Kerr Locks Green Into Warriors' Starting Five, Leaves 3 Spots Open
Curry and Draymond are set, but three starting jobs are wide open in Golden State — with Gui Santos (19.4 FPTS/G in 2025-26) right in the mix.
A starting job is in reach and his form is trending up heading into camp.
- Green and Curry are the only locked starters
- Santos: +5.2 FPTS over last 5 games (2025-26)
- Butler and Moody out for first few months
- Season opener October 21
- Preseason opener Sunday: Lendeborg + Podziemski start
Golden State opened training camp in Hawaii this week, and Steve Kerr used it to clear up exactly one thing: three-time All-Star Draymond Green will start. Pair him with the obvious name — Steph Curry — and that leaves three starting spots genuinely up for grabs on a roster that's banged up before the season even begins.
Kerr was blunt about it. Asked whether the remaining jobs are open for competition, he nodded and confirmed nothing's been decided. He specifically name-dropped Gui Santos as someone in the mix, which matters for fantasy managers scanning the late rounds. For context, Green put up 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists across 68 games last season (2025-26), good for 25.1 fantasy points per game — our No. 141 overall, No. 47 at his position.
Why the Lineup's a Mess
The open spots aren't a luxury, they're a necessity. Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody are sidelined for the first few months of the season with serious injuries. Kristaps Porzingis is out indefinitely, dealing with his usual stream of ailments. And Al Horford doesn't play back-to-backs, which alone guarantees Kerr can't pencil in a fixed five. Expect a rotating cast most nights.
Kerr did reveal the preseason opener lineup for Sunday: Curry, Green, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, Horford and Brandin Podziemski. That's a useful tell. Podziemski is the real fantasy stock here — he played all 82 games last season (2025-26) at 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists for 27.8 fantasy points per game, our No. 114 overall. He's the surest bet of the non-stars to hold a nightly role.
The Fantasy Angle
Santos is the name to track in deeper leagues. He averaged 19.4 fantasy points per game in 2025-26 (our No. 217 overall) but closed strong, running +5.2 fantasy points above his season average over his final five games. With Kerr publicly putting him in the starting conversation and so many bodies missing, there's a path to real minutes early. Horford, meanwhile, is a cautious hold — his 22.6 fantasy points per game last season (2025-26) come with a last-five dip of nearly 10 and the firm no-back-to-backs cap.
Bottom line: stash Santos if you've got the bench room and watch the preseason rotations closely. Podziemski is the safer rostered piece given his locked role, while Green stays a steady, unspectacular contributor. Don't commit to Golden State's bench pieces until the opening-night five actually takes shape — which, by Kerr's own admission, could be weeks away ahead of the October 21 opener.
