-year-old Serbian has slotted into his role. Bogi is finally on an upwards trajectory.
OKC v. MIN (Nov. 27)
Must-Roster Players Suggestion:
OKC: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
MIN: Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle
The Oklahoma City Thunder have yet to see Jalen Williams suit up this season, and I made these suggestions off that assumption. So with J-Dub hypothetically still out for this matchup, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the play here. As an aside, players might also want to consider slotting in Ajay Mitchell to their rosters while Williams remains on the sidelines.
As for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle are the main guys that I view as must-roster players for this game. Ant-Man’s been on a roll so far since returning from his short stint on the shelf due to a hamstring issue. Meanwhile, Randle seems to be on track for an All-Star nod with his level of play this season.
###
ABOUT DAILY FANTASY
Daily Fantasy is the first officially licensed platform in the Philippines, offering NBA contests to create fantasy basketball teams. All users can play Daily Fantasy on the web (https://laki.playdailyfantasy.com/) or app (https://www.playdailyfantasy.com/app/download). Daily Fantasy is a PAGCOR-licensed game with 24/7 customer support, available for deposit and withdrawal to level up the experiences of Filipino fantasy sports.
Basketball fans can now share the excitement of fantasy sports with their friends through Daily Fantasy’s new Referral Program. When a player invites a friend to join, both the inviter and the invitee receive 100 coins, giving them extra entry credits to jump into upcoming contests and start competing right away. For more information, visitwww.playdailyfantasy.com.
