We are officially two days into a new NBA season, and I want to welcome you back to our daily column that features some of the hottest waiver wire targets available. With two games on Tuesday and 10 more on Wednesday, 24 of the 30 NBA teams have officially returned to action, with the other six set to play on Thursday.
Wednesday was a wild one for fantasy hoops that was loaded the good (sleepers shining), the bad (blowouts) and the ugly (injuries). Luckily, you can always adapt in fantasy hoops, even if you drafted Dejounte Murray, who fractured his hand in his debut for the Pelicans. We’ll dive in and talk about who to add in that situation, as well as many others. Here are 10 players to target after Wednesday night’s games.
Santi Aldama- 22% rostered in Yahoo leagues
With Jaren Jackson Jr. sidelined with a hamstring injury, Aldama got the start at power forward on Wednesday. He ended up leading the team in scoring and finished with 27 points (10-of-16 FGs), five rebounds, two assists and five 3-pointers in 31 minutes. Memphis has a back-to-back on Friday and Saturday, and it is safe to assume that they will hold JJJ out for at least one, if not both, of those games. Aldama should be one of the most coveted options on the waiver wire after his dominant performance against the Jazz.
Miles McBride- 13%
The Knicks gave up a lot of depth to bring in star power, and McBride benefitted in the season opener. He finished with 22 points and four 3-pointers as the team’s sixth man on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor. McBride won’t shoot that well in every game, and the lack of production in other categories was a bit concerning, but he is the best reserve option available in New York right now, making him worth a pickup off the waiver wire.
Tre Mann- 8%
Mann was an excellent source of offense off the bench in this game, and he may continue to see extra minutes and shots if Brandon Miller misses more time with this hip injury. Mann went off on Wednesday and finished with 24 points (8-of-16 FGs), six rebounds, one assist, one block and four 3-pointers in 29 minutes. Seth Curry replaced Miller in the starting lineup to open the second half, but Mann is far more appealing in fantasy basketball.
Jordan Hawkins- 2%
Hawkins played a large reserve role in this game, and he may be in line for more minutes moving forward. Dejounte Murray is set to undergo testing, but the early indication is that he fractured his left hand. Zion Williamson (illness) didn’t play in this game, and he will likely be the one to replace Murray in the starting unit. However, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be plenty of minutes and shots for Hawkins, who had 13 points, seven rebounds and three 3-pointers in 28 minutes off the bench against the Bulls on Wednesday.
Nikola Jovic- 6%
Jovic was one of the few bright spots for Miami in what was an incredibly ugly start to the season. He played 24 minutes as a starter and finished with 15 points (7-of-15 FGs), five rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and one 3-pointer. His minutes were inconsistent last season, but if he can continue to see 24-28 minutes per game, he should be able to provide standard league value.
Gradey Dick- 20%
It was a bad loss for Toronto, but Dick did exactly what we expected him to do: score points and hit 3-pointers. He finished with 16 points (5-of-13 FGs), two rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two triples in 29 minutes and was second on the team in points. Gradey won’t provide much else, but he should play big minutes and shoot a lot of shots.
Davion Mitchell- 3%
Though it can partially be attributed to the blowout loss, Mitchell logged 25 minutes off the bench in this game. The other reason for that was Immanuel Quickley’s early exit with a pelvic contusion. If Quickley remains sidelined for one or both legs of their back-to-back on Friday and Saturday, Mitchell may get the starting nod. He wasn’t great statistically in this game, but it will be a good opportunity for him.
Taurean Prince- 2%
As expected, Khris Middleton was sidelined for this game, and there is no clear timeline for his return. Prince started in his place, and things couldn’t have gone much better for him. Prince only missed one shot attempt, finishing with 16 points (6-of-7 FGs), five rebounds, three assists and four 3-pointers. His role is solidified, and he should be a good source of triples, with some other numbers sprinkled in.
Dean Wade- 1%
Max Strus is set to be sidelined for a while, and Wade got the starting nod in his place on Wednesday. He finished with five points, eight rebounds, one assist, two steals and one 3-pointer in 20 minutes. He may not see 30 minutes per game as a starter, since there are other options like Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro, but he should see more than 20 minutes when they play closer games.
Tim Hardaway Jr.- 6%
If you’re looking for some 3-pointers, THJ started on Wednesday and knocked down four of them. However, he doesn’t do much else.
