Anthony Davis Ties a Wizards Debut Record With 34 Points, and AJ Dybantsa Could Join Him Friday Against Toronto

Anthony Davis played his first NBA game in more than nine months on Wednesday night and looked like the player Washington traded for in February. Davis scored 34 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in 34 minutes as the Wizards rallied past the Milwaukee Bucks 128-116 in the season opener for both teams. His 34 points tied Antawn Jamison, who scored 34 at Memphis in November 2004, for the most in a Wizards debut.

Davis did it without the rookie Washington built its offseason around. AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, sat out with the left ankle sprain he suffered in the preseason finale against New Orleans. Coach Brian Keefe has called the sprain mild and listed Dybantsa as day-to-day, and the Wizards' next chance to put the two together is Friday night at home against the Toronto Raptors.

How Davis carried the opener

Davis set the tone immediately. He scored 10 points and pulled down six rebounds in an eight-minute opening stint, according to NBA.com, then poured in 18 points in the third quarter to keep Washington within reach of a Milwaukee team that led for long stretches. He finished 11 of 20 from the field and 11 of 14 from the free-throw line, with four assists, two steals and a block.

The fourth quarter belonged to Washington as a team. The Wizards outscored Milwaukee 38-23 over the final 12 minutes and finished with a 32-19 edge in points at the foul line. They shot 52.0 percent from the field overall, which covered for a rough 6-of-28 night from three-point range.

Trae Young was the other half of the engine. He finished with 20 points and 13 assists against one turnover, though he made only 4 of 13 shots and went 0 for 6 from deep. Twelve of his points came at the line. Kyshawn George added 18 points, Bilal Coulibaly and Deandre Ayton scored 11 apiece, and Bub Carrington had 10, giving Washington six players in double figures.

Why the debut matters more than one box score

The context is what makes the night notable. Davis last played on Jan. 8 for Dallas, when he suffered ligament damage in his left hand in a loss at Utah. The Mavericks traded him to Washington in an eight-player deal in early February that sent Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III and draft compensation back to Dallas. Davis never suited up for Washington last season; the Wizards shut him down in the spring while he dealt with hand and groin issues so he could be ready for this one.

Young's path was similar. NBA.com notes he played only 15 games last season, five of them with Washington after his trade from Atlanta. Wednesday was the first real look at the two stars sharing the floor in a game that counted, and the pick-and-roll partnership produced exactly what the Wizards hoped: Davis living at the rim and the line, and Young setting up teammates even on a poor shooting night.

On the other bench, Milwaukee looked like what it is: a team rebuilding on the fly after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to Miami. Tyler Herro led the Bucks with 24 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 22, both arrivals from that deal. Lottery pick Brayden Burries had 12 points and five rebounds in his NBA debut, while fellow 2026 lottery pick Nate Ament did not play. Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins said afterward that the team is still defining its identity.

Fantasy fallout

For managers who drafted Davis, the opener answered the first question: he is healthy enough to play a full workload. Thirty-four minutes in game one, with no restriction reported, is the best possible sign for a player coming off a lost season. His fantasy value has never been about talent. It has been about availability, and that risk does not disappear after one night. Managers who drafted him should start him and enjoy it, but they should also expect occasional rest days.

That is the immediate concern. Washington plays Friday at home against Toronto and Saturday at Chicago, the first of three straight road games. The Wizards have not said how they plan to handle Davis on back-to-backs, and it would not be surprising if they lean cautious with a player who had not played since January. Daily-league managers should check Washington's injury report before lineup lock on Saturday.

Young is a strong hold despite the shooting line. Thirteen assists with one turnover and a dozen made free throws is a profile that still wins categories even when his jumper is off, and the poor three-point night looks more like rust than a role change.

The most interesting secondary name is Kyshawn George. His 18 points came with Dybantsa out, so some of that usage is borrowed. When Dybantsa returns, George is likely to lose shots, and managers who grabbed him off Wednesday's box score should treat him as a short-term streamer rather than a long-term hold. Ayton, who scored 11, remains a rebounds-and-field-goal-percentage option in deeper leagues, but sharing the frontcourt with Davis caps his ceiling.

The Dybantsa question

Dybantsa scored in double figures in all four of his preseason games before the sprain, and he is the clear priority in dynasty and redraft leagues where he was drafted. Keefe has said he does not expect the rookie to miss much time, and Dybantsa did some shooting before the opener. The team has not officially ruled him in or out for Friday.

When he returns, expect him to slot into the starting lineup and take on a meaningful share of the shots that went to George and Coulibaly. The more interesting fantasy question is how his touches affect Davis. A second scoring option on the wing should open the floor for Davis and Young rather than pull from them, but it also means the 34-point outbursts will be harder to repeat. Davis' value comes from his rebounds, blocks, free throws and efficiency anyway, so he should hold up fine.

Betting angle

Washington's win was the kind of result that shifts perception quickly. The Wizards beat a rebuilding team at home, rallied in the fourth quarter and got a vintage performance from a star who had not played since January. Bettors should be careful not to overrate the result. Milwaukee is in transition, Washington shot poorly from three, and the Wizards relied on a 32-19 foul-line edge that will not show up every night.

The bigger handicapping factor this week is the schedule. A Friday home game against a Toronto team that just beat Chicago 135-92 is followed immediately by a road game Saturday in Chicago. If Washington rests Davis on either night, spreads and player props will move late. Bettors of legal betting age in your jurisdiction should wait for the official injury report before backing the Wizards on the second night of the back-to-back, and should treat any Davis prop as a late-news market.

Rookie of the Year markets are also worth watching. On Kalshi's live market as of Thursday, Dybantsa sat at 15 percent, tied with Golden State's Yaxel Lendeborg and behind Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson. Missing opening night has not knocked him out of the race, but each game he sits makes it harder for him to keep pace with rookies already playing.

For Verdexed's game-by-game outlook, see the NBA predictions at /nba/predictions.

What's next

The Wizards host Toronto on Friday and visit Chicago on Saturday. The two things to watch are Dybantsa's status on Friday's injury report and whether Washington plays Davis on both nights. If Dybantsa returns and Davis handles the back-to-back without issue, the Wizards' rotation will settle quickly, and George's opening-week value will fade. If either sits, George and Carrington get another chance to pile up minutes.

Davis has given fantasy managers a reason to be optimistic. The next two nights will show whether Washington plans to let him play every game, or whether it will manage his workload from the start.