The bad news first. Thunder guard Jalen Williams was taken off the floor on a stretcher in Sunday’s game against the Clippers with a gruesome left ankle injury. The severity isn’t confirmed, but his season looks to be in jeopardy. That’s awful for Williams, who is coming off an injury-plagued 2025-26, and for fantasy managers who spent an early pick on him. Meanwhile, Magic guard Jalen Suggs suffered a non-contact right knee injury and will undergo an MRI, on top of Paolo Banchero being out four to six weeks with a high-ankle sprain. Those are the long-term losses, and they leave plenty of opportunity on the Week 2 waiver wire. Let’s get to the adds.
🎧 Who’s in My Rotation
Shallow leagues
Paul Reed – PF/C, Detroit Pistons – (50% rostered)
Reed was a pickup you wanted before Friday, and his rostership has jumped from 11% on Wednesday. He went for 19 points with 11 boards and 4 assists in 26 minutes against Miami after Jalen Duren (hamstring) left early, and he started Sunday against Philadelphia. Duren will be re-evaluated in two weeks, which makes Reed the starting center for all of Week 2 and possibly longer. Detroit plays Tuesday against the Knicks, Wednesday against the Hornets and Friday at Brooklyn. He should be rostered in all leagues.
Anthony Black – PG/SG/SF, Orlando Magic – (50% rostered)
Black made his season debut Sunday after missing the first two games with an ankle sprain, and he looked more than ready, scoring 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting with 5 3s, 5 assists, 3 boards and 2 steals in 26 minutes. With Banchero out for an extended period and Suggs hurt, Black will play a lot of minutes and provide a much-needed versatile guard who can create, defend and help generate offense. The Magic elected not to extend him earlier in the offseason. It’ll be interesting to see how his play might force their hand. He’s a must-add in all formats as he’ll see a big boost in usage going forward.
Jared McCain – PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder – (30% rostered)
Ajay Mitchell (56% rostered) is my first choice to replace Williams, followed by Cason Wallace. The problem is, Wallace left Sunday’s contest with a shoulder injury, opening the door for McCain to step in. He’s a good source of 3s, averaging 2.3 per game in 20.3 minutes. He was quiet Sunday, but a bigger role will push those numbers up in the short term. I doubt Wallace is back Monday; even so, McCain is a strong add for points and 3s.
Dennis Schröder – PG/SG, Charlotte Hornets – (26% rostered)
Running this back. I put Schröder in last week’s column at 6% rostered, and he’s averaging 16.0 points, 4.7 boards and 4.3 assists with 3.7 turnovers. Not going to lie, the turnovers are an issue. However, Saturday he had 25 points, six rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes. With Kon Knueppel (hamstring) and Coby White (calf) both out, Schröder is worth streaming if you can handle the giveaways and inconsistent FG shooting. Though Charlotte plays four games this week, only one falls on a light slate. Still, Schröder is in play as long as he keeps minutes in the mid-to-high 30s.
Deeper leagues
Aaron Wiggins – SG/SF, Atlanta Hawks – (32% rostered)
Wiggins is the most productive member of the Hawks’ second unit, averaging 17.0 points and 3.3 3s in 27.3 minutes. He hit four 3s in Saturday’s loss to Houston. Atlanta plays four times, including Thursday, one of the lightest slates of the week. He’s been lights-out offensively, shooting 58% from the field and 53% from 3. He’s been getting steals too, averaging 1.7 per game in his first three games of the season. Fantasy managers need to take action and get Wiggins on more rosters.
Tari Eason – SG/SF/PF, Houston Rockets – (25% rostered)
Eason scored a season-high 19 points in 31 minutes off the bench Saturday. Over the last two games, he’s averaging 15.5 points, 4.5 boards and 2.0 steals. He got paid this offseason and looks more motivated than in the last few seasons. Eason has generally been an effective per-minute fantasy asset, so his strong start matters. He’ll continue coming off the bench, getting high-20s minutes and giving fantasy managers points, FG% and stocks.
Kris Dunn – PG/SG, Los Angeles Clippers – (24% rostered)
Every year, Dunn seems undervalued across formats. He’s 74th in 9-cat after Week 1, as he’s been a menace to opposing guards, stealing the ball over 3 times per game. He’s posting a diverse stat line so far, averaging 9.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 31.7 minutes. Getting four stocks a night is only something you see from Victor Wembanyama or Dyson Daniels. He needs to be rostered in more leagues.
