Fantasy basketball can be cruel. One night, the most exciting player in the league, Anthony Edwards, pops off for 47 points, five 3-pointers, four rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks for one of the greatest fantasy performances this year. The next day, Shams Charania drops the bomb that he needs a knee procedure and expects him to miss up to two months. Such a shame for one of the league’s most exciting and electric players who is having a career year after an injury-riddled 2025–26 season. But alas, here we are, and now we have to prepare for the next two months without Anthony Edwards.
In the infamous words of Bluey’s mom: “Have a little cry… Pick yourself up… Dust yourself off… And keep going! The show must go on!”
The show must go on indeed, and I am here to help you navigate the fantasy fallout. While primary beneficiaries like LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels, and Jonathan Kuminga will swallow up significant usage, there are three key players across shallow, 12+ team, and 14+ team leagues that you should target immediately. These players possess high upside, have shown production alongside Edwards, and carry massive fantasy potential as the Timberwolves retool their rotation.
Here is how you should approach the Minnesota waiver wire based on your league size.
Shallow Leagues / Add Everywhere
Ayo Dosunmu (PG/SG)
I won’t spend too much time on Dosunmu as he is already rostered in the majority of fantasy formats, but if he is sitting on your waiver wire in the 25–30% of leagues where he is available, that needs to change immediately.
Dosunmu started nine games for Minnesota last season after being acquired at the NBA trade deadline. In those nine starts, the Illinois product averaged 18.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.9 3-pointers, and 1.4 steals while shooting 50.0% from the field in 33.5 minutes per game. You can expect that level of workload and production moving forward, with upside for even more as a primary playmaker. Give him a look in every league size and scoring format.
Jonathan Kuminga (SF/PF)
Jonathan Kuminga signed with Minnesota in the offseason after being promised a starting role, and he hasn’t disappointed so far. Through the early stretch of the season, the 24-year-old is averaging 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.8 3-pointers, and 2.0 steals in 29.8 minutes per game.
Kuminga is a far more natural fit in Points leagues given his shooting efficiency struggles (45.7% FG / 50.0% FT), but even in Category formats, he is a worthwhile hold/add if you can swallow the efficiency hits. He turns the ball over very little and should see his workload expand from ~30 to 32+ minutes per night to compensate for Edwards’ missing offensive output. If Dosunmu isn’t available in your shallow league, lock in Kuminga—or roster both if you have the chance.
12+ Team Leagues
Terrence Shannon Jr. (SG/SF)
Taken 27th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, Terrence Shannon Jr. was already finding a groove even with Edwards healthy, averaging 13.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 3-pointers in just 22.3 minutes per game off the bench.
Whether Shannon Jr. slides directly into the starting lineup or remains a high-energy second-unit focal point, his minutes should comfortably rise into the 25–30 range. Head coach Chris Finch will have no choice but to ride the hot hand, and Shannon Jr. has already demonstrated explosive scoring potential while shooting 50.0% from the field on eight shot attempts per game.
Extrapolating his early production to 28 minutes per game yields projected averages of 16.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.1 3-pointers, and 0.9 defensive stocks. Those numbers play everywhere in both Points and Category leagues. Priority add in all 12-team leagues, and a viable speculative target in 10-teamers if you have end-of-bench dead weight to burn.
14+ Team Leagues
Bones Hyland (PG/SG)
During the 2025–26 season, Bones Hyland averaged 11.8 points, 3.3 assists, 2.3 3-pointers, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.8 steals in 21.4 minutes across 20 games without Anthony Edwards.
While Minnesota’s roster landscape has shifted with the emergence of Shannon Jr., Hyland still possesses a firm floor in deeper formats. His main competition for secondary bench minutes comes down to Cody Williams, who remains a work in progress. Bones brings instant spark-plug scoring, elite perimeter shooting, and baseline assist/steal output when given real minutes. Give him a look in all 14-team formats and deeper.
Overall Target Priority
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Ayo Dosunmu
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Jonathan Kuminga
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Terrence Shannon Jr.
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Bones Hyland
Final Thoughts
Losing a first-round superstar like Anthony Edwards hurts—trust me, I spent a top-10 pick on Ant in several of my own leagues, so I’m feeling the pain right along with you. But if you’re looking for a silver lining, he’s expected to return right around Christmas. Consider this a temporary trial: the fantasy basketball Santa is just testing our waiver wire skills while we dominate with high-upside Timberwolves pickups, setting us up to receive the ultimate gift when Ant returns for the fantasy stretch run.
The fantasy season is a marathon, not a sprint. The show must go on—and as long as you act swiftly, there are plenty of gems ready to carry your roster through the next two months.
Be sure to follow me on X @AintDunneYet for daily rankings, streaming targets, and strategy updates.
God bless, and let’s get through the Anthony Edwards injury together! 🏆
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