The Washington Wizards began the 2026-27 season on a high note. After the team averaged only 16.7 victories per season over the last three years, the energy is building in the nation's capital, and the Wizards paid that off with a 128-116 victory in Wednesday's season opener over the Milwaukee Bucks. Anthony Davis was a dominant force, finishing with 34 points and 12 rebounds in his Wizards debut, and fellow standout Trae Young added 20 points and 13 assists to buoy Washington's victory.

However, a lot of the excitement around the Wizards this season centers on No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa. The former BYU star displayed star-level flashes in both Summer League and preseason action, and long-time Wizards fans join with other NBA die-hards in highly anticipating his first regular season performance. Still, Dybantsa missed the season opener with a left ankle sprain suffered in last week's preseason finale, leading to increased attention on injury reports ahead of Friday's matchup against the Toronto Raptors.

Will AJ Dybantsa play on Friday night?

Unfortunately for Wizards fans, the most recent official injury update from the NBA indicates that Dybantsa has been ruled out with the same left ankle sprain. He is joined by Washington's injury report by Tristan Vukcevic (hip) and Jamir Watkins (knee), who have been ruled out, and Felix Okpara (illness), who is currently listed as questionable. On the other side, Toronto will be without Nate Bittle (foot) and Malachi Smith (G League assignment).

At this juncture, there is no public indication of fear about a long-term absence for Dybantsa, which quells some fears among the Wizards faithful. However, this would have been a fantastically entertaining time for Dybantsa to debut, especially when considering the positional matchup against the likes of Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard for Toronto. In fact, it would have been a marked test for the 19-year-old Dybantsa, and he will have to wait a bit longer to match up with some of the best players in the NBA.

From a matchup perspective, the Wizards are left with what amounts to the same roster the team deployed in Wednesday's opening win. Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly got the start in that matchup, each playing 29 minutes on the wings between Davis and Sarr in the frontcourt and Young at the point guard position. On the bench, Washington can turn to veteran and former All-Star Khris Middleton for wing minutes, along with Justin Champagnie and former lottery pick Tre Johnson.

Dybantsa's two-way aptitude will be missed, however, as the Wizards do not have another similar option from a physical standpoint, especially when blended with Dybantsa's aptitude for shot creation. On the whole, the Wizards have their most interesting and potentially competitive roster in a long time, but Dybantsa's debut will have to wait until at least Saturday when Washington travels to Chicago to face Caleb Wilson and the Bulls.