Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Manage Those Injuries

When will the injuries stop? Hopefully, the answer is soon. The last thing I want to do is sit here and complain. After all, everyone is playing under the same conditions. But these injuries do seem a little extreme and overabundant this early in the season. That means there’s even more of an emphasis on improving your roster. A great way to do that is by digging through the fantasy basketball waiver wire. Let’s take a look at some options for consideration.

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire

Ja’Kobe Walter, G, Toronto Raptors

The injuries aren’t going to stop, so we might as well lean into it. With Kawhi Leonard out for the next few weeks as he works through knee inflammation, it’s Walter who has moved into the starting lineup. In his first game in the starting lineup, Walter began on a high note with 22 points and four rebounds in 31 minutes of action. In his next three games, Walter averaged 11.3 points and four rebounds per game as he’s generally seeing about 30 minutes of playing time.

Aside from the obvious, Walter can be a real asset with 1.7 steals and 2.8 three-pointers per game. We likely have another few weeks of this, but the experience should serve Walter well moving forward.

Nolan Traore, G, Brooklyn Nets

At this point, I’d argue that the Nets have three true, viable guards. One, Egor Demin, is injured and should be back in the next week or so. The other, Mikel Brown, is still working on building up his stamina after a preseason ankle injury, but we know he’s going to take a large role. That means Traore has been not only starting for Brooklyn, but also succeeding.

When the Nets are at full strength, they’ll run four deep in the backcourt. Keon Ellis will also have a role, but he’s now coming off the bench. All this means that we should forget about the second-year guard.

In his last four games, entering play Monday, Traore averaged 14.3 points and four assists per game over 26 minutes. That’s come with 1.3 steals and 1.8 three-pointers per game. There’s always going to be some level of inconsistency, but in this small sample, the guard is shooting 46.3% from the field.

The talent is there; he’s taken advantage of the opportunity, now the consistency needs to follow.

Mo Bamba, C, Utah Jazz

Take your pick of a Utah center, and he’s currently injured. That means Bamba is now front and center in the middle for the Jazz. Based on the quantity of injuries and the timeframes for their returns, Bamba should continue to have a role in the immediate future. However, the concern is that Bamba’s minute totals went from 29 to 16, to 10.

However, at 9.3 points and five rebounds, Bamba has our attention. When you then factor in Bamba’s 1.7 blocked shots per game, you have our attention. Keep an eye on the playing time, but there’s something here.

Meleek Thomas, G, Cleveland Cavaliers

It was injuries to Jaylon Tyson and Peyton Watson that elevated Thomas into the starting lineup. At this point, it might be a temporary occurrence, but Thomas also has our attention.

He began the week on Monday with 17 points and five rebounds in his starting debut. Thomas was efficient, making seven of 16 shots from the field. In the three previous games Thomas played, he scored in double figures each time. In 21 minutes of play, he’s averaging 13 points per game with those all-important 2.3 three-pointers per game. Again, we are talking about just three games, but Thomas is moving in the right direction. If he continues to shoot and score at this level, playing time should come easily for Thomas.