Season opens with a marquee doubleheader: Rockets at Thunder as OKC raises its championship banner, and Curry and the Warriors head to Los Angeles to face LeBron and the Lakers. NBC and Peacock push a broader slate (including NBC/Peacock and Peacock-exclusive games) as the league returns to network TV for the first time in years.

On the horizon: Peacock NBA Monday debuts, a Martin Luther King Jr. Day quadrupleheader featuring Giannis, Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell among others, and a season-long Peacock stream all season. Fantasy-minded fans should note early-season usage, public attention on conditioning (Luka), and the shifting role players will play as schedules tighten and streaming expands the reach of games.

In short, a star-studded launch sets the table for fantasy managers: weigh opening-night workloads, monitor banner-raising emotions, and watch the calendar for prime streaming windows that may drive late-week, high-upside bets.