We head into the second week of the NBA season with an ever-growing injury report, especially one filled with stars and those hoping to be stars. We also have some elite fantasy basketball waiver additions floating out there due to some of those injuries, and also due to how well they’ve played. In this week's edition, we take a look at the injuries to Luka Doncic, Jalen Johnson, Brandon Miller, and more, while looking at some of the top waiver additions such as Jonathan Kuminga, Kyshawn George, and Dillon Brooks. Let’s hop into the article!

 

 

 

NBA Injury Report

Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers - Finger, Leg

Per Shams Charania of ESPN, Luka Doncic will miss the next week of action with a finger sprain AND left leg contusion.

Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks - Ankle

At some point in Friday’s game, Jalen Johnson suffered an ankle sprain that kept him out of Saturday’s game. There’s nothing suggesting this is anything major, but the Hawks take on the Chicago Bulls on Monday. We’ll know more then.

Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets - Shoulder

We saw Brandon Miller leave Saturday’s game with a shoulder injury after just eight minutes, and he was unable to return because of it. He missed Sunday’s game as well, and it remains to be seen how long he’ll miss because of the injury.

De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs - Hamstring

Over the weekend, De’Aaron Fox played 5-on-5 for the first time and is nearing a return. The Spurs play on Monday and then don’t play again until Thursday. That could be a day to circle on the calendar, but we’ll see how the week shakes out.

Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers - Toe

We basically have confirmation that Darius Garland is going to return in the first week of November for the Cleveland Cavaliers, per Brett Siegel of Clutch Points.

Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers - Foot

It’s officially listed as a right big toe sprain, and Bennedict Mathurin will undergo testing to see how serious it is. Obviously, the Pacers are hoping it’s not bad and he’s not going to miss too much time. His first two games hinted at a breakout campaign in fantasy.

Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers - Shoulder

Head coach Rick Carlisle failed to expand on how bad Andrew Nembhard’s shoulder injury is but it’s bad enough that he’s now missed two consecutive games for the Pacers. 

Coby White, Chicago Bulls - Calf

We’re one week into the two-week period that the Bulls gave us about Coby White’s re-evaluation due to a calf injury. White’s calf was prevented from any preseason time, and it’s stretched into the regular season as well. You can bet he'll be limited upon first returning.

Paul George, Philadelphia 76ers - Knee

The last listing for Paul George on the 76ers injury report was “left knee surgery recovery,” which means he’s working his way back. Head coach Nick Nurse said George has been practicing, and it shouldn’t be too much longer until he’s back, but no specific date has been given.

Kevin Porter, Milwaukee Bucks - Ankle

After suffering an ankle sprain in the Bucks' first game, the team announced that Kevin Porter would miss two games. We’ll see if this holds true as the week unfolds.

Isaiah Collier, Utah Jazz - Hamstring

After suffering a hamstring strain, the Utah Jazz announced they would re-evaluate Isaiah Collier in a week, so we could see the second-year point guard back this week.

Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks - Ankle

This ankle sprain shouldn’t hinder Zaccharie Risacher’s status for much longer, as he missed the Hawks' back-to-back set over the weekend but was listed as questionable going into both of the games.

Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans - Ankle

Things are trending in the right direction for Yves Missi as he returned to practice on Sunday. He should return to the Pelicans' starting lineup in the upcoming week.

Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks - Ankle

The New York Knicks have been without Mitchell Robinson for their first three games of the year, but it looks like things are trending in the right direction. Reports suggest Robinson should be back within the next two games for the Knicks.

Alex Caruso, Oklahoma City Thunder - Concussion

At some point during the Thunder’s opening night two-overtime win, Alex Caruso suffered a concussion. He’s currently still in concussion protocol, but nothing is suggesting that it’s serious and that he’ll miss an extended period of time.
 

 

 

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 2

Kyshawn George, Washington Wizards - 48% rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

Going into Sunday, there were 11 players in the ENTIRE NBA averaging 50-plus fantasy points per game, and Kyshawn George was one of them. Think about that for a second. If Bilal Coulibaly were healthy, this would never have happened because I’m not sure George is even in the starting lineup. Now, it’s hard to imagine him not sticking in the starting five even when Coulibaly does return. He’s a must-add for the time being, and we’ll worry about what happens with the Wizards lineup in the future.

Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors - 45% rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

After not having any idea what his role would be after he finally reached a deal, the Warriors thrust him right into their starting five and haven’t looked back since. This is likely the last waiver wire cycle he’ll be available for in a majority of leagues. He’s averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game through his first three games, and the key is that he’s playing a lot. He played 33 and 36 minutes in his first two games, and the only reason it was 24 in the third game was due to a blowout in the second leg of a back-to-back.

Dillon Brooks, Phoenix Suns - 32% rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

Sometimes we have to accept that players' roles change when they change teams or team-altering changes happen. That’s what we have here with Dillon Brooks. Through the Suns' first few games, Brooks has a robust 29.4% USG rate and has averaged 19.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.7 steals per game. With answers around the Suns after Devin Booker, it really could end up being Dillon Brooks as the team’s second option on a night-to-night basis.

Collin Sexton, Charlotte Hornets - 29% rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

It took Charlotte one game to switch up their starting lineup and insert Collin Sexton into the starting five. He didn’t squander the opportunity either and found himself starting back-to-back games, especially after Brandon Miller injured his shoulder. He played 30 minutes in his first start, and there’s a reasonable expectation that it sits at that number with some regularity. Especially if they continue to bring Kon Knueppel off the bench – when Miller is healthy, of course, if Miller misses an extended period, well, both Sexton and Knueppel will find themselves starting.

Obi Toppin, Indiana Pacers - 24% rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

The Pacers technically have four centers on their roster, but do they actually have any? I’m not entirely sure any of them are NBA quality, or at least quality enough to play extended minutes. Through the Pacers' first two games, Obi Toppin had played the third-most minutes on the team and had been really productive in the Pacers' small-ball operation. It’s unclear at this time how long Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin will be out for, too, so Toppin’s role is really going to expand to heights we haven’t seen before.

Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte Hornets - 24% rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

Despite it apparently being a fluid situation, the Hornets have now started Ryan Kalkbrenner in their first three games, and he’s dominated the center minutes. Moussa Diabate hasn’t been a factor at all. Kalkbrenner double-doubled in his debut and had 14-7-1-1-1 in his second game, both spanning at least 26 minutes. The Hornets need his size and are poised to run him out there as the primary center night in, night out.

Tre Jones, Chicago Bulls - 21% rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

The Tre Jones experience will continue on for at least another week, as Coby White is going to return and take away a LOT of minutes from Jones, but while White’s out, Jones is a very good fantasy basketball waiver wire addition. Jones has scored double-digit points in each of the first two games of the year while contributing eight assists in each, and is averaging a whopping FOUR steals per game. He’s a two-way player who can help you win NOW. Worry about his role when the time comes (when Coby White is back.

Tre Johnson, Washington Wizards - 15% rostered on Yahoo! Fantasy

We knew coming out of the draft that Tre Johnson was a bucket-getter. That’s what he did in his one year in college, and some said he’d be the best scorer from his draft class, and there has yet to be a lie told. Johnson scored 16-plus points in each of his first two games while playing at least 26 minutes in each game. He’s not a big contributor elsewhere, but if you’re looking for players in category formats that will score, Johnson’s your low-owned add.