Julian Champagnie – SF/PF, San Antonio Spurs – (20% rostered)
Champagnie has become a stocks guy, averaging 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks with 2.3 threes in 27.7 minutes per game in Week 1. His 3-point shooting is his bread and butter, but fantasy managers should stream him for his current defensive contributions. Saturday he posted 12 points, five boards, three assists and three blocks against Dallas. I prefer picking him up in 9-cat leagues.
Keon Ellis- SG/SF, Brooklyn Nets – (14% rostered)
I see Ellis sitting on more waivers than I would expect given what he accomplished in Week 1. He’s a defensive beast, as shown by his average of 2.3 steals per game. He’s a 9-cat specialist because, while he won’t see much volume, his minutes are solid (starting at SG), he’s efficient and doesn’t turn the ball over much. All of that, plus the stocks, makes him a worthwhile streamer.
Tristan da Silva – SF/PF, Orlando Magic – (18% rostered)
Another player who you’re likely late on, but da Silva stands to benefit from Paolo’s injury and likely sees some residual gain from Suggs’ absence as well. Da Silva is averaging 12.7 points and 3.3 threes in 28 minutes. Nothing wild, but we’re talking about opportunity. Minutes won’t be hard to come by and as long as he’s scoring and knocking down 3s with some defensive effort, he should be a nice hold for the time being.
Jay Huff – C, Indiana Pacers – (11% rostered)
Ivica Zubac rolled his ankle Sunday against the Nets. X-rays were negative, but he has swelling and likely won’t play Monday. Huff stepped in with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting, 2 3s, 3 assists and 3 blocks in 21 minutes. Add him if you need a big man to fill the void. Indiana plays four games this week.
Watchlist
Naji Marshall, SG/SF/PF, Dallas Mavericks (40% rostered): Marshall is averaging 13.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals, and he’s better positioned to be a fantasy asset with Cooper Flagg (shoulder) out. Flagg is questionable Monday, but Marshall is out with an illness, so he’s a watch for now. His next chance to play is Wednesday against Oklahoma City.
Jaylen Wells, SG/SF, Memphis Grizzlies (32% rostered): Wells is averaging 15.0 points, 4.7 boards, 2.0 steals and 2.3 threes in 28.3 minutes. Cedric Coward returned Sunday, so I’m watching the minutes.
Kyle Kuzma, SF/PF, Milwaukee Bucks (23% rostered): Kuzma had 14 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists in 35 minutes Saturday against Philly. That marks consecutive games with at least 14 points. He did it efficiently, too, and he’s making an effort on the glass. I wouldn’t hold out hope for a mid-career resurgence, but a short-term stream in points leagues is worth a gamble this early.
Trevon Brazile, PF, Denver Nuggets (14% rostered): The rookie had 17 points, nine boards and two blocks in 28 minutes Saturday. Alpha Diallo and Cameron Johnson are doubtful Monday, so he has some fantasy appeal given how much the Nuggets keep talking him up and how his production and effort are impacting the team at a higher level. He’s not leaving the rotation and fantasy managers should take notice.
Enjoying this article? Support our work with a small crypto donation.Sergio De Larrea, PG, Dallas Mavericks (2% rostered): The rookie scored 21 points in 33 minutes Saturday, but Kyrie Irving is off the injury report and set to return Monday. That shrinks his role, but I’m intrigued.
Week 2 Schedule
Week 2 has 49 games. Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday are the thin days, so those are the nights to stream.
Day
Games
Monday
9
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
12
Thursday
3
Friday
10
Saturday
7
Sunday
4
Teams to target
Four games: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, the Lakers and Minnesota.
Tuesday and Thursday: Sacramento (at San Antonio, at New Orleans) and Portland (at the Lakers, against Memphis) are the only teams on both light slates.
Sunday: Boston, Brooklyn, Golden State, Indiana, the Clippers, the Lakers, Orlando and Toronto.
Teams to avoid for streaming (barring notable injuries)
Phoenix Suns: The only team with two games (Monday at Oklahoma City and Friday against Denver).
The other 20 teams play three games, so look at the thin days as your tiebreaker.
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