Blazers Wesley Matthews (Achilles) and Nicolas Batum (shoulder) return to practice – Matthews and Batum both returned to practice Sunday and appear to be on track for the season opener Tuesday against the Suns. Both swing men are popular sleepers this season, with Batum the unquestioned starter at small forward and Matthews looking like the Blazers top scoring threat of the bench this preseason. Batum should be owned universally, while Matthews is better suited for deep leagues that value bench players.
Samuel Dalembert (thigh) makes early return – Dalembert is hoping to return to action in the Kings' second game of the regular season. He sat out the entire preseason and was originally expected to miss the first month of the regular season, but the seven-footer has made significant strides in his recovery the past week. An early return will not only put Dalembert back on everyone's fantasy radar, but it could have a negative impact on rookie DeMarcus Cousins' value.
Allen Iverson headed to Turkey – After a few weeks of speculation, Iverson has finally agreed to a deal with Besiktas of the Turkish league. While he's not the AI of old, Iverson, 35, is still good enough to play in the NBA. It's odd to see one of the best pound-for-pound players ever likely finish his career overseas.
Shaquille O'Neal will start for the Celtics – Boston coach Doc Rivers endorsed O'Neal as the starting pivot this weekend. O'Neal will likely only see 20-25 minutes per night, but he proved last year that he can still score in double figures and grab six or seven boards with that type of playing time. Deep leagues shouldn't write him off.
Corey Maggette (ankle) returns to the hardwood – Maggette made his preseason debut Friday, scoring 17 points in 14 minutes off the bench. His status for Opening Night was in serious doubt, but it looks like Maggette will be a go. He'll come off the Bucks' bench to start the season, but Maggette should still see enough playing time to be a strong source of points and free throws.
The Hornets acquired Jerryd Bayless from the Blazers on Saturday in exchange for a conditional first-round pick – While not exactly an earth-shattering deal, Bayless's move to New Orleans could come into play in deeper formats. Bayless will be playing under Hornets coach Monty Williams, who was an assistant with the Blazers the past few seasons. If Bayless can carve out a role backing up both guard spots, he has the skills to put up decent enough stats to help out in deep leagues that value bench players.