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Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 3: Aday Mara is ready to shine
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- Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Week 3: Aday Mara is ready to shine
Injuries plagued the first week of the NBA season, and the hits just kept coming in Week 2.
Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant, Tyrese Haliburton, Jaren Jackson Jr., Chet Holmgren,and Kawhi Leonardwill all miss multiple weeks with injuries, opening the door for other players to take on expanded roles.
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With injuries to star players piling up, I've put together my top waiver wire adds heading into Week 3.
Waiver wire adds are based on 8-cat scoring, and roster percentages come from Yahoo! leagues. Only players rostered in 50% or less will be included.
Priority Adds
1. Aday Mara
2. Tristan da Silva
3. Scoot Henderson
4. Ja'Kobe Walter
5. Collin Gillespie
6. Jaxson Hayes
7. Pelle Larsson
8. De'Andre Hunter
9. Anfernee Simons
10. Moritz Wagner
Others to consider: Derrick Jones Jr. (26%), Isaiah Jackson (24%), Cam Spencer (12%), Nolan Traore (9%), Ziaire Williams (9%), Keon Ellis (7%), Marcus Smart (3%), Kobe Sanders (2%)
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Ja'Kobe Walter, Toronto Raptors (40 percent rostered)
Kawhi Leonardis injured … again. That means Walter - who has started each of the last four games with Leonard sidelined - should be a fixture in the first unit indefinitely.
Since joining the starting lineup, Walter has averaged 14 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.5 swats and 3.5 triples while shooting 50% from the floor and 80% from the charity stripe.
Walter is a three-and-D specialist who's provided Top-75 value over his last four games. This is likely the last week his roster percentage will be 40% or less until Leonard returns.
Collin Gillespie, Phoenix Suns (40 percent rostered)
Phoenix doesn't have a true PG in the starting five, but they have a Sixth Man who can run the show. Gillespie's 26.5 minutes per game are fifth most on the team and lead the Suns' bench.
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In his last game out, Gillespie posted a 16/3/10 line with four steals, a block and four triples across 33 minutes. He's got big upside as a specialist in assists, steals and three-pointers. Even if he continues to come off the bench, Gillespie should see more than enough run to be a viable option in standard leagues.
Aday Mara, Oklahoma City Thunder (35 percent rostered)
The hits kept coming for OKC over the last week. After losing Jalen Williamsto a gruesome leg injury, the Thunder got news that Chet Holmgrenwill be sidelined for 8-10 weeks after getting treatment on a patellar tendon tear.
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Cason Wallace(shoulder) and Alex Caruso(ankle) are out indefinitely, and suddenly the Thunder's rotation is razor thin. Mara saw a season-high 28 minutes in his last game out, posting a 7/9/3 line with four blocked shots.
The rookie has the upside to average a double-double with multiple swats, and he's still available in 65% of Yahoo! leagues. Scoop him up while you still can.
Pelle Larsson, Miami Heat (34 percent rostered)
Like Gillespie, Larsson has carved out a meaningful role as Miami's Sixth Man, logging a career-high 29.5 minutes per game. Larsson started the season with muted production across his first two games, but he's posted strong numbers over his last four.
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In that span, the Arizona product has averaged 15.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 triples while shooting 59.4% from the floor and 86% from the charity stripe. Miami plays four games in Week 3, which is just another reason to add Larsson.
Derrick Jones Jr., Los Angeles Clippers (26 percent rostered)
"Airplane Mode" has taken off for LA this season, averaging career highs in points (12), rebounds (4.4), assists (1.6), triples (2.4), steals (1.4) and minutes (29). He's also swatting 0.6 shots per tilt.
Jones Jr. has started every game for the Clippers, and given the roster's lack of depth, he should see minutes in the high 20's to low 30's for the foreseeable future. He's ranked just outside the fifth round in per-game fantasy value.
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DJJ injured his knee in Sunday's loss to the Warriors, and if he's forced to miss time, Kobe Sanders (2%)would be worth streaming until he returns.
Jaxson Hayes, Utah Jazz (21 percent rostered)
Jusuf Nurkicis still out, and Jaren Jackson Jr.will be sidelined for 6-8 weeks. That leaves Utah with a gaping hole in its frontcourt and Hayes with a sizable opportunity.
Over his last two games (both starts), Hayes averaged 4.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocked shots across 28.5 minutes. He won't score much, but Hayes is a solid source of rebounds and defensive stats.
De'Andre Hunter, Sacramento Kings (29 percent rostered)
Hunter started the season out slowly, averaging just 5.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 triples on 37.5% shooting across 25 minutes over his first three games.
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Over his last three, Hunter has averaged 22.3 points, 4.7 boards, 3.7 triples and a "stock" across 34 minutes per game. Hunter has shot 52.3% in that span, and he ranks 65th in per-game fantasy value.
Hunter's increased playing time and production is due in part to the absence of Keegan Murray(ankle), who will be out for at least the next week. Hunter is still a worthy option in category leagues, but he's better in points formats.
Anfernee Simons, Philadelphia 76ers (19 percent rostered)
Don't look now, but Simons is a second-round option over the last week. Across his last three games, the sharpshooter has averaged 20 points, 1.3 steals and 5.3 triples across 27.7 minutes.
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Simons is best deployed as a points-league guy, but fantasy managers can't ignore a player splashing triples and piling up points and swipes at this level.
Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers (14 percent rostered)
Ja Morantis out for at least four weeks with a hamstring injury, and in Morant's first missed game, Henderson got the start over Jrue Holiday.
Henderson posted a 14/3/1 line with three steals and a triple. The production was solid, but Henderson's playing time was most notable, as he tied Toumani Camarafor team lead in minutes at 31.
Henderson appears to have the inside track to holding down Morant's vacated backcourt spot in the starting five, making him a strong add off of the waiver wire.
Moritz Wagner, Brooklyn Nets (11 percent rostered)
After spending the last five and a half seasons with Orlando, Wagner is off to a great start in his first with the Nets.
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The big man averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 triples and 1.3 "stocks" across 22 minutes in his last three games, ranking just inside the fifth round in fantasy value. Wagner won't post Top-60 value all season, but he can be a useful source of points and boards with 3-and-D upside.
Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic (22 percent rostered)
Anthony Blackwas my top pickup in last week's column, but his roster percentage spiked, making him ineligible to appear again. Instead, I'll highlight da Silva, who's playing an integral role for Orlando and is still available in nearly 80% of Yahoo! leagues.
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The Brazilian forward had back-to-back strong games before posting a stinker in a win over the Raptors with eight points and no peripherals. He bounced back with a 23/10/2 line, including five triples, in Sunday's loss to Boston. Until Paolo Bancheroand Jalen Suggsare back, da Silva should continue seeing meaningful run, making him a solid add in 12-team formats.
