We’ve already seen critical injuries around the NBA, with Paolo Banchero going down for an extended period of time, Cooper Flagg injuring his shoulder, and Jalen Duren tweaking his hamstring. Those are very notable names that will have replacements for them, especially in the case of Banchero, who will miss upwards of a month and possibly more. For the NBA Waiver Wire Week 2, let’s dive into our top options to make our fantasy rosters better!

 

 

 

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 2

Naji Marshall, Dallas Mavericks

(48% rostered on Y!)

So in what should have been a great role for Naji Marshall without Cooper Flagg, it turned out not to be that, but I’ll pencil that in as the second night of a back-to-back and a 16-point loss. Marshall has been incredibly effective in any role he’s been in, and if Flagg is going to miss an extended period of time, Marshall is the biggest beneficiary. Marshall played 29 and 33 minutes in his first two games with Flagg in the lineup. 

Egor Demin, Brooklyn Nets

(39% rostered on Y!)

It was a bad first game for Egor Demin, but he responded in a huge way in game number two as he put up a 22-4-6 line while knocking down five threes. Efficiency was a problem as a rookie and minutes weren’t always there, but he’s topped 27 minutes in each of the first two contests. Mikel Brown figures to factor in in a bigger way sometime down the line, but he’s currently on a minutes restriction, and that gives Demin a leg up on the competition.

Anthony Black, Orlando Magic

(38% rostered on Y!)

As much as I think people flock to Tristan da Silva because it’s a natural position switch, Anthony Black is a better fantasy player. Black is coming off a career year posting 15 points, 3.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. Last year, across 35 games in which he played a minimum of 30 minutes, he averaged 18.8 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds, which is well within the range of outcomes while Paolo Banchero is sidelined.

Paul Reed, Detroit Pistons

(37% rostered on Y!)

It’s official that Jalen Duren is going to miss at least two weeks, which means the man they call “B-Ball Paul” is going to serve as the likely starting center over that span. In Reed’s first game of this extended run, he notched a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double. Reed can stuff a stat sheet, as we saw him average 1.4 FP/min just last year. 

Keaton Wagler, Los Angeles Clippers

(34% rostered on Y!)

Anyone who read anything from the Fantasy Alarm offseason fantasy basketball content knows I love Keaton Wagler, and that doesn’t change two games in. Wagler has a great role off the bench, and the Clippers are still without a boatload of their rotation pieces for the upcoming week. Wagler has posted a 21% usage rate off the bench and has contributed in every category except for blocks. Long-term, he’ll be a starter for the Clippers too. 

Dennis Schroder, Charlotte Hornets

(25% rostered on Y!)

We don’t know when Coby White will return, but let’s not overlook the fact that this is his third calf strain since last year, the second in the same calf. While he’s out, Schroder will continue to start and play big minutes. In his two competitive games, he’s played 35-plus minutes and has had 30-plus fantasy points. Schroder’s an awesome addition while White is out.

Aaron Wiggins, Atlanta Hawks

(25% rostered on Y!)

The role for Aaron Wiggins has been quite eye-opening through the first three games of the year, as he hasn’t scored fewer than 16 points either. In the two competitive games, he’s played 28 and 32 minutes and 21 in the non-competitive game, but it’s impossible to ignore how much Quin Snyder is leaning on him off the bench. Wiggins has played the fourth most minutes on the team and has averaged over one fantasy point per minute.

Kyle Kuzma, Milwaukee Bucks

(18% rostered on Y!)

We’ll see how long this holds up for, but Kyle Kuzma has had a really good start to this campaign. He’s played 27-plus minutes in each game, and in two straight games he’s scored 14-plus points and grabbed nine-plus rebounds. He’s starting over Kel’el Ware and plays next to a center in Myles Turner who is allergic to rebounding, which benefits Kuzma. He’s a decent add in the current role he’s serving for the Bucks.

Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic

(13% rostered on Y!)

With Paolo Banchero going down for 4-to-6 weeks, Tristan da Silva should play a ton. He was already playing a ton, averaging 28.5 minutes per game. da Silva doesn’t do anything exceptionally well, but he does everything at a solid clip. He helps in a lot of different categories, and that’s truly the appeal. The only caveat here is that Anthony Black is nearing a return, and it’s likely that his minutes will stay around the same.