UPDATE — 18 September 2026: Perth coach John Rillie has now confirmed both Brandon Knight and Jaron Rillie are unavailable for Round 1. Perth will use a point-guard-by-committee approach, with Elijah Pepper, Anthony Dell'Orso, Kristian Doolittle and Jimmy Whitt specifically identified for ball-handling responsibility. That turns the opportunity described below from a projection into a confirmed Round 1 role change.
Opportunity Knock is where Buckets looks past the headline and asks the more useful fantasy question: where did the opportunity just move?
Brandon Knight signing with Perth was the obvious story this week. The next development might be even more useful for fantasy managers.
The NBL reported on 15 September that Knight is unlikely to feature in Perth''s season opener against South East Melbourne on Saturday night. The Wildcats have signed the 34-year-old point guard on a one-year deal, but his late arrival means Perth may get one more game with the same temporary backcourt structure it used through the preseason.
That creates a short, strange fantasy window.
Knight''s arrival still changes Perth for NBL27. Just maybe not in Round 1.
If you want the full-season view, start with our Brandon Knight NBL27 SuperCoach and fantasy draft impact breakdown. This piece is about what happens before Knight takes over the point.
The opportunity: one last game without the new point guard
Perth spent the preseason without a settled import point guard while Jaron Rillie continued his recovery from hamstring surgery.
That pushed more creation onto Elijah Pepper and Anthony Dell''Orso, while Kristian Doolittle remained an important secondary playmaker.
The Wildcats were always going to change once their final import arrived. Knight is not a speculative depth signing. He is a genuine point guard with 451 NBA games behind him, and Perth signed him to organise a roster that already has plenty of scoring around him.
But if he misses Round 1, the handover is delayed.
For one night, Perth may still need Pepper and Dell''Orso to do more with the ball than they will once Knight is integrated.
That does not make their temporary roles permanent. It does make Saturday useful.
Elijah Pepper: the clearest short-term winner
Pepper is the player we are most interested in if Knight sits.
His scoring ability was never in doubt. He is coming off an MVP season in New Zealand where he averaged 28.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.9 steals across the regular season.
The more important question for NBL fantasy has been how much creation Perth actually needs from him.
Long term, Knight''s arrival should push Pepper toward a cleaner off-ball scoring role. That is probably good basketball for the Wildcats, but it trims some of the fantasy upside that comes from handling the ball, initiating actions and collecting assists.
Round 1 may give Pepper one final shot at the expanded version of the role.
Opportunity Knock read: short-term positive, long-term role still needs to be judged with Knight on court.
For SuperCoach, that means we would not rewrite an entire starting structure around a one-game opportunity. For Draft, it means a strong opener from Pepper needs context. If he produces while handling point-guard duties, do not automatically project the same usage forward.
Anthony Dell''Orso: the biggest one-game swing
Dell''Orso might have even more to gain from Knight missing Saturday, but his longer-term fantasy outlook is also more vulnerable to Knight''s arrival.
The rookie guard has repeatedly shown he can score during the preseason. He had 23 points against Cairns in Karratha and continued to handle meaningful responsibility while Perth waited for its import point guard.
That makes Round 1 fascinating.
If Knight is unavailable and Rillie is still working back, Dell''Orso should have a clearer path to ball-handling and guard minutes. Once Knight joins the rotation, that path becomes considerably narrower.
This is exactly the kind of situation Opportunity Knock is built for: real fantasy opportunity that may have an expiry date attached.
A big Round 1 score would be worth enjoying. It would not automatically make Dell''Orso a season-long breakout.
Kristian Doolittle: extra creation without needing it
Doolittle is different because his fantasy value does not depend on Knight being absent.
He already rebounds, defends, scores and moves the ball well enough to produce across categories. Perth used him as a secondary creator before Knight arrived, and that responsibility should remain part of his game even when the new point guard settles in.
If Knight misses the opener, there may simply be a little more offence running through Doolittle than there will later.
That gives him a mild Round 1 boost without changing our broader view.
Opportunity Knock read: small positive for the opener, minimal long-term concern.
What about JLA — and the separate Windler injury?
For Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. and Dylan Windler, Knight''s availability matters less than it does for the guards.
JLA''s fantasy case is built around elite centre production, finishing, rebounding and defensive stats. Windler''s is built around shooting, rebounding and complementary scoring.
Neither player needs to become Perth''s emergency point guard.
If anything, Knight''s eventual arrival could make their offensive lives easier. That is why we are much more interested in the Pepper and Dell''Orso role split when evaluating this temporary Round 1 window.
The trap: confusing a one-game role with a season-long role
This is the bit that matters most.
Fantasy managers are very good at reacting to numbers and occasionally terrible at asking why those numbers happened.
If Pepper posts six assists on Saturday, ask who was running the offence.
If Dell''Orso plays 30 minutes, ask who was unavailable.
If Doolittle carries a larger playmaking load, ask whether Knight was sitting on the sideline.
Then reset the assumptions when Perth''s new point guard enters the rotation.
Our basic rule here is simple:
Temporary opportunity still counts, but do not pay a permanent price for a temporary role.
That applies especially quickly because Perth has a Round 2 double, hosting Adelaide on Thursday, 24 September and New Zealand on Saturday, 26 September.
Knight could move from "unlikely Round 1 starter" to one of the most important Perth fantasy watches in the space of a few days.
Perth Round 1 opportunity board
| Player | Round 1 opportunity if Knight sits | What changes when Knight arrives | Buckets read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elijah Pepper | More on-ball creation and assist chances | More off-ball scoring | Short-term boost |
| Anthony Dell''Orso | Clearer guard minutes and creation | Rotation becomes more crowded | Biggest temporary opportunity |
| Kristian Doolittle | Extra secondary playmaking | Cleaner complementary creation | Small positive |
| Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. | Similar core role | Potentially easier finishing looks | Stable |
| Dylan Windler | Out — foot injury, return TBC | Role resumes once healthy | Do not select for Round 1 |
| Brandon Knight | Unlikely to feature | Expected lead-guard role | Major Round 2 watch |
Buckets verdict
Brandon Knight''s signing closed Perth''s biggest roster hole. His likely Round 1 absence may briefly reopen the fantasy opportunity that hole created.
Pepper is the player most likely to benefit without changing our long-term view of him. Dell''Orso has the most to gain for one night, but also the clearest reason for caution once Knight enters the rotation. Doolittle, JLA and Windler remain much less dependent on the point-guard situation.
The smartest way to use Saturday is not to chase a temporary role blindly. It is to watch exactly where the possessions go.
Then, when Knight arrives, watch where they move again.
That is the opportunity.
What to read next
- Brandon Knight to Perth: full NBL27 fantasy impact
- NBL27 projected starting fives and fantasy outlook
- NBL27 SuperCoach Round 1 injury report
- NBL27 fantasy draft rankings: Top 50
Sources and methodology
This article draws on the NBL''s 15 September update that Knight is unlikely to feature in Perth''s opener, the Perth Wildcats'' confirmation of his one-year signing, NBL preseason reporting on Perth''s guard rotation and official Wildcats reporting on Pepper''s 2026 New Zealand season. Fantasy conclusions are Buckets analysis.
Buckets is an independent fantasy basketball platform and is not affiliated with SuperCoach or the National Basketball League. SuperCoach is referenced for analysis and scoring comparison.
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