Knicks Open Title Defense vs LeBron's Sixers Oct. 20 at the Garden
New York banner-raising night doubles as a Brunson-LeBron showcase, with the champs locked into a league-max 34 national TV games.
Trending up +7.9 FPTS over last 5, ranked #9 at his position.
- Knicks open vs 76ers Oct. 20 at MSG
- 34 national TV games — the league max
- Brunson: 26 pts, 6.8 ast in 74 games (2025-26)
- LeBron: +7.9 FPTS last 5 vs season avg
- New York hosts Spurs on Christmas Day
The reigning champs get their curtain call on Oct. 20, when New York raises its title banner at Madison Square Garden and then immediately hosts LeBron James and the 76ers. It's the kind of opening night the schedule-makers dream about, and the Knicks are cashing in — single-game tickets went on sale Monday in the first of three waves, all dynamically priced after last season's championship run.
The scheduling isn't subtle. New York landed 34 nationally televised games this year — the maximum the league allows — plus a Christmas Day slot hosting the Spurs. Translation: if you own a Knick, you'll be watching in prime time all season long. The centerpiece remains Jalen Brunson, who posted 26 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists across 74 games last season (2025-26).
Brunson's counting stats are elite, but the fantasy math is more nuanced. He averaged 40.5 fantasy points per game in 2025-26, good enough to land at No. 30 overall in our rankings (No. 14 among guards). That's a strong, durable floor — the 74 games played matter a ton in a category where availability is currency — but it's not top-10 upside. You draft Brunson for reliability, not ceiling.
The LeBron Angle
The more interesting fantasy story on opening night might be wearing red and blue. LeBron played just 60 games in 2025-26 but still averaged 41.4 fantasy points per game — narrowly ahead of Brunson — and ranked No. 23 overall, No. 9 at forward. More encouraging: over his last five games he was tracking +7.9 fantasy points above his season average.
That form trend is the tell. A LeBron finishing the year hot, now in a fresh situation with Philadelphia, is exactly the kind of profile managers overlook because of the games-missed history. The name recognition is baked into his draft cost, but the recent production suggests there's still meat on the bone.
For your roster: Brunson is a set-and-forget lock at guard — start him every night and enjoy the national-TV volume. LeBron is the sharper buy. If a manager in your league is nervous about his 60-game floor, that's your window. The efficiency, the assist output and the late-season surge all point to a player being valued below what he's producing. Buy low before Oct. 20 reminds everyone he's still LeBron.
