Every Monday, Adam Ronis drops by with his fantasy basketball waiver wire guide and trends to watch, walking you through how to attack the week ahead for fantasy hoops.
Week 2 is the first full week of the fantasy basketball season with every team playing three or four games except the 76ers, who will play two games. Injuries already are a big factor and the latest is Stephen Curry, who sprained his ankle Sunday night and is waiting for MRI results. Working the waiver wire is key to filling in for your injured players.
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Adds This Week
Guards To Add in Fantasy Basketball This Week
Tre Mann (Charlotte Hornets)
Mann gets a boost with Brandon Miller sidelined with a hip injury. While he’s still coming off the bench, he has played 29, 25 and 32 minutes. He is averaging 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, three assists, and 2.7 three-pointers per game. Even when Miller returns, Mann could play a significant role off the bench.
Jordan Hawkins (New Orleans Pelicans)
Trey Murphy is out with a hamstring injury and Dejounte Murray fractured his left hand in the first game of the season and is out for weeks. Hawkins will play a big role off the bench with them out. He has played 29 and 34 minutes in the last two games and taken 25 shots from the field. Hawkins is averaging 18.5 points, six rebounds, 3.5 three-pointers, and shooting 57.1% from the field.
Christian Braun (Denver Nuggets)
Braun is in the starting lineup and contributing in the defensive categories. He has played 29 and 34 minutes in the first two games and has four blocks and three steals. Braun is averaging 13.5 points, seven rebounds, 1.5 steals, and two blocks and shooting 57.1% from the field.
Forwards To Add in Fantasy Basketball This Week
Jeremy Sochan (San Antonio Spurs)
Sochan is going to be a big part of the offense. He is playing a different role after being the point guard at times last season. With Chris Paul running the offense, Sochan doesn’t need to focus on handling the ball as much. Sochan played 37 minutes in a competitive game on Saturday and that’s a great sign. He is averaging 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and is shooting 56% from the field through two games.
Bilal Coulibaly (Washington Wizards)
Coulibaly wasn’t aggressive in the first game against the Celtics, taking two shots from the field and adding six rebounds and six assists. In the next game against Cleveland, he had 23 points, six rebounds, one assist, and hit four three-pointers. He’s in the starting lineup and should play 32-35 minutes in most games.
Nikola Jovic (Miami Heat)
Jovic is starting for the Heat and can help in several categories. Through two games, Jovic is averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 three-pointers. It’s his third year in the NBA and he’s only 21 years old. He shot 39.9% from three-point range last season and could take a leap this season.
Centers To Add in Fantasy Basketball This Week
Andre Drummond (Philadelphia 76ers)
As long as Joel Embiid is out, Drummond has value. Embiid has also said he won’t play back-to-back and it helps Drummond. Embiid’s health will likely be an issue for most of the season. Drummond has started three games and is averaging 10.5 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and one block. Keep in mind he will hurt in free throw percentage. He has missed half his foul shots and shot 59.2% from the foul line last season.
Yves Missi (New Orleans Pelicans)
Missi is for deeper leagues if you need blocks. The Pelicans are thin in the frontcourt and he is averaging 21.7 minutes across three games. He has at least two blocks in each game and is averaging 2.3 blocks per game. He is averaging 8.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists.
Nick Richards (Charlotte Hornets)
Mark Williams is out with a foot injury and Richards is benefitting. Richards has double-doubles in two of the first three games and is averaging 10 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks while shooting 61.1% from the field.
Players To Drop In Fantasy Basketball This Week
- Mike Conley (Minnesota Timberwolves)
- Russell Westbrook (Denver Nuggets)
- Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets)
Fantasy Basketball And NBA Betting Trends To Watch Entering Week 2
The Warriors rotation
Steve Kerr has used a deep rotation to start the season, using 12 players for double-digit minutes in each of the first two games. Golden State won by 41 and 36 points and it wasn’t a good gauge of what could happen in a competitive game. The Warriors were in a competitive game on Sunday, losing to the Clippers 112-104, and 11 players played at least 12 minutes. No one played 30 minutes. If this continues, it’s not ideal for fantasy or betting unless we get good lines to take unders.
Ivica Zubac’s props
Zubac was on my sleeper list and he’s been one of the best players to start the season. The books have been slow to adjust. His points+rebounds prop has been around 23.5. The Clippers center has come close to the over on points alone. With Kawhi Leonard out, Zubac has become a key piece of the offense and is playing big minutes. After fouling out in the first game in 34 minutes, he has played 39 and 38 minutes. He is averaging 22.7 points, 14 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
Chet Holmgren rising to a higher level
Most of us expected Chet Holmgren to elevate his game and he was going early in drafts. Through the first three games, it appears the Thunder power forward should have been taken in the first round. He is averaging 23.7 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, 1.3 steals, four blocks, and shooting 56.3% from the field. His PRA prop was 24.5 to start the season. It’s another one to keep an eye on to exploit.
Looking for even more NBA action this week? Check out our NBA Player Props Tool to find the best edges in your daily player prop betting, our Bet Tracker for our daily free NBA bets, as well as our NBA DFS projections for each main slate.